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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 1975
TOWN PLANNING LAW TO BE REVISED
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PROPOSED CHANGES IN THE TOWN PLANNING LEGISLATION AND MACHINERY ARE EXPECTED TO BE SUBMITTED TO THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION NEXT MONTH OR IN EARLY AUGUST, THE HON. JAMES ROBSON, SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, TOLD THE LEGISLATIIE COUNCIL TODAY.
IF THE PROPOSALS WERE ACCEPTED, HE SAID, A BILL WOULD BE DRAFTED AND INTRODUCED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL NEXT YEAR.
MR. LODSON WAS REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HOU, JAMES WU WHO ALSO WANTED TO KNOW WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT WOULD TAKE : A NEW LOOK AT TOWN PLANNING POLICY IN VIEW OF THE PRESENT FINANCIAL SITUATION,
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IN REPLY, THE HON. DAVID MCDONALD, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, SAID STEPS HAD ALREADY BEEN TAKEN IN THIS REGARD.
SITES AFFECTED BY ZONING PLANS VERE BEING REVIEWED MORE CRITICALLY, HE SAID, AS EVIDENCED BY THE DRAFT OUTLINE ZONING PLAN FOR TÀI KOK TSUI WHICH WAS REFERRED BACK TO THE TOWN PLANNING BOARD, AMENDED AND RE-GAZETTED ON MAY 23 THIS YEAR.
+THE AMENDED PLAN IS LESS AMBITIOUS AND WILL, IN EFFECT, REDUCE TO THE MINIMUM THE NEED TO ACQUIRE OLD BUT EXPENSIVE PROPERTIES TO PROVIDE THE NECESSARY AMENITIES AND PUBLIC BUILDINGS IN THE AREA.
+IN THIS PLAN ZONING FOR PUBLIC PURPOSES IS MAINLY CONFINED TO PROPERTIES HELD ON KON-RENEWABLE LEASES,+ HE SAID.
IN ADDITION, THE ENACTMENT OF THE TOWN PLANNING (AMENDMENT AND VALIDATION) ORDINANCE IN 1974 ALLOWED GREATER FLEXIBILITY IN THE IMPLEMENTATION CF PLANS, HE ADDED.
THE TOWN PLANNING BOARD HAD AUTHORITY TO PUBLISH NEW TYPES OF NOTES FOR NEW AND EXISTING PLANS WHICH LIST FIRSTLY THE TYPES OF USE WHICH WILL BE PERMITTED OF RIGHT WITHIN EACH INDICATED ZONING AND SECONDLY THE TYPES OF USE WHICH MIGHT BE PERMITTED, WITH OR WITHOUT CONDITIONS, ON APPLICATION TO THE BOARD.
IF AN OWNER OF A LOT ZONED FOR OPEN SPACE OR GOVERNMENT, INSTITUTION OR COMMUNITY USE WISHED TO PROCEED WITH A DEVELOPMENT WHICH FALLS WITHIN THE SECOND LIST OF USERS HE CAN APPLY TO THE BOARD. IF PERMISSION IS GRANTED THIS WOULD ALLOW THE BUILDING AUTHORITY TO APPROVE DUILDING PLANS FOR A COMPROMISE DEVELOPMENT WHEREBY THE PURPOSES OF THE INDICATED ZONING WOULD BE PARTLY OR WHOLLY ACHIEVED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE OWNER'S DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS, AND WITHOUT MATERIAL REDUCTION IN THE DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL OF THE SITE.
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+UNDER THIS SYSTEM,+ MR. MCDONALD EXPLAINED, THE ENVIRONMENT IN OVERCROWDED AREAS CAN BE IMPROVED AND RESIDENTS WILL HAVE BETTER COMMUNITY FACILITIES AT COMPARATIVELY LITTLE COST TO THE PUBLIC PURSE.+
ON THE OTHER HAND, OWNERS OF SITES AFFECTED BY ZONING FOR PUBLIC PURPOSES WILL BE ABLE TO PROCEED WITH THEIR REDEVELOPMENT INSTEAD OF HAVING THEIR SITES FROZEN PENDING THE AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS FOR ACQUISITION BY GOVERNMENT, HE SAID.
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