ENG-1984 — Page 236

LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES

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give approval to any plans of building works which would contravene any draft or approved plan prepared under the Town Planning Ordinance. To avoid piecemeal redevelopment and to encourage comprehensive urban design, suitable areas have also been designated as comprehensive redevelopment areas on statutory plans. Under this designation, redevelopment may only proceed in a comprehensive manner according to master layout plans approved by the Town Planning Board.

During the year, the board published 16 draft statutory plans including draft outline zoning plans for Quarry Bay, Tsim Sha Tsui, Tsing Yi and Tuen Mun. It considered three objections to the published plans and, as a result, some of the draft plans were amended for further public examination. By the end of the year, 26 out of 39 planning areas in the main urban areas were covered by gazetted or approved statutory plans. In the New Territories, there were seven draft statutory plans covering Tsuen Wan, Kwai Chung, Tsing Yi, Sha Tin, Tai Po, Tuen Mun and the South Lantau coast.

The Town Planning Ordinance makes provision for a Schedule of Notes to be attached to each statutory plan. This schedule shows the land uses permitted in a particular zone together with other uses for which the Town Planning Board's permission must be sought. This provision for applications for planning permission allows greater flexibility in land use planning and improved control of development to meet changing needs. During the year, the board considered 142 applications, compared with 138 the previous year. Should the board refuse to grant permission, the applicant may apply for a review of the decision. In 1984, there were 10 applications for review, compared with 19 in 1983.

Departmental plans, which are used administratively within the government to guide and control development, comprise outline development plans and layout plans. They are prepared, where applicable, within the framework of the statutory outline zoning plans prepared for the Town Planning Board. The Urban Area Development Organisation and the New Territories Development Department are responsible for the preparation and revision of these departmental plans in the main urban areas and the New Territories respectively.

Outline development and layout plans, compared with statutory plans, are normally drawn to a larger scale, showing road proposals and the disposition of sites in greater detail. They are action plans enabling land to be prepared and released for public and private development. Examples of those prepared during the year cover Siu Chai Wan, the Diamond Hill area, several planning areas in Ma On Shan, Tin Shui Wai and several village clusters in the northwestern New Territories. In addition, many existing plans, such as those for Chai Wan, Ngau Chi Wan, Tsing Yi town centre and Kam Tin, were revised to take account of changes in population forecasts, government policies, planning standards and other trends.

The Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines is a document mainly concerned with criteria to be applied, in the preparation of town plans, regarding provision standards, locational factors and site requirements for the reservation of land for various uses, and for compiling planning briefs for individual major projects. The document is constantly kept under review to take account of changes in government policies, demographic characteris- tics and other social and economic trends. During the year, sections involving public utilities, car parking, retail and educational facilities were revised.

Surveys in land and floor uses covering the whole territory were conducted or updated during the year to provide the basic input in the preparation of statutory plans, departmental plans and other planning studies. To achieve greater efficiency and accuracy, and to facilitate other special planning studies, work began on developing and maintaining computer systems for the storage and processing of planning data.