LAND AND HOUSING
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development plans. Plans for the New Territories are prepared at the request of the District Commissioner, who consults respon- sible local opinion in areas affected before individual plans are finally approved. Since 1953 plans have been prepared for 33 planning districts in the urban areas. In addition many large scale layout plans have been prepared covering small portions of the urban areas and the New Territories. These plans are used as a guide in the sale of Crown land and the redevelopment of private land, but have no statutory effect except where approved in accordance with the Town Planning Ordinance.
The Town Planning Board consists of six official and three unofficial members and operates under the Town Planning Ordin- ance. The Board has, to date, published layouts and outline development plans for 14 districts: 10 have been approved by the Governor in Council, one refused and three are awaiting considera- tion. Approved plans cover the following areas: North Point, Chai Wan, Yau Ma Tei, Hung Hom, Ma Tau Kok, Kwun Tong Tsai Wan, Ngau Tau Kok, Cha Kwo Ling and north-east Kowloon. This last locality for which the development plan was approved in December 1960 covers an area of some two square miles centred on Diamond Hill.
The three plans at present under consideration cover the Sha Tin Valley, Tsuen Wan and district, and the Central District of Hong Kong Island. That for Sha Tin, covering an area of some 20 square miles and providing for an eventual population of 360,000 people, was published in the first half of 1961. The scheme for Tsuen Wan and district, which involves the establishment of a self-contained industrial township of 650,000 people within the next 15 to 20 years, was exhibited in September.
The Board's proposals for the redevelopment of the Central District of Hong Kong Island, published in August, aroused con- siderable interest. The Board tackled the problems comprehen- sively and their scheme is designed to provide space for expansion of the business and cultural centre of the Colony while at the same time improving facilities for both pedestrians and motor vehicles. The Board is at present charged with the preparation of one further scheme covering the Tsim Sha Tsui locality of Kowloon. Urban Buildings. The volume of expenditure on new private buildings in 1961, excluding the New Territories, amounted to
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