THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 1983
RESIDENTIAL PARKING STANDARDS REVISED
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THE GOVERNMENT TODAY ANNOUNCED REVISED PARKING STANDARDS FOR RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS.
+THESE REPRESENT A SIGNIFICANT DEPARTURE FROM PREVIOUS STANDARDS, + A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID, +AND FOR THE FIRST TIME DEVELOPERS MUST IN MOST CIRCUMSTANCES PROVIDE A MINIMUM LEVEL OF PARKING SPACES.+ PREVIOUSLY THE NUMBER OF PARKING SPACES WHICH COULD BE PROVIDED HAD BEEN SUBJECTED TO CEILINGS.
THE REVISED STANDARDS, WHICH WILL FORM PART OF THE HONG KONG PLANNING STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES, WILL APPLY WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT TO ALL NEW HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS.
THE SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED THAT IN THE PAST THERE HAD BEEN RIGID MAXIMUM LIMITS ON THE AMOUNT OF RESIDENTIAL PARKING, AND WITHIN THESE LIMITS ACTUAL PROVISION HAD BEEN DETERMINED ACCORDING TO THE LEVELS OF ROAD CONGESTION THAT COULD BE CAUSED BY NEW DEVELOPMENTS.
+THE CONTROL ON PARKING SPACE PROVISION HAD HELPED TO CONTAIN CAR OWNERSHIP AND THUS REDUCED TRAFFIC CONGESTION. HOWEVER THE DISADVANTAGE HAD BEEN THAT WHERE ACTUAL CAR OWNERSHIP EXCEEDED THE LIMITED PARKING ON SITE, THE RESULT WAS ILLEGAL ON-STREET PARKING.+
FOLLOWING THE INTRODUCTION OF FISCAL MEASURES IN MAY 1982, WHICH AFFECTED CAR OWNERSHIP MORE DIRECTLY, IT WAS POSSIBLE FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO CONSIDER THE RELAXATION OF THE RESTRICTIVE PARKING STANDARDS AND THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW STANDARDS TO ENSURE THAT IN FUTURE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS HAVE SUFFICIENT PARKING TO MATCH THE CURRENT AND ANTICIPATED CAR OWNERSHIP OF RESIDENTS.
THE REVISED STANDARDS WERE RECOMMENDED BY A WORKING GROUP WHICH FOLLOWED TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE GUIDELINES THAT AS REGARDS PRIVATE HOUSING:
(1) PROVISION SHOULD BE LIBERALISED;
(11) MINIMUM PROVISION SHOULD BE SPECIFIED $
(111) MAXIMUM PROVISION SHOULD NOT BE IMPOSED
(IV) ZONE 1 (THE MOST DENSELY POPULATED AREAS) PROPOSALS
WOULD STILL HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED ON THEIR MERITS.
ONE OF THE MAJOR CHANGES WILL BE IN THE FRINGES OF THE URBAN AREA OR IN THE NEW TOWNS, SUCH AS SHA TIN, WHERE THE STANDARD HAS BEEN ONLY ONE PARKING SPACE FOR EVERY 250 PERSONS. THE NEW STANDARD WILL REQUIRE PROVISION OF A MINIMUM OF ONE PARKING SPACE FOR FIVE FLATS.
/DEVELOPERS WILL