ENG-1988 — Page 236

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LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES

A sale by private treaty to the Housing Authority comprising a site of 2.14 hectares at Junk Bay for a Home Ownership Scheme was completed in January. The development will provide about 1 750 flats. Another sale by private treaty comprising a site of 4.7 hectares above the future Lam Tin MTR station for commercial and residential use was completed in August. During the year one site was sold under the Private Sector Participation Scheme (PSPS). The site comprising 2.45 hectares in Junk Bay was sold by public tender in January and on completion of development will provide a total of about 2 450 flats.

In the New Territories important Letter A/B tenders included a 1.58 hectare site in Kwai Chung for commercial residential purposes and a 1.1 hectare site in Fanling for a similar use. These tenders were restricted to holders of Land Exchange Entitlements (Letter A/B).

Town Planning

Hong Kong's land area totals 1 071 square kilometres. About 80 per cent of the territory consists of hilly land which is too steep for large-scale comprehensive development. The main urban built-up areas are still concentrated on the northern coast of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon Peninsula. To accommodate the growing population and economy, it is necessary to plan the use of the limited land resource very carefully to ensure that it is put to the most suitable use and that a good living and working environment for the present and future population is provided.

During the year, a comprehensive land utilisation survey covering the whole territory was carried out. For the built-up area, residential uses accounted for a large proportion while government/institution/community and open space uses also constituted a major use. However, a large part of the total land area is still covered with country parks, woodlands, grass or scrub land. The table at Appendix 35 shows the distribution of different types of land uses in the territory.

Territorial Development Strategy

The Territorial Development Strategy outlines a long-term land-use and transportation strategy for Hong Kong to cater for the target population and associated socio-economic activities which will produce the highest quality environment within resource and time constraints. During 1988 further updating of the TDS and review of an outline works programme to guide major long-term development projects continued to take into account the preliminary findings of major on-going studies including the Metroplan study, the Port and Airport Development Strategy study and the Second Comprehensive Transport study.

Sub-Regional Planning and Rural Planning

In line with the Territorial Development Strategy proposals, detailed sub-regional planning statements (SRPS) and district plans are prepared to provide guidance for more detailed land use planning and development control. The New Territories Rural Planning and Improvement Strategy is being moulded in the light of the SRPS. Moreover, at a sub-regional level, various site search exercises for major facilities were conducted to identify the best locations for major facilities to minimise land use incompatibilities and adverse environmental impact.

Planning Standards and Studies

The 'Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines' are formulated for the reservation and provision of land for various uses, for community, recreational and commercial facilities, for the density on different types of residential developments and factors