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HOUSING AND LAND
Town Planning The main aim of town planning in Hong Kong is to provide a good living and working environment for its present and future population. To do this, it is necessary to ensure that the limited land resources are properly planned to meet the competing demands of housing, commerce, industry, transportation, recreation, education, medical and health and other community facilities. This applies to both new development areas, such as Tuen Mun and Sha Tin, and the older congested urban districts, such as Yau Ma Tei and Western, where the need for improvement is even more apparent.
The two bodies mainly responsible for town planning in Hong Kong are the Town Planning Board, chaired by the Director of Public Works and comprising six official and seven unofficial members, and the Land Development Policy Committee, chaired by the Secretary for Lands and Works and comprising seven official members and one unofficial member. The Town Planning Office of the Public Works Department services these two bodies and their sub-committees.
Town plans prepared by the Town Planning Office can be broadly classified into two groups - statutory plans and non-statutory plans.
Statutory plans are prepared under the provisions of the Town Planning Ordinance for existing and potential urban areas and the Town Planning Office is responsible for their preparation and revision. These plans - outline zoning plans - show areas set aside or zoned for residential, commercial, industrial and other purposes. Once a statutory plan is gazetted for public inspection, it has statutory effect. Under the Buildings Ordinance, the Building Authority may refuse to give his approval to any plans of building works which would contravene any approved or draft plan prepared under the Town Planning Ordinance.
During the year, the board published 14 draft statutory plans including draft outline zoning plans for Central District, Sai Ying Pun and Sheung Wan, North Point, Cheung Sha Wan and Ma Tau Kok. A total of 130 objections to the published plans were considered by the board and as a result some of the draft plans were amended for further public examination. By the end of the year, 26 out of 39 planning areas in the main urban areas were covered by gazetted draft or approved statutory plans. In the New Territories, there were six draft statutory plans covering Tsuen Wan, Kwai Chung, Tsing Yi, Sha Tin, Tai Po and South Lantau coast; draft plans for Tuen Mun and Ma Wan were under preparation. The Town Planning Ordinance also makes provision for a Schedule of Notes to be attached to each statutory plan and this schedule shows the uses which are always permitted in a particular zone and the other-uses for which the Town Planning Board's permission must be sought. The provision for application for planning permission under the ordinance allows greater flexibility in land use planning and better control of development to meet changing needs. During the year, the board considered 106 applica- tions as compared to 111 applications in the previous year. Where the board refuses to grant permission, the applicant may apply for a review of the board's decision. In 1981, there were 18 applications for review, as compared with 38 in 1980.
Non-statutory plans, which are used administratively within government to guide and control development, consist of the Hong Kong outline plan and other departmental plans. The Hong Kong outline plan lays down general planning concepts, defines standards and locational factors for the provision of government and other community facilities and provides a framework for the preparation of statutory plans and departmental plans.
Departmental plans comprise planning guides, outline development plans and layout plans. They are prepared in accordance with the general guidelines and standards in the Hong Kong outline plan approved by the Land Development Policy Committee and, where