TNAG-2073-FCO40-2952-Hong-Kong-Town-Planning-(Amendment)-Bill-1990-1990 — Page 30

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FROM: A R Paul

Hong Kong Department

DATE: 26 November 1990

CC:

Mr McLaren

Mr Burns

Mini

PS/Lord Caithness

Private Secretary

Agreed a 20/4

HONG KONG: MP'S LETTER ABOUT PROPOSED TOWN PLANNING

LEGISLATION FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES

A

Problem

1. Peter Brooke MP has written to the Secretary of State on

behalf of a group of Hong Kong Chinese constituents, about

proposed new planning legislation for the New Territories.

Recommendation

I recommend that the Secretary of State should reply in

the terms of the attached draft. The Hong Kong Government

have been consulted.

2.

B

Background

3.

The Hong Kong Government are keen to prevent further

environmental damage in the New Territories which has been caused by the absence of statutory planning controls in the rural areas. In recent years, large areas of agricultural land have been converted into open storage sites for motor vehicles, containers and building materials. This problem is particularly serious in the North West New Territories but is now spreading to other areas (see article in the South China Morning Post of 20 October).

4. In order to remedy this situation, the Hong Kong Government decided to extend the existing Town Planning

ROZAUS/1

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