LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES
200
Enforcement
Under the Town Planning Ordinance, no person should undertake or continue a development in a development permission area unless the development was a use in existence before the gazetting of the relevant Interim DPA/DPA plans, or is permitted under the DPA plan or the replacement OZP, or has been approved by the TPB. Any development that does not satisfy any of these criteria is an unauthorised development. The Planning Authority may serve notices on the respective land- owners, occupiers and responsible persons, requiring them to discontinue the unauthorised development by specified dates unless planning permission for the development is obtained, or demanding a reinstatement of the land. It is an offence in law if the requirements of the notices are not complied with.
The Planning Authority can also instigate immediate prosecution action if any person undertakes or continues an unauthorised development.
Most of the unauthorised developments detected in 1995 were related to site formation; earth-filling; the open storage of vehicles, containers, trailers/tractors and construction materials; and vehicle repair workshops. These caused the serving of 378 enforcement notices for 93 cases, and 38 reinstatement notices for 13 cases. Prosecutions were conducted in respect of 66 cases, and 58 defendants in 41 cases were convicted.
In July 1995, the Legislative Council increased the maximum fine for unauthorised ____development offences under the Town Planning Ordinance in order to provide a more
effective deterrent.
Urban Development Areas
Work on new urban development areas generally follows the broad pattern of land-use and guidelines in the Metroplan and integrates with the replanning and redevelopment of adjoining old areas in a co-ordinated manner.
Hong Kong Island
The Central and Wan Chai Reclamation, extending along the waterfront from Sheung Wan to Causeway Bay, will cover an area of 108 hectares. The project is being implemented in phases.
The first phase of the Central Reclamation involves reclamation of about 20 hectares of land between Sheung Wan and Pedder Street, to provide land for the construction of the Hong Kong Station of the airport railway and the extension of the Central business district. Progress of Phase I works has been satisfactory. Construction of the Hong Kong Station is now under way, and supporting infrastructure will be available for the operation of the station in mid-1998. Some of the new ferry piers were completed and operational in 1995.
The second phase of the Central Reclamation which involves the creation of about 5.3 hectares of land in the Tamar Basin area for commercial and open space development commenced in December 1994. The detailed design for Phase III of the Central Reclamation, which will connect Phase I and Phase II with the Wan Chai Reclamation, commenced in February 1995.
Wan Chai Reclamation Phase I, which will provide land for the extension of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, commenced in March 1994.