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LAND AND HOUSING
and statutory plans are due for revision and replacement by plans which take account of more sophisticated forms of development and increasing social requirements.
During the year, the validity of the Town Planning Board Wan Chai Outline Zoning Plan was challenged by a developer in court, and judgement was given in favour of the developer. The point at issue was a relatively minor one of presentation, but it affected the validity of all existing outline zoning plans. The validity of the outline zoning plans was restored by the enactment of the Town Planning (Amend- ment and Validation) Ordinance in August. The future of town planning legislation in Hong Kong is being examined by an inter-departmental study group.
The main object of the outline zoning plans in the existing densely populated urban area is to improve the environment by providing for open spaces, schools and other facilities, where at present there is little or no such provision. Certain areas such as Wan Chai—where a large amount of 'urban renewal' especially by public investment will be required in future are designated ‘environmental improvement areas' to facilitate subsequent resumption.
Because of redevelopment, a rising standard of living, and the growth of popula- tion, major development outside the existing urban areas is essential. Most of this new development is included in the new towns programme controlled by the New Territories Development Department.
New Towns
For many years, flat land for development in Hong Kong has been formed by cutting platforms into hill slopes, and using the excavated material to fill nearby low-lying land and shallow seabed to form further flat land. This system is being applied in the development of new towns.
At Kwun Tong, to the east of the Kowloon peninsula, development which has been taking place since 1955 is now almost completed, covering an area of 913 acres and housing more than half a million people. While land formation and the provision of water, roads and drainage has been a government responsibility, building develop- ment has been shared with private enterprise. Government and subsidised housing accommodates about 392,000 people and private buildings about 156,000. Local industry in Kwun Tong employs about 105,000 workers.
The new long-term housing programme to be carried out by the Housing Author- ity provides for about half of the new public housing to be built in the three new towns of Tsuen Wan, Tuen Mun (Castle Peak) and Sha Tin, and in old townships such as Tai Po and Yuen Long in the New Territories. The new towns will gradually be developed as balanced communities with public and private housing, employment and community facilities to minimise traffic within and between the towns.
Tsuen Wan New Town, northwest of Kowloon, has been developed for residen- tial and industrial uses since the early fifties and has now grown to half its ultimate planned size with a population of more than 400,000 in a formed area of 2,420 acres. The full population capacity of the new town is 850,000. One major area to the north