SRPA advises prospective purchasers on proposed columbarium development near City Point
************************************************************

     In response to media enquiries on whether there is a proposed columbarium development near the TW7 Development Phase 2 - City Point at 48 Wing Shun Street, and if so, whether the vendor has contravened the Residential Properties (First-hand Sales) Ordinance if the proposed columbarium development is not shown on the "location plan of the development" in the City Point sales brochure, the Sales of First-hand Residential Properties Authority (SRPA) made the following response today (May 15):

     The SRPA understands that the Town Planning Board (TPB) announced amendments to the draft Kwai Chung Outline Zoning Plan on May 9, 2014. The amendment includes the rezoning of a site at Tsing Tsuen Road from "Industrial" ("I") to "Other Specified Uses" ("OU") annotated "Columbarium" for a proposed public columbarium development.

     The site for a proposed public columbarium development at Tsing Tsuen Road next to Tsuen Wan Chinese Permanent Cemetery is situated within 500 metres from the boundary of City Point.  

     The Residential Properties (First-hand Sales) Ordinance (the Ordinance) requires that "the outline zoning plan relating to a development" in a sales brochure must show the existing and proposed uses of all land situated within 500 metres from the boundary of that development.

     The Ordinance requires that the "location plan of a development" in a sales brochure must show each of the 43 types of facilities as specified in the Ordinance if the facilities are situated within 250 metres from the boundary of that development as at the date on which the sales brochure is printed. A columbarium is one of those facilities.

     The vendor of City Point made available the first version of the sales brochure for City Point on May 14, 2014. The date of printing of that version of the sales brochure was April 24, 2014, which is before the TPB announced amendments to the draft Kwai Chung Outline Zoning Plan.

     Under the Ordinance, the vendor may examine the sales brochure at any time, but must examine it at least once every three months to ascertain whether or not the information set out in the sales brochure is accurate as at the date of examination. Any inaccuracy identified at an examination must be corrected by a revision to the sales brochure.

     The SRPA has requested the vendor of City Point to revise as soon as possible the outline zoning plan in the sales brochure to show the relevant amendment to the draft Kwai Chung Outline Zoning Plan as announced by the TPB on May 9, 2014.

     On the "location plan of the development" in the first version of the sales brochure of City Point, the site for the proposed public columbarium development at Tsing Tsuen Road is labelled as a "public carpark". The SRPA understands that the site is currently under a short-term tenancy and is used as a public carpark. A "public carpark" is one of the 43 facilities specified under the Ordinance.

Ends/Thursday, May 15, 2014
Issued at HKT 17:45

NNNN