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Planning Department updates report of vacant school premises sites reviewed under Central Clearing House mechanism
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     The Planning Department (PlanD) today (January 17) updated the report of vacant school premises (VSP) sites reviewed under the Central Clearing House (CCH) mechanism. The report is available on PlanD's website (www.pland.gov.hk) and at PlanD's Planning Enquiry Counters located at North Point Government Offices and Sha Tin Government Offices.

     The latest review report updated the list of VSP sites reviewed under the CCH mechanism, their recommended long-term uses in planning terms, contacts of the managing parties and the status of sites up to mid-2019.
 
     Under the CCH mechanism, the PlanD will consider suitable long-term alternative uses for VSP sites after the Education Bureau has confirmed that the sites are no longer required for school use. Upon confirmation of the long-term uses for the VSP sites, the PlanD will inform the departments concerned of the recommendations for their follow-up as appropriate.
 
     In recent years, the PlanD has reviewed successively the long-term uses for 233 VSP sites in accordance with the CCH mechanism. Nearly 80 per cent (180 sites) are recommended for retaining their Government, Institution or Community (G/IC) use. About 10 per cent (26 sites) are recommended for residential use, and over half of these (14 sites) are recommended for public housing development. For the remaining 10 per cent or so (27 sites) which are former village schools in the New Territories located in village areas, they are recommended for retaining their uses as village type development, rural use, open space, etc.
 
     As at the end of June 2019, out of the 233 reviewed VSP sites, there are 43 sites on private land and their utilisation generally depends on private owners' initiatives having regard to the applicable uses in statutory planning terms and lease conditions. For the 190 VSP sites on government land or private land to be surrendered to the Government, 144 sites of these have been or will be put to long-term uses in accordance with the recommendations under the CCH mechanism, or have been or will be put to short-term uses pending implementation of the long-term uses. Another 39 sites pending implementation of long-term uses are available for applications by non-governmental organisations or social enterprises for community, institutional or non-profit making uses on a short-term basis. Members of the public can contact relevant managing parties for the latest information on these sites.
 
 
Ends/Friday, January 17, 2020
Issued at HKT 15:15
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