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1. Two approved Kwun Tong Outline Zoning Plans amended

2. Approved Tong Yan San Tsuen Outline Zoning Plan amended

3. KCRC to put spoonbills' diet to the test

1. Two approved Kwun Tong Outline Zoning Plans amended

The Town Planning Board today (October 19) announced amendments to the approved Kwun Tong (North) Outline Zoning Plan (OZP) and Kwun Tong (South) OZP. The amendments to the Kwun Tong (North) OZP mainly involve the rezoning of a site of about 12.82 hectares at the junction of Po Lam Road and Sau Mau Ping Road from "Other Specified Uses" annotated "Mining and Quarrying", "Green Belt" and "Road" to "Residential (Group A)" to reflect the Po Lam Road Public Housing Development which is under construction. Opportunity is also taken to amend the OZP to reflect the allocation boundary of the housing site and the updated road alignment of Po Lam Road. The covering Notes of the OZP are amended to clarify the intention of the Town Planning Board with respect to "existing use" in the Planning Scheme Area and to delete the term 'Service Apartment' from the Notes of the OZP. The amendments to the Kwun Tong (South) OZP mainly involve the rezoning of all sites under the "Industrial" zone in the Kwun Tong Industrial Area (KTIA) to "Other Specified Uses" annotated "Business" which is intended for general employment uses including non-polluting industrial use, office and other commercial uses. The sites cover a total of about 43.73 hectares. Besides, all sites under the "Commercial" zone in the KTIA are rezoned to "Commercial (1)" to cater for the changing nature of KTIA. Opportunity is also taken to amend the OZP to reflect the existing land uses and updated planning proposals in the area. In connection with the zoning amendments, the Notes for the "Industrial" zone are deleted and the Notes for the "Other Specified Uses" annotated "Business" are added. The covering Notes of the OZP are also amended mainly to clarify the intention of the Town Planning Board with respect to "existing use" in the Planning Scheme Area. The Notes for the "Commercial (1)" zone are added and amendments are made to the "Commercial" zone of the OZP. The draft Kwun Tong (North) OZP No. S/K14N/5 and Kwun Tong (South) OZP No. S/K14S/9 incorporating the amendments are available for public inspection at the Secretariat of the Town Planning Board and Kowloon District Planning Office in the North Point Government Offices, 333 Java Road; and Kwun Tong District Office, G/F, Kwun Tong District Branch Offices Building, 6 Tung Yan Street. The draft Kwun Tong (North) OZP is also available for public inspection at the Sai Kung District Office, G/F, Sai Kung Government Offices Building, 34 Chan Man Street. Any person affected by the amendments of the two plans may submit a written objection to the Secretary of the Town Planning Board on or before December 19, 2001. Copies of the two OZPs are available for sale at the Map Publications Centres in Yau Ma Tei and North Point.

[Source: Hong Kong Government, 19 October 2001]

2. Approved Tong Yan San Tsuen Outline Zoning Plan amended

The Town Planning Board today (October 19) announced amendments to the approved Tong Yan San Tsuen Outline Zoning Plan (OZP). Major amendments include the rezoning of an area to the south of Castle Peak Road - Hung Shui Kiu Section in Tan Kwai Tsuen from "Residential (Group B)1" to "Residential (Group B)3" to relax the building height restriction of the site from four storeys over single-storey carport (15 metres) to 12 storeys including carport (36 metres). Other amendments involve the relaxation of the site coverage restriction of the "Residential (Group B)2" zone from 21 per cent to 40 per cent, the deletion of the site coverage restriction of the "Residential (Group C)" zone, and the revision of the Notes for the "Industrial" zone mainly to cater for information technology and telecommunications industries and other supporting industrial-related activities. There are also some technical amendments to the Notes of the OZP. The draft OZP No. S/YL-TYST/6 incorporating the above amendments is now available for public inspection at: * Secretariat of the Town Planning Board, 15/F, North Point Government Offices, 333 Java Road; * Tuen Mun and Yuen Long District Planning Office, Level 11, Metroplaza Tower I, 223 Hing Fong Road, Kwai Fong; * Yuen Long District Office, Yuen Long District Office Building, 269 Castle Peak Road; and * Ping Shan District Rural Committee, 139-147 On Ning Road, Yuen Long. Any person affected by the amendments may submit a written objection to the Secretary of the Town Planning Board on or before December 19, 2001. Copies of the draft plan are available for sale at the Map Publications Centres in Yau Ma Tei and North Point.

[Source: Hong Kong Government, 19 October 2001]

3. KCRC to put spoonbills' diet to the test

The KCRC will study the diet of the endangered blackfaced spoonbill in an attempt to allay green groups' fears that rail construction in Lok Ma Chau will leave the birds with nothing to eat. The Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation will partially drain 12 hectares of fish ponds to provide the birds with winter feeding grounds to replace nine hectares of marsh lost to the construction of a terminal for the spur line project. The number of birds attracted to the ponds and the type of food they eat will be studied. About 70 spoonbills were spotted in one day in a drained fish pond last winter in Lok Ma Chau where the terminus of the spur line and cross-border checkpoint facilities will be built. Last year, about 250 blackfaced spoonbills were recorded around Deep Bay, nearly a third of the 800 worldwide. The KCRC intends to eventually turn 28.5 hectares of fish ponds into feeding areas for birds. The pond work was the only environmental compensation the KCRC proposed for the loss of the nine hectares for the building of the terminus. Michael Leven, the ecological consultant to the KCRC, said it was hoped the ponds could provide an ecosystem for 20 to 30 blackfaced spoonbills in winter. "We believe by changing the water depth and having active management of it, the birds would be encouraged to use it," he said. Dr Ng Cho-nam, the President of the Conservancy Association, said the KCRC should not have set the compensation limit at 28.5 hectares before it finished its studies. "How could they be so sure . . . Are they going to increase the compensation if they find out the blackfaced spoonbills need a larger area?," asked Dr Ng. The environmental impact assessment report will be finished by the end of the year.

[Source: SCMP, 20 October 2001]