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Draft Sai Ying Pun and Sheung Wan Outline Zoning Plan
amended 2.
Call to improve building designs 3.
Wheeler
1. Draft Sai Ying Pun and Sheung Wan Outline Zoning Plan amended
Hong
Kong Government, 2 May 2003 The
Town Planning Board today (May 2) announced amendments to the draft Sai Ying Pun
and Sheung Wan Outline Zoning Plan (OZP). The
amendment to the draft OZP involves rezoning of the Central Police Station, Victoria
Prison and former Central Magistracy Compound, which is a declared monument, from
"Government, Institution or Community" to "Other Specified Uses"
annotated "Historical Site Preserved for Cultural, Recreational and Commercial
Uses" ("OU [Historical Site Preserved for Cultural, Recreational and
Commercial Uses]") in order to facilitate its preservation, restoration and
conversion into a heritage tourism attraction for residents and tourists. In
connection with the amendment, a set of notes for the "OU (Historical Site
Preserved for Cultural, Recreational and Commercial Uses)" zone is added.
The draft OZP
No S/H3/18 incorporating the amendments is now available for public inspection
during normal office hours at the following locations: *
Secretariat of the Town Planning Board, 15/F, North Point Government Offices,
333 Java Road, North Point; *
Hong Kong District Planning Office, 14/F, North Point Government Offices; and
* Central and
Western District Office, G/F, Harbour Building, 38 Pier Road, Central. Anyone
affected by the amendments may submit a written objection to the Secretary of
the Town Planning Board on or before May 23, 2003. Copies
of the draft plan are available for sale at the Map Publications Centres in North
Point and Yau Ma Tei. An electronic version is available on the Town Planning
Board's website (www.info.gov.hk/tpb).
2. Call to improve building designs
Michael
Ng, The Standard 2 May 2003 Academics
have called on the government to amend current laws so as to ensure that new buildings
are better designed and have proper ventilation to prevent a repeat of what happened
at Amoy Gardens. Members
of the University of Hong Kong's faculty of architecture pointed out yesterday
that the present definition of gross floor area in the Building (Planning) Ordinance
includes both the ``saleable area'', representing the size of the residential
units, and the ``common area'', like lifts, lobby and staircases. Most
developers, therefore, try to get the maximum cost-effectiveness by maximising
the ``saleable area'' and minimising the ``common area''. Using
Amoy Gardens as an example, associate professor Wong Wah-sang said the distances
between kitchens and washrooms of different units measured between 2.3 metres
and 1.5 metres. ``This
seriously affects the natural ventilation flow in the interior of the building
and the residential units. It will also create a chimney effect at the external
wall of the building and a favourable environment for the spread of contaminants,''
he said. To remedy
the environmental defects and prevent a recurrence of the incident, Wong urged
the government to amend the current Building (Planning) Regulations by clearly
dividing gross floor area into two parts - ``saleable area'' and ``common area''. ``This
could offer a higher flexibility for architects in the design of new buildings
and lead to the improvement in air movement,'' he said. Wong
said an increase in the floor height of residential units plus the provision of
fire breaks in tall buildings (which could also be used as common areas for residents)
could also improve ventilation. For
old and densely-populated buildings, the Urban Renewal Authority and Planning
Department should convert part of the redeveloped land in the neighbourhood into
sitting-out areas or parks to provide open spaces for residents, Wong said. Chau
Kwong-wing, the dean of architecture, said his faculty expected to launch a health
and hygiene index for new buildings in Hong Kong within the next 12 months.
3. Wheeler
SCMP,
2 May 2003 
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