Draft Po Toi Islands Development Permission Area Plan approved
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     The Chief Executive in Council has approved the draft Po Toi Islands Development Permission Area (DPA) Plan.

     "The approved DPA Plan provides guidance for planning and to facilitate development control within the Po Toi Islands area during the period required for detailed analysis of the land use pattern, study of infrastructural provisions and examination of development options for the formulation of an outline zoning plan (OZP)," a spokesman for the Town Planning Board said today (March 22).

     The Planning Scheme Area, covering about 550 hectares, comprises a group of islands located at the southernmost area of Hong Kong, which include Po Toi (about 369 hectares), Mat Chau (about 3 hectares), Beaufort Island (about 120 hectares), Sung Kong (about 48 hectares) and Waglan Island (about 10 hectares).

     The general planning intention is to protect the rural and natural landscape of the area with scientific importance and high conservation value from encroachment by unauthorised development and from undesirable change of use, and to reflect the existing recognised village and rural settlements.

     About 0.56 hectares of the land area is zoned "Village Type Development" to reflect the existing recognised village. The remaining 549.11 hectares of the area is designated as "Unspecified Use", pending detailed analysis and studies to establish the appropriate land uses in the course of preparing an OZP.

     The approved Po Toi Islands DPA Plan No. DPA/I-PTI/2 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 Sai Kung and Islands District Planning Office, the Islands District Office and the Lamma Island (South) Rural Committee.

     Copies of the approved DPA Plan are available for sale at the Map Publications Centres in North Point and Yau Ma Tei. The electronic version of the DPA Plan can be viewed at the Town Planning Board's website (www.info.gov.hk/tpb).

Ends/Friday, March 22, 2013
Issued at HKT 16:01

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