LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES
in 1993 to seek public views on goals/objectives and strategic development options. A Consultative Digest on the recommended strategies was produced in July 1996 to invite public comments. A Final Executive Report incorporating comments received will be published for public information in early 1998.
Sub-regional Development Strategies
These strategies serve as a bridge between the TDS and district plans. They translate long-term, broad-brush territorial concepts and goals into district planning objectives for the five sub-regions of Hong Kong: the Metro area, North-East New Territories (NENT), South-East New Territories (SENT), North-West New Territories (NWNT) and South-West New Territories (SWNT).
The Metroplan Selected Strategy was approved by the then Governor in Council in 1991 as a planning framework for developing and upgrading the Metro sub-region, including Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, Tsuen Wan and Kwai Tsing, up to the year 2011.
Following the approval of the Metroplan Selected Strategy, steps have been taken to prepare a series of Development Statements to translate the Metroplan concepts into more specific district planning objectives. The Development Statements for West Kowloon, South-East Kowloon, Tsuen Wan-Kwai Tsing were completed. The Hong Kong Island West and Central and East Kowloon Development Statements have recently been completed and released for public consultation. With the completion of the TDS Review, the Metroplan is now under review to produce an updated planning framework for the development and redevelopment of the Metro Area.
Work on the review for NWNT is held in abeyance pending the completion of the Planning and Development Study on the NWNT which commenced in October 1997. Work on the review of the SWNT sub-regional development strategy is in progress. The review aims at producing an appropriate land-use, transport and environmental framework to guide the planning and development of the sub-region up to 2011.
The NENT Development Strategy Review was completed in October 1996. A review for the SENT would be undertaken in due course.
District Planning
Development projects are implemented in accordance with statutory or departmental district plans. These plans aim to regulate and provide guidance to development in terms of land-use, building density and development characteristics, to ensure that they are in line with the planning objectives of the districts.
Statutory Planning
Two types of statutory plans are prepared by the Town Planning Board (TPB) under the Town Planning Ordinance: the outline zoning plans (OZPs) and development permission area (DPA) plans. The DPA plans are prepared for areas not covered by OZPs and they mainly cover the rural areas in the New Territories. Development scheme plans prepared by the Land Development Corporation (LDC) also require approval by the TPB.
OZPs are intended to show the broad land-use framework of specific areas, including major roads and other transport systems, and provide statutory planning
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