LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES
240
and groups, knowledge of local needs and available consultation mechanism, assumed control for the planning, management and implementation of minor rural improvement schemes. More local participation is also expected to be developed. The implementation of major improvement works, such as river-training works, continued to be controlled by the Territory Development Department through either agent departments or consultants. The two-pronged, multi-tiered approach cuts across geographical and district boundaries, and is expected to bring about progress in real terms both at the local and regional levels.
Planning Studies
During the year, the Planning Department provided planning input for a number of major reclamation and development projects, notably the Central and Wan Chai, West Kowloon and Green Island reclamations.
Studies were completed on development trends in Guangdong Province, vehicle repair workshops, commercial facilities in the Fo Tan industrial area, wholesale activities, density guidelines for private residential areas, the redevelopment of under-developed government sites, and port back-up land and open storage requirements. Two studies to identify short- term and permanent sites for mid-stream operations were also completed.
Studies were being undertaken on site design parameters for the West Kowloon Reclamation; a survey of population in the new towns and rural areas; amortization of non- _conforming existing uses; layout plans for Tin Shui Wai Reserve Zone; the provision of industrial premises and development of planning guidelines and design parameters for new industrial areas and business parks; and visitors and tourism in Hong Kong. Other planning studies relating to the Territorial Development Strategy and the Sub-regional Development Strategies were also conducted during the year.
Building Development
The Private Sector
Building development in the private sector as a whole underwent a period of consolidation during the year. A total of 1 273 buildings, with three million square metres of floor area, were built at a cost of $26,176 million, compared with 1 227 buildings with 3.2 million square metres, built at a cost of $28,860 million in 1993. The Buildings Department processed 14 428 submissions of building plans, compared with 13 918 in 1993. At the end of 1994, the department was preparing the ground for enhancing its capabilities to meet an anticipated increase in land production and housing supply.
Statutory standards and procedures under the Buildings Ordinance were the subject of a major review: registration certificates were introduced for authorised persons, registered structural engineers and registered contractors to provide for greater accountability; the appeal system for redressing grievances was overhauled to conform with present-day legal principles; practice notes for the guidance of authorised persons, registered structural engineers and registered contractors were updated; and codes of practice for use in building and structural designs were critically scrutinised and where appropriate, revised. In addition, it was proposed that buildings be made more energy-efficient by introducing controls on their overall thermal transfer values. A comprehensive code for energy consumption and energy conservation is planned. The Buildings Department enhanced its services to ensure that buildings and building works in the private sector comply with