WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1994
STRIDES MADE IN ACTION AGAINST UNAUTHORISED DEVELOPMENTS
IN
THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN MAKING SUBSTANTIAL EFFORTS ACTIONS AGAINST UNAUTHORISED DEVELOPMENTS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES SINCE ENACTMENT OF THE TOWN PLANNING (AMENDMENT) ORDINANCE IN
THE 1991, DIRECTOR OF PLANNING, DR PETER PUN, SAID AT A MEET-THE-MEDIA SESSION TODAY (WEDNESDAYE.
AND SINCE LAST NOVEMBER, THE PLANNING AUTHORITY, USING SECTION 21 OF THE ORDINANCE, HAD BEEN PROSECUTING OFFENDERS WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. HE ADDED.
HAVE BEEN
ONE
50 FAR, SEVEN DEFENDANTS IN RESPECT OF SEVEN CASES
TO COURT UNDER SECTION 21. BROUGHT
OF ONE DEFENDANT IN RESPECT CASE HAD BEEN CONVICTED AND WAS FINED $30,000.
COURT HEARINGS BAVE BFEN SCHEDULED FOR DEFENDANTS, DR PUN SAID.
THE OTHER
SIX
Up TO MID-FEBRUARY, THE DEPARTMENT HAS INVESTIGATED 437
THEY MAINLY COVER STORAGE OF SUSPECTED UNAUTHORISED DEVELOPMENTS. CONTAINERS AND TRAILERS, DUMPING AND SITE FORMATION, STORAGE BUILDING AND OTHER MATERIALS, CAR PARKING, STRIPPING YARDS WORKSHOPS.
CASES
OF
OF
AND
AFTER INVESTIGATIONS, 629 ENFORCEMENT NOTICES IN RESPECT OF CASES, 22 STOP NOTICES IN RESPECT OF FOUR CASES AND FOUR REINSTATEMENT NOTICES IN RESPECT OF ONE CASE HAD BEEN SERVED, HE SAID.
94
DR PUN
SAID A TOTAL OF ALSO
180 PLANNING APPLICATIONS RESPECT OF 128 CASES OF UNAUTHORISED DEVELOPMENTS HAD BEEN SUBMITTED TO THE TOWN PLANNING BOARD FOR CONSIDERATION.
IN
OF THESE, 36 HAD BEEN APPROVED, 105 REJECTED, 32 WITHDRAWN SEVEN BEING PROCESSED.
AND
APPLICATIONS.
IN RESPECT
OF
"THE LARGE NUMBER OF PLANNING UNAUTHORISED DEVELOPMENTS SHOWS THAT PEOPLE ARE BECOMING MORE FAMILIAR WITH THE PLANNING PROCESS," HE NOTED.
THE
ORDINANCE,
71
AMONG THEM, 15 AND FINED
HE POINTED our THAT UNDER SECTION 23 OF DEFENDANTS IN RESPECT OF 19 CASES HAD BEEN PROSECUTED.
IN RESPECT OF NINE CASES HAD BEEN CONVICTED DEFENDANTS $7,500 TO $81,500.
"AS OPEN STORAGE HAS ECONOMIC ROLES TO PLAY, THE DEPARTMENT ENDEAVOURING TO IDENTIFY PERMANENT SITES FOR SUCH PURPOSE ON THE
PLANS.
-
IS
TOWN
STORAGE
"A STUDY ON PORT BACK-UP LAND AND OPEN STORAGE REQUIREMENTS WAS COMMISSIONED IN JUNE 1993 TO ASSESS, AMONG OTHER THINGS, OPEN REQUIREMENTS AND IDENTIFY SUITABLE SITES TO MEET THE DEMAND.
"THE
FINDINGS, WHICH WILL BE READY STUDY INPUTS TO THE RESERVATION OF OPEN STORAGE
BY
MID-1994 SITES,
F
WILL
W DR PUN
SERVE
AS
EXPLAINED.
/ON OTHER