LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES
Planning Studies
During the year, the Planning Department worked on several major reclamation and development projects, notably the Central and Wan Chai, West Kowloon and Green Island reclamations. Studies were completed on shopping habits; population in the new towns and rural areas; amortisation of non-conforming existing uses; and layout plans for the Tin Shui Wai Reserve Zone.
Studies are being undertaken on site design parameters for the West Kowloon Reclamation; the provision of industrial premises and development of planning guidelines and design parameters for new industrial areas and business parks; visitors and tourism in Hong Kong; case studies arising from the study on restructuring of obsolete industrial areas; ecological value of fish ponds in Deep Bay Area; leisure habits/recreation preferences; office decentralisation and the formulation of an Office Land Development Strategy; military sites in the New Territories for residential development; assessment of redevelopment potential in the metro areas; and future use of Tsing Yi Town Lot 46 R. P. and possible foreshore reclamation at Tsing Yi power station site. 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
Private building development underwent another year of consolidation in 1995. There were, however, some signs of picking up. Building plan submissions rose from 14 428 in 1994 to 14 899 in 1995 and 1 089 buildings with a total floor area of 4.4 million square metres were completed at a cost of $29,550 million, compared with 1273 buildings with a total floor area of three million square metres built at a cost of $26,176 million in 1994.
Rejuvenation of built-up areas continued in two ways: through redevelopment of old buildings and through major repair of structural elements and renewal of services and facilities in buildings. Some points were noted from these processes: demolition of old hotels to make way for office buildings; conversion of industrial buildings to be interchangeably used for offices and the improving attitudes of building owners towards preventive maintenance and repair.
Better safety assurance was a particular focus in 1995. Legislation was enacted to ban hand-dug caissons to protect the lives and health of workers and to promote industrial safety. Codes for building designs and practice notes on many practical aspects were revised.
In the wake of building collapses in August and September 1994, a thorough review of the Buildings Ordinance was conducted. This has resulted in the introduction into the Legislative Council of the Buildings (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 1995 which, among other things, aims to set higher standards for site supervision and building safety and to provide a statutory framework for architects, engineers, surveyors and contractors to regulate themselves. There has been much public debate on some of the proposals. Procedures for demolition works were tightened up. A consultancy was com- missioned to prepare a code of practice for the safe demolition of buildings. A special task force was set up in the Buildings Department to monitor safety in building and
207