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LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES
development options and the other in 1996 on the recommended long-term and medium-term strategies. After taking into account the public views, the review's final recommendations were set out in a Final Executive Report published in March 1998.
Sub-regional Development Strategies
These development 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. A series of Development Statements has since been prepared to translate the Metroplan concepts into more specific district planning objectives.
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. The first stage of the Metroplan Review was completed in July 1998 and the second stage is scheduled to start in March 1999 for completion in July 2000. Integrated planning and development studies have begun to assess the development potentials of three broad areas the TDS Review identified for strategic growth. They are the Planning and Development Study on NWNT which began in October 1997; the Planning and Development Study on NENT, (January 1998) and the Planning and Development Study on Hong Kong Island South and Lamma Island (March 1998). The Northshore Lantau Development Feasibility Study also started in July 1998.
Work on the review of the SWNT sub-regional development strategy is in progress. A review of the SENT Development Strategy is scheduled to start in early 1999.
District Planning
Development projects are implemented in accordance with statutory or departmental district plans. These aim at regulating and providing guidance to development in terms of land-use, building density and development characteristics, to ensure 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: outline zoning plans (OZPs) and development permission area (DPA) plans. DPA plans are prepared for areas not previously covered by OZPs and mainly cover 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 controls through land-use zoning and specification of development parameters within concerned areas. DPA plans are similar to but less comprehensive and definitive than OZPs. They are interim plans to be eventually replaced by OZPs. In areas covered by