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The Chief Executive in Council has approved the draft The Peak Area Outline Zoning Plan (OZP).
"The approved OZP provides a statutory land use framework to guide the development and redevelopment in the Peak area," a spokesman for the Town Planning Board said today (December 12).
The Planning Scheme Area covers an area of about 900 hectares. It is bounded by Stubbs Road to the north and by Wong Nai Chung Gap Road and Deep Water Bay Road to the east. Areas to the south and west are mainly hillslopes including the Aberdeen Country Park and the Pok Fu Lam Country Park. The Peak, with its prominent location overlooking both Victoria Harbour and the southern part of Hong Kong Island and with the attractions of the Peak Tram, the Peak Tower and the Peak Galleria, is a popular tourist attraction. It is also a high-class low-density residential area with unique character and amenities.
Some commercial developments are zoned "Commercial" ("C"), covering 0.5 hectares. The planning intention of this zone is primarily for commercial developments. The sub-areas "C(1)" and "C(3)", covering southern end of Guildford Road and at 100 Peak Road, are primarily for commercial developments, which may include shops, services and eating places, functioning mainly as local shopping centre(s) serving the immediate neighbourhood. The sub-area "C(2)", covering the Peak Tower, is primarily for commercial developments which include offices, shops, services, places of entertainment and eating places, functioning as regional or district commercial/shopping centre.
Most residential developments within the Area are zoned "Residential (Group C)" ("R(C)") covering about 82 hectares of land. Within this zoning, developments are subject to both plot ratio and building height restrictions. Developments/redevelopment are restricted to a maximum plot ratio of 0.5 or the plot ratio of the existing building, whichever is the greater. The main purpose for this restriction is to keep development intensity in the area to a level which the existing road system can cope with and to maintain the existing character and amenity of the Area. The "R(C)" sub-areas, i.e. "R(C)1", "R(C)2", "R(C)3", "R(C)4" and "R(C)5", are subject to different building height restrictions. The building height restrictions are imposed with a view to preserving public views, the ridgeline of the Peak and the character of the Area.
Several residential developments at Stubbs Road and Wong Nai Chung Gap Road, covering about eight hectares, are zoned "Residential (Group B)" ("R(B)"). This zone is intended primarily for medium-density residential developments where commercial uses serving the residential neighbourhood may be permitted on application to the Board. There are two sub-areas under this zoning, "R(B)1" and "R(B)2", each with its own plot ratio and building height restrictions.
A total of about 14 hectares of land is zoned "Government, Institution or Community" ("G/IC"). This zone is intended primarily for the provision of Government, institution or community (GIC) facilities serving the needs of the local residents and/or a wider district, region or the territory. It is also intended to provide land for uses directly related to or in support of the work of the Government, organisations providing social services to meet community needs, and other institutional establishments. This zone covers schools, hospitals, service reservoirs, a police station, a fire station, radio communication stations and other GIC facilities.
About 12 hectares of land is zoned "Open Space". This zone is intended to provide outdoor open-air space for active and/or passive recreational uses for the local residents as well as general public. Existing major open spaces include the Victoria Peak Garden at Mount Austin Road and the Mount Austin Playground.
Sites allocated for various specific uses are zoned "Other Specified Uses" ("OU") covering about 1.8 hectares of land. They include the two petrol filling stations at Wong Nai Chung Gap Road and Peak Road, the Peak Galleria site at Peak Road and the King Yin Lei site at Stubbs Road. The Peak Galleria is a tourist attraction which comprises a commercial complex with a public transport terminus, public open space, Government and community facilities, and public car park. Development restrictions including a maximum gross floor area of 12,500 square metres and a maximum building height of 420 metres above Principal Datum. King Yin Lei, including the associated building structures and garden within the site, possesses high historical and architectural values and is a declared Monument. The "OU" annotated "Historical Building Preserved for Cultural, Community and Commercial Uses" zone is intended to facilitate in-situ preservation of King Yin Lei and for the adaptive re-use of the historical building for cultural, community and commercial uses for the enjoyment of the public and tourists.
The undeveloped hillslopes in the Area are zoned "Green Belt" which covers about 228 hectares. The zone forms a visually and aesthetically pleasant background of the Area. This zone is primarily for the conservation of the existing natural environment amid the built-up areas/at the urban fringe, to safeguard it from encroachment by urban-type development, and to provide additional outlets for passive recreational activities. There is a general presumption against development within this zone. About 528 hectares of land is zoned "Country Park" covering the portion of Aberdeen Country Park and Pok Fu Lam Country Park at the southern and western parts of the Area.
The approved The Peak Area OZP No. S/H14/9 is now available for public inspection during office hours at the Secretariat of the Town Planning Board, the Planning Enquiry Counters of the Planning Department in North Point and Sha Tin, the Hong Kong District Planning Office, the Central and Western District Office and the Wan Chai District Office.
Copies of the approved OZP are available for sale at Map Publications Centres in North Point and Yau Ma Tei. The electronic version of the plan can be viewed at the Town Planning Board's website (www.info.gov.hk/tpb).
Ends/Friday, December 12, 2008
Issued at HKT 16:00
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