LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES
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areas, such as Tuen Mun and Sha Tin and to the older congested urban districts, such as Yau Ma Tei and Western District where the need for improvement is most apparent. Town plans can be broadly classified into two groups: statutory and administrative. Their purpose is to control land use and building volume on individual sites to meet the demands of the territory's growing population and to ensure the provision of the required com- munity facilities and public utility services.
Statutory plans for existing and potential urban areas are prepared under the provisions of the Town Planning Ordinance, under the direction of the Town Planning Board. These statutory outline zoning plans show areas set aside or zoned for residential, commercial, industrial, government, institutional and other purposes. They act as important links between the government and the public, providing a guide to public and private investment by indicating the future broad land use pattern, 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 plan of building works which would contravene any draft or approved plan pre- pared under the Town Planning Ordinance. To avoid piecemeal redevelopment and to encourage comprehensive urban design, suitable areas are 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 25 draft statutory plans including five new draft outline zoning plans for Mong Kok and Yau Ma Tei East, Mid-levels East, Jardine's Lookout and Wong Nai Chung Gap, Ho Man Tin, and 20 amended plans. It considered 12 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, 31 out of 41 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 182 applications, compared with 142 the previous year. Should the board refuse to grant permission, the applicant may apply for a review of the decision. In 1985, there were four applications for review, compared with 10 in 1984.
Outline development and layout plans are used administratively within the government to guide development. Compared with statutory plans they 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. Exam- ples of such plans prepared during the year include those for Victoria Barracks, Tsing Yi North, Tseng Lan Shue - Tai Po Tsai, Silverstrand and for several other planning areas in Kwai Chung, Tai Po, Fanling and Tin Shui Wai. In addition, many existing plans were revised to take account of changes in population forecasts, government policies, planning standards and other trends.
Guidelines for the reservation of land for various uses, standards of provision for community facilities and locational and site requirements crucial to the preparation of town plans are contained in the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines – changes to