XN000022-1994-02-23 — Page 4

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OF THESE, 36 HAD BEEN APPROVED, 105 REJECTED, 32 WITHDRAWN SEVEN BEING PROCESSED.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