LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES
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Should the board refuse to grant permission, the applicant may apply for a review of the decision. In 1983 there were 19 applications for review, compared with 23 in 1982.
Departmental plans, which are used administratively within the government to guide and control development, comprise outline development plans, layout plans and planning guides. They are prepared, where applicable, within the framework of the statutory outline zoning plans prepared by the Town Planning Board. The Urban Area Development Organisation and the New Territories Development Department are responsible for the preparation and revision of these departmental plans in the main urban areas and the New Territories respectively.
Outline development and layout plans, compared with statutory plans, are normally drawn to a larger scale, showing road proposals and the disposition of sites in greater detail. They are action plans enabling land to be prepared and released for public and private development. Examples of those prepared during the year cover Wong Nai Chung Gap, Tai Ping Shan Street Comprehensive Redevelopment Areas, several Junk Bay New Town Planning Areas, and two Tsing Yi Planning Areas. In addition, many existing plans, including those for Aberdeen and Ap Lei Chau, Ngau Tau Kok and Tsuen Wan, were revised to take account of changes in population forecasts, government policies, planning standards and other trends.
Planning guides are prepared for large areas within the New Territories, such as Lantau Island and the Sai Kung Peninsula, where there is a need to lay down guidelines for development. They indicate broad areas reserved for water catchments, country parks, conservation, agriculture, urban development and other major land uses.
The Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines lays down general planning concepts, defines standards, locational factors and site requirements for district and local land use and provides a framework for the preparation of statutory and departmental plans. The document is constantly kept under review to take account of changes in government policies, demographic characteristics and other social and economic trends. During the year, sections involving residential densities, educational and community facilities, car parking facilities and plot ratio for industrial land were revised.
Surveys on land and floor uses covering the whole territory were conducted or updated during the year to provide the basic input in the preparation of statutory plans, departmental plans and other planning reports. To achieve greater efficiency and accuracy, and to facilitate other special planning studies, work began on developing and maintaining computer systems for the storage and processing of planning data.
A development strategy for the territory is being formulated to direct future investment and development in the fields of housing, industry, recreation and infrastructure, including inter-urban transport links and services. In line with this, the government has completed a number of studies to assess the development potential of each major geographic sub-division of the territory. Major studies included the northwest and northeast New Territories, North Lantau, Junk Bay and its hinterland, and harbour reclamations and urban growth.
The first consultancy report on the northwest New Territories recommended a base strategy to allow for natural population growth in the sub-region. A follow-up study was commissioned in February 1982 to recommend the infrastructure needed based on projected population distribution, and to investigate ways to maximise the development potential of the area. The study of the northeast New Territories was concerned with the investigation of development potential from the west of Fanling to the east of Sha Tin, including the northern part of the Sai Kung Peninsula.