Page 7 - Town Planning Board Report 2015-2017

Part 1 Establishment and Functions Town Planning Board Report 2015 - 2017 5

Part 1

Establishment and

Functions

Town Planning Board

Establishment and Functions

The Town Planning Board (the Board) is a statutory body established under the
Town Planning Ordinance, Cap. 131 (the Ordinance). To promote the health, safety,
convenience and general welfare of the community, the Board is charged with the
principal duties to prepare statutory plans (namely, Outline Zoning Plans (OZPs)
and Development Permission Area (DPA) Plans) for the layout of such areas of Hong
Kong as the Chief Executive (CE) may direct, as well as the types of buildings
suitable for erection therein.

Listening to the views of the public is an important part of the plan-making
process. The Board is required under the Ordinance to publish the draft plans
(and amendments to the draft plans), consider representations to the draft plans,
comments on the representations and further representations in respect of any
proposed amendments to the draft plans, and submit the draft plans together with
any representations, comments and further representations and any amendments
made to the draft plans to the CE in Council (CE in C) for approval. The Board also
considers applications for amendment of plan under section 12A, for planning
permission under section 16 and for amendment to planning permission under
section 16A of the Ordinance and conducts, under section 17, reviews on its
decisions on section 16 and section 16A applications. Under the provisions of the
Ordinance, plans and applications would also be published for public comments.
Public views would be included in the submissions for the Board’s consideration.

Furthermore, under section 25 of the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) Ordinance,
Cap. 563 and section 21 of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA)
Ordinance, Cap. 601, URA and WKCDA may submit any plan prepared under
subsection (3)(a) of the URA Ordinance and subsection (6) of the WKCDA
Ordinance respectively to the Board for consideration. Upon the submission of a
plan so prepared by URA or WKCDA, the Board may deem the plan as suitable for
publication, with or without amendments, or may refuse to deem the plan as being
suitable for publication. A plan which the Board deems suitable for publication
shall be deemed to be a draft plan prepared by the Board for the purposes of the
Ordinance and the provisions of the Ordinance shall apply accordingly.