ENG-2002 — Page 263

LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES

The Town Planning Board also promulgates guidelines for applications for developments in areas covered by statutory plans. In 2002, it promulgated one new set of guidelines and revised one set of guidelines. Altogether, 21 sets of guidelines were in force.

Departmental Plans

Apart from statutory plans, the Planning Department prepares departmental outline. development plans (ODPs) and layout plans (LPs) for individual districts or planning areas to show the planned land uses, development restrictions and transport networks. in greater detail. There were 77 ODPs and 299 LPs covering the HKSAR.

Enforcement

Under the Town Planning Ordinance, no person shall undertake or continue a development in a development permission area (DPA) unless the development was a use in existence before the gazetting of the relevant Interim DPA or DPA plans, or is permitted under the DPA plan or the replacement OZP, or has obtained permission from the board. Development not satisfying these criteria is an 'unauthorised development (UD)' subject to enforcement and prosecution action. Currently, about 19 800 hectares of land in the rural area are covered by DPA plans or the replacement OZPs.

The Planning Authority may serve statutory notices on the respective land owners, occupiers and/or responsible persons, requiring them to discontinue the UD by a specified date unless planning permission for the development is obtained, or demanding a reinstatement of the land. It is an offence in law if the requirements of the notices are not complied with.

In 2002, 295 new UDs were detected in the rural area. Most were related to uses such as open storage of vehicles, containers and construction machinery/materials; workshops; and container vehicle/trailer parks. The Director of Planning issued 620 warning letters for 225 cases, 680 enforcement notices for 126 cases, and 653 compliance notices for 113 cases. As for prosecution, 44 defendants in 16 cases were convicted. The average fine imposed was $15,870, with a range of $500 to $220,000. During the year, enforcement action resulted in the discontinuation of 145 UDs covering 54 hectares of land, and regularisation through the planning application. system of another 204 UDs covering 105 hectares of land.

Urban Renewal

The Chief Executive announced in his 1999 Policy Address the setting up of the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) to replace the Land Development Corporation. (LDC) and to expedite urban renewal. The URA was established in May 2001 to undertake a 20-year urban renewal programme. In November 2001, the Government promulgated the Urban Renewal Strategy (URS) after wide public consultation, setting out the policy guidelines for the URA in the implementation of the urban renewal programme.

Under the new statutory framework, urban renewal includes the redevelopment of dilapidated buildings, the promotion of the rehabilitation of older buildings and the preservation of buildings of historical, cultural or architectural interest. The purpose of urban renewal is to improve the environment of the older urban areas and the

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