XN000022-1987-05-13 — Page 9

WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 1987

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SITE COVERAGE POLICY EXPLAINED

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DEVELOPMENT DENSITY IN HONG KONG IS CONTROLLED BY THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE, BY STATUTORY PLANS AND BY LEASE CONDITIONS, THE SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS, THE HON GRAHAM BARNES, SAID IN ANSWER TO A QUESTION FROM DR THE HON HENRIETTA IP IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

THE BUILDING (PLANNING) REGULATIONS STIPULATED THE MAXIMUM DENSITY WHICH MIGHT BE ALLOWED IF THERE WERE NO OTHER GENERAL DENSITY CONSTRAINTS IMPOSED IN THE AREA BY STATUTORY PLANS OR BY LEASE CONDITIONS.

THESE DENSITIES, WHICH WERE SHOWN IN THE SCHEDULE TO THE REGULATIONS, WERE USUALLY KNOWN AS FULL ZONE I DENSITIES.

+IN CERTAIN AREAS, HOWEVER, GOVERNMENT HAS DECIDED THAT ONLY LOWER DENSITIES SHOULD BE PERMITTED, AND IS GUIDED BY SEPARATE DENSITY ZONING SCHEDULES IN FIXING THE UPPER LIMIT FOR MODIFICATIONS AND NEW LEASES,+ MR BARNES SAID.

DENSITY ZONE 11, WHICH APPLIED TO CERTAIN AREAS OF THE MID-LEVELS AND ZONES DESIGNATED FOR MEDIUM DENSITY HOUSING IN OTHER DISTRICTS, WAS AN EXAMPLE.

DENSITY ZONE I WAS FOR AREAS WHERE EVEN LESS DENSE DEVELOPMENT WAS PERMITTED.

IN SOME CASES THE CONSTRAINT WAS ENFORCED BY STATUTORY PLANS- IN OTHERS IT WAS MAINTAINED ADMINISTRATIVELY, SAID MR BARNES.

HE SAID THE CONTROL TABLES FOR DENSITY ZONE I WERE SPECIFIED IN THE SCHEDULE OF THE BUILDING (PLANNING) REGULATIONS AND SAID COPIES OF DENSITY ZONE TABLES FOR ZONES || AND FEE AND DENSITY ZONES SPECIFIC TO THE NEW TOWNS WERE ANNEXED TO HIS REPLY.

+BUT DENSITY CONTROL IS NOT LIMITED TO THE CONSTRAINTS IN THESE TABLES, AS DENSITY MAY ALSO BE FURTHER CONSTRAINED BY OTHER REGULATIONS OR BY MORE SPECIFIC RESTRICTIONS CONTAINED IN INDIVIDUAL LEASES,+ HE SAID.

THE DENSITY ZONING TABLES ALSO MADE REFERENCE TO OTHER FACTORS IN SPECIFYING THE PERMITTED SITE COVERAGES OF INDIVIDUAL SITES.

THESE WERE THE HEIGHTS OF THE BUILDING PROPOSED AND, IN THE CASE OF THE DENSITY ZONE I TABLES, INTENDED USE (DOMESTIC OR NON-DOMESTIC).

IN THE CASE OF DENSITY ZONES I AND II THE NUMBER OF STREETS ON TO WHICH IT FACED ALSO DETERMINED THE SITE CLASSIFICATION.

/+ALTHOUGH ADDITIONAL