XN000022-1992-12-27 — Page 2

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 27. 1992

ACTION TO REGULATE NT LAND USE GATHERS MOMENTUM

LAND

OWNERS

AND

OCCUPIERS WHO UNDERTAKE UNAUTHORISED DEVELOPMENT WITHIN A DEVELOPMENT PERMISSION AREA (DPA) IN THE NEW TERRITORIES MAY FACE A MAXIMUM FINE OF $100,000, A PLANNING DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY (SUNDAY).

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UNAUTHORISED DEVELOPMENT IN THE RURAL AREAS, SUCH

AS TURNING AGRICULTURAL LAND INTO CONTAINER STORAGE AND CAR DUMP, OR FILLING FISH PONDS FOR OTHER USES, HAS POSED SERIOUS TRAFFIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS TO THE RESIDENTS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES IN RECENT YEARS.

"THE TOWN PLANNING (AMENDMENT) ORDINANCE ENACTED IN JANUARY LAST YEAR HAS EXTENDED STATUTORY PLANNING CONTROL TO NON-URBAN AREAS IN AN EFFORT TO ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEMS CAUSED BY UNREGULATED LAND USE," THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

UNDER THE ORDINANCE, THE TOWN PLANNING BOARD IS EMPOWERED TO PREPARE PLANS TO DESIGNATE ANY AREA AS A DEVELOPMENT PERMISSION AREA.

SO FAR, 31 DPA PLANS COVERING A TOTAL OF 14,554 HECTARES OF LAND IN THE RURAL AREAS HAVE BEEN GAZETTED.

"ANYONE WISHING TO CHANGE THE LAND USE OR UNDERTAKE DEVELOPMENT WITHIN A DPA IS REQUIRED TO APPLY TO THE TOWN PLANNING BOARD FOR PERMISSION TO DO SO, UNLESS IT IS AN EXISTING USE OR PERMITTED BY THE OPA PLAN CONCERNED, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

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PATROL TEAMS, HE SAID, HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED BY THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT TO CARRY OUT REGULAR PATROL IN THE DPAS ΤΟ IDENTIFY SUSPECTED UNAUTHORISED DEVELOPMENT.

"ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS, INCLUDING THE ISSUE OF ENFORCEMENT NOTICES, STOP NOTICES AND REINSTATEMENT NOTICES, WILL BE TAKEN WHEN AN UNAUTHORISED DEVELOPMENT IS DETECTED.

"THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS IS GATHERING MOMENTUM AS A RESULT OF THE DEPARTMENT'S STRENUOUS EFFORT.

THIS HAS BEEN BORNE OUT BY THE NUMBER OF PLANNING APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED TO THE TOWN PLANNING BOARD FOR PERMISSION TO CARRY OUT DEVELOPMENT IN THE NEW TERRITORIES AS A RESULT OF THE ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS, HE SAID.

AGO.

"SINCE THE AMENDED LEGISLATION CAME INTO EFFECT TWO YEARS A TOTAL OF 58 PLANNING APPLICATIONS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED UP то NID- DECEMBER CONCERNING UNAUTHORISED DEVELOPMENTS FOUND IN AREAS COVERED BY STATUTORY PLANS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

FORTY-SIX OF THESE APPLICATIONS WERE CONSIDERED BY THE TOWN PLANNING BOARD. OF THEM, SEVEN WERE APPROVED WITH OR WITHOUT CONDITIONS.

THE REST WERE REJECTED AND MANY OF THEM HAVE SOUGHT A REVIEW OF THE DECISION OF THE BOARD AND ARE AT VARIOUS STAGES OF BEING PROCESSED, HE SAID.

/EXPLAINING THE