**********************************************
The Chief Executive in Council has approved the draft North Point Outline Zoning Plan (OZP).
"The approved OZP is to establish a statutory land use framework to guide development and redevelopment in the North Point area," a spokesman for the Town Planning Board said today (May 22).
The Planning Scheme Area covers an area of about 277 hectares in the northern part of Hong Kong Island. It includes the planned reclamation (an area of 3.3 hectares) for the Central-Wan Chai Bypass (CWB) and the existing built-up area on the northern shore as well as the well-wooded slope rising to Sir Cecil's Ride in the south. The Area is also bounded by Hing Fat street/Gloucester Road/Wun Sha Street to the west, and Mansion Street/Java Road/Hoi Yu Street to the east.
Developments in the Area are mainly a mixture of commercial and residential uses which are found on both sides of King's Road and Java Road. There is a blend of high-rise residential and educational developments towards the mid-levels to the south of Tin Hau Temple Road.
Residential developments of various densities are zoned "Residential (Group A)" (about 33.6 hectares), "Residential (Group B)" (about 15.1 hectares), "Residential (Group C)" (about 0.8 hectare) primarily for high-density, medium-density and low-density residential developments respectively. About 0.4 hectare of land at King's Road and Tsat Tsz Mui Road where five industrial buildings are located are zoned "Residential (Group E)" to encourage the phasing out of the existing industrial uses.
About 19.3 hectares of land is zoned "Commercial/Residential", primarily for commercial and/or residential developments to reflect the general character of the existing developments. About 4.6 hectares of land is zoned "Commercial" for commercial developments which may include uses such as office, shop, services, place of entertainment, eating place and hotel, functioning as regional or district commercial shopping centres.
Four sites near Oil Street and Kai Yuen Street, with a total area of about 3.4 hectares, are zoned "Comprehensive Development Area", with the former two sites intended to encourage comprehensive developments including residential, commercial, leisure and tourism-related uses with the provision of open space, whereas the latter two sites are so designated primarily to improve local traffic conditions.
A number of sites, totalling 28.3 hectares, are zoned "Government, Institution or Community" to serve the local and district needs. Areas zoned "Open Space" (about 34.5 hectares) are intended to provide outdoor open air-space for both recreational uses for the local residents and general public. Victoria Park and Choi Sai Woo Park are the two largest existing open spaces in the area. A major open space will also be provided in the planned reclamation formed for the CWB project.
Sites allocated for various specific uses are zoned "Other Specified Uses". Measuring about 3.6 hectares, this zone covers the sites for ferry piers, funeral parlour, sewage treatment plant, the planned landscaped deck over the CWB tunnel portal, the planned CWB ventilation and administration buildings, the adjacent amenity area and the planned landscaped elevated walkway from Victoria Park to Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter.
Well-wooded hill-slopes, which form a green backdrop to North Point, are zoned "Green Belt" (about 87.8 hectares). There is a general presumption against development within this zoning to promote conservation of the natural environment.
Specific building height restrictions are imposed for various development zones to provide better control on building height profile, to preserve the views to the ridgelines and for better air ventilation within the Area.
The approved North Point OZP No. S/H8/22 is now available for public inspection at the Board's Secretariat, the Planning Department's Planning Enquiry Counters, the Hong Kong District Planning Office and the Eastern District Office.
Copies of the approved OZP are available for sale at Map Publications Centres in North Point and Yau Ma Tei. To view the plan's electronic version, please visit the Board's website (www.info.gov.hk/tpb).
Ends/Friday, May 22, 2009
Issued at HKT 17:53
NNNN