XN000022-1991-01-23 — Page 8

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 1991

7

"THE TOWN PLANNING (AMENDMENT} BILL WAS PROPOSED то HALT THE GROWTH OF INCOMPATIBLE LAND USES BEFORE FUTURE REMEDIAL PLANNING BECAME MORE DIFFICULT PENDING AN OVERALL REVIEW OF THE ORDINANCE.

AND

14

DEBATE,

HE

ATTENTION THE BILL HAD ATTRACTED MUCH PUBLIC SAID. SOME 190 PUBLIC SUBMISSIONS WERE MADE IN RESPONSE то THE CONSULTATIVE DOCUMENT PUBLISHED IN JULY 1990.

SPECIAL BRIEFINGS, MEETINGS ADMINISTRATION WITH MORE THAN 20 STATUTORY PROFESSIONAL INSTITUTES AND ORGANISATIONS.

AND SEMINARS

WERE HELD BY AND ADVISORY

THE BODIES,

AFTER DETAIL DELIBERATIONS BY THE LEGCO AD HOC GROUP SET UP STUDY THE BILL, THE FOLLOWING MAJOR AMENDMENTS то

THE BILL

PROPOSED:

TO

WERE

(A)

OUT

(B)

BOARD

SETTING S.2(5) WILL BE REPLACED WITH A NEW PROVISION MORE SPECIFICALLY WHICH POWERS OF THE TOWN PLANNING CAN BE DELEGATED TO COMMITTEES AND WHICH TO THE AUTHORITY, THUS ALLAYING THE FEARS IN SOME QUARTERS THAT THE DIRECTOR OF PLANNING MIGHT BE GIVEN TOO MUCH AUTHORITY;

DELETED.

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO S.4(3) WILL BE

THERE HAS BEEN A MISCONCEPTION IN MANY QUARTERS THAT THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT WAS A MOVE BY THE ADMINISTRATION TO TRY TO REMOVE EXISTING RIGHTS OF CITIZENS TO LITIGATE AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT AND THE TOWN PLANNING BOARD FOR DAMAGES. WHILE THIS HAS NEVER BEEN THE ADMINISTRATION'S то 8.4(3) INTENTION, DELETION OF THIS PROPOSED AMENDMENT WOULD HELP TO CLEAR THE DOUBTS;

(C)

THE FINE FOR UNAUTHORISED DEVELOPMENT UNDER S.20(6), AND 23(6) IS LOWERED TO $100,000 IMPRISONMENT HAS BEEN DELETED; AND

21(2)

AND

THE PROPOSAL FOR

(D)

THE ADDITION UNDER S.23A THE RIGHT ΤΟ

OF REVIEW

ISSUE PERSON AGGRIEVED BY THE AUTHORITY'S DECISION ON ENFORCEMENT NOTICE.

ANY OF

THE SPOKESMAN SAID: AN INDEPENDENT PLANNING BOARD.

APPEAL

ANOTHER AREA OF CONCERN WAS THE CHANNEL AGAINST THE DECISION

OF

THE

LACK OF TOWN

THE BILL "HOWEVER, THE ISSUE IS A COMPLICATED ONE AND SO THAT

INTRODUCING SHOULD NOT BE FURTHER DELAYED, THE ADMINISTRATION WILL BE FURTHER LEGISLATIVE AMENDMENTS TO THE TOWN PLANNING ORDINANCE IN

THE FULL REVIEW WITH A VIEW LEGISLATIVE SESSION AND AHEAD OF ESTABLISHING AN INDEPENDENT APPEAL BOARD TO DEAL 8.17 (7) OF THE ORDINANCE.

THIS

TO UNDER

APPEALS WITH

"HOWEVER, AN INDEPENDENT APPEAL CHANNEL то OBJECTIONS TO STATUTORY PLANS UNDER 6 OF THE ORDINANCE WILL BE CONSIDERED IN THE CONTEXT OF THE FULL REVIEW,

DEAL

WITH

S.

T

IT IS INTENDED TO PUBLISH A CONSULTATIVE DOCUMENT ON REVIEW OF THE TOWN PLANNING ORDINANCE IN APRIL THIS YEAR.

UNDER THE FULL REVIEW CONTENTIOUS ISSUES SUCH WILL BE FULLY EXAMINED.

THE FULL

AS COMPENSATION

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