XN000022-1994-03-18 — Page 12

FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 1994

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THREE DEVELOPMENT PERMISSION AREA PLANS APPROVED

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THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL HAS RECENTLY APPROVED THREE DEVELOPMENT PERMISSION AREA (DPA) PLANS FOR NORTH-EASTERN NEW TERRITORIES.

THESE DPAS ARE LOCATED IN KWU TUNG NORTH, LUK KENG/WO HENG, AND LUNG YEUK TAU/KWAN TEI SOUTH.

THEY ARE RURAL AREAS ENGAGED IN AGRICULTURAL, FISHING, POULTRY REARING, RURAL INDUSTRIES AND OPEN STORAGE ACTIVITIES.

IN RECENT YEARS, MANY FISH PONDS AND AGRICULTURAL LAND HAVE BEEN CONVERTED INTO CAR-REPAIRING YARDS AND CONTAINER STORAGE USE.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE TOWN PLANNING BOARD TODAY (FRIDAY) SAID THAT THESE USES HAD CAUSED A GENERAL DEGRADATION OF THE RURAL ENVIRONMENT AND CREATED VARIOUS PROBLEMS SUCH AS TRAFFIC CONGESTION, VISUAL BLIGHT AND FLOODING.

"THE DPA PLANS ARE PUBLISHED ΤΟ PROVIDE INTERIM PLANNING CONTROL AND DEVELOPMENT GUIDANCE FOR THE RURAL AREAS PENDING THE PREPARATION OF OUTLINE ZONING PLANS (OZPS).

"REPLACEMENT OZPS FOR THESE AREAS ARE NOW BEING PREPARED BY THE BOARD AND WOULD BE EXHIBITED FOR PUBLIC INSPECTION,'

" THE SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED.

+ AN 'OPEN STORAGE ZONE OF ABOUT 43 HECTARES HAS BEEN DESIGNATED ON THE APPROVED KWU TUNG NORTH DPA PLAN TO PROVIDE LAND FOR OPEN STORAGE FOR MATERIALS AND PRODUCTS WHICH CANNOT BE ACCOMMODATED IN CONVENTIONAL GODOWN PREMISES.

ONLY THOSE OPEN STORAGE USES WHICH HAVE NO ADVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECT WOULD BE PERMITTED IN THIS ZONE.

STORAGE USES WHICH MAY CAUSE ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION, SUCH AS FOR CAR-BREAKING AND DANGEROUS GOODS, WOULD REQUIRE PLANNING PERMISSION OF THE BOARD, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

ΤΟ PROTECT THE SCENERY OF THE AREA, ABOUT ONE HECTARE OF LAND AT YIM TSO HA BESIDE LUK KENG ROAD HAS BEEN DESIGNATED AS SITE OF SPECIAL SCIENTIFIC INTEREST (SSSI) IN THE LUK KENG AND WO HANG DPA PLAN.

AND

"PROVIDING A NESTING PLACE FOR DIFFERENT SPECIES OF EGRET HERON, THE SSSI SITE IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT EGRETRIES IN THE TERRITORY. WITHIN THIS SITE, ONLY USES RELATING TO PROTECTION OF WILD ANIMALS ARE PERMITTED.

AGRICULTURAL USE, FIELD STUDY/EDUCATION/VISITOR CENTRE, GOVERNMENT USE (NOT ELSEWHERE SPECIFIED), PUBLIC UTILITY INSTALLATION, SHRINE AND TREE PLANTATION MAY BE PERMITTED WITH OR WITHOUT CONDITIONS ON APPLICATION TO THE BOARD.

"USES OTHER THAN THESE ARE NOT PERMITTED, THE SPOKESMAN ADDED.

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THERE ARE ON THE DPA PLANS MANY UNSPECIFIED USES AREAS ON THE DPA PLANS WHERE PLANNING PERMISSION IS REQUIRED FOR ALL TYPES OF DEVELOPMENT OTHER THAN THE PERMITTED USES SET OUT IN THE NOTES ATTACHED TO THE PLANS.

/ON THE