134
LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES
land for the proposed development of public and private housing, industry and commerce will be provided as the population of the district gradually increases.
Town Planning
The main aim of town planning in Hong Kong is to provide a good living and work- ing environment for its present and future population. The limited land resources must be 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 District, where the need for improvement is even more apparent.
The two authorities mainly responsible for town planning are the Town Planning Board, chaired by the Secretary for Lands and Works, comprising eight official and eight unofficial members, and the Land Development Policy Committee, chaired by the Chief Secretary and comprising nine official members and one unofficial member.
Town plans, which can be broadly classified into two groups statutory and depart- mental - are prepared to guide future development and redevelopment. They ensure the provision of the required community facilities and public utility services, and control land use and building volume on individual sites to meet the demands of the territory's growing population.
Statutory plans for existing and potential urban areas are prepared under the provisions of the Town Planning Ordinance while the Town Planning Division of the Lands Department, under the direction of the Town Planning Board, is responsible for their preparation and revision. These statutory outline zoning plans show areas set aside or zoned for residential, commercial, industrial, government, institutional and other purposes. They act as an important link between the government and the public, providing a guide to public and private investment by indicating the future broad pattern of land use, including major public works for developing areas. Once a statutory plan is gazetted for public inspection, it has statutory effect. Under the Buildings Ordinance, the Building Authority may refuse to give approval to any plans of building works which would contravene any draft or approved plan prepared under the Town Planning Ordinance. To avoid piecemeal redevelopment and to encourage comprehensive urban design, suitable areas have also been designated as comprehensive redevelopment areas on statutory plans. Under this designation, redevelopment may only proceed in a comprehensive manner according to master layout plans approved by the Town Planning Board.
During the year, the board published 16 draft statutory plans including draft outline zoning plans for Causeway Bay, Shek Kip Mei, Sha Tin and Tuen Mun. It considered 27 objections to the published plans 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 or approved statutory plans. In the New Territories, there were seven draft statutory plans covering Tsuen Wan, Kwai Chung, Tsing Yi, Sha Tin, Tai Po, Tuen Mun and the South Lantau coast.
The Town Planning Ordinance makes provision for a Schedule of Notes to be attached to each statutory plan. This schedule shows the land uses permitted in a particular zone, together with other uses for which the Town Planning Board's permission must be sought. This provision for applications for planning permission allows greater flexibility in land-use planning and improved control of development to meet changing needs. During the year, the board considered 138 applications, compared with 134 applications the previous year.