SKYLINE Technologies -- News Update ( 7 December 2002 )

7 December 2002

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1. Chai Wan Outline Zoning Plan approved
2. Draft Lai Chi Kok Outline Zoning Plan amended
3. Draft Kwai Chung Outline Zoning Plan amended
4. Ngau Chi Wan Outline Zoning Plan approved
5. Draft Yuen Long Outline Zoning Plan approved
6. Draft Hung Lung Hang Outline Zoning Plan amended
7. Harbour park faces court fight

1. Chai Wan Outline Zoning Plan approved
Hong Kong Government, 6 December 2002

The Chief Executive in Council has approved the draft Chai Wan Outline Zoning Plan (OZP).

A spokesman for the Town Planning Board explained today (December 6) that the approved OZP would establish a statutory land use framework to guide development and redevelopment in the Chai Wan area.

Covering about 611 hectares, the Planning Scheme Area involved is bounded by Heng Fa Chuen to the north, Tai Tam Country Park to the west and Shek O Country Park to the south.

A total of 72 hectares of land in the area is zoned "Residential (Group A)" for high-density public housing and private residential developments.

About 3 hectares of land is zoned "Commercial/Residential", whereas two other sites with about 1.6 hectares located to the immediate west of the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) Chai Wan Station and on Chai Wan Road respectively are zoned "Comprehensive Development Area" for non-industrial uses.

Developments zoned "Industrial" with about 15.7 hectares are mainly in the vicinity of Wing Tai Road, Ka Yip Street, Fung Yip Street and On Yip Street. This also includes an oil depot near the waterfront of Chong Fu Road, the New World First Bus depot site at Chong Fu Road, a site at the junction of Shing Tai Road and Chong Fu Road reserved for a joint Government depot, the Citybus depot at Shing Tai Road, and a site at the junction of Wing Tai Road and Shing Tai Road.

A number of sites are zoned "Government, Institution or Community", totalling some 70 hectares, to serve the local and district needs. Areas zoned "Open Space" with 19.5 hectares are intended to provide passive and active recreational facilities for the local residents.

About 89 hectares are zoned "Other Specified Uses" ("OU"), covering Heng Fa Chuen, the industrial sites to the west of MTR Chai Wan Station, and three sites at Sun Yip Street for "Business" use. A considerable portion of this zone is designated for "Cemetery".

Parts of Tai Tam Country Park and Shek O Country Park that fall within the area are zoned "Country Park", totalling 115 hectares. Areas of steep hillsides to the west and south west of difficult topography, with about 174 hectares, are zoned "Green Belt".

The approved Chai Wan OZP S/H20/15 is available for public inspection during office hours at the Secretariat of the Town Planning Board, the Hong Kong District Planning Office and the Eastern District Office.

Copies of the approved plan are available for sale at the Map Publication Centres in North Point and Yau Ma Tei.

An electronic version is viewable at the Town Planning Board's website (http://www.info.gov.hk/tpb).

2. Draft Lai Chi Kok Outline Zoning Plan amended
Hong Kong Government, 6 December 2002

The Town Planning Board today (December 6) announced amendments to the draft Lai Chi Kok Outline Zoning Plan (OZP).

The amendments to the plan are mainly related to the adjustment of the planning scheme boundary to align with Ching Cheung Road, and the rezoning of a strip of land to the east of Mei Lai Road from "Green Belt" to "Government, Institution or Community".

The draft Lai Chi Kok OZP No.S/K16/11 incorporating the amendments is now available for public inspection during normal office hours at the following locations:

* Secretariat of the Town Planning Board, 15th Floor, North Point Government Offices, 333 Java Road, North Point;

* Tsuen Wan and West Kowloon District Planning Office, 27th Floor, Tsuen Wan Government Offices, 38 Sai Lau Kok Road, Tsuen Wan;

* Sham Shui Po District Office, Ground Floor, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Sham Shui Po; and

* Kwai Tsing District Office, 10th Floor, Kwai Hing Government Offices Building, 166-174 Hing Fong Road, Kwai Chung.

Any person affected by the amendments may submit a written objection to the Secretary of the Town Planning Board on or before December 27, 2002.

Copies of the draft plan are available for sale at the Map Publications Centres in North Point and Yau Ma Tei. The electronic version of the plan is viewable from the Town Planning Board's website (www.info.gov.hk/tpb).

3. Draft Kwai Chung Outline Zoning Plan amended
Hong Kong Government, 6 December 2002

The Town Planning Board today (December 6) announced the amendments to the draft Kwai Chung Outline Zoning Plan (OZP).

The amendments made to the draft OZP are mainly related to the adjustment of the planning scheme boundary to align with Ching Cheung Road; and the rezoning of Lai Yan Court and Wah Lai Estate from "Comprehensive Development Area" ("CDA") to "Residential (Group A)" ("R(A)"), Nob Hill from "CDA" and "Government, Institution or Community" ("G/IC") to "R(A)1", and CCC Kei Chun Primary School from "CDA" to "G/IC" to reflect the existing uses and the respective planning intention.

The maximum development intensity for the "R(A)1" zone is also specified in the Notes of the draft OZP.

The draft Kwai Chung OZP No. S/KC/19, incorporating the amendments, is available for public inspection during office hours at the Secretariat of the Town Planning Board, 15th Floor, North Point Government Offices, 333 Java Road; Tsuen Wan and West Kowloon District Planning Office, 27th Floor, Tsuen Wan Government Offices, 38 Sai Lau Kok Road; Kwai Tsing District Office, 10th Floor, Kwai Hing Government Offices Building, 166-174 Hing Fong Road; and Sham Shui Po District Office, Ground Floor, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road.

Any person affected by the amendments may submit a written objection to the Secretary of the Town Planning Board on or before December 27, 2002.

4. Ngau Chi Wan Outline Zoning Plan approved
Hong Kong Government, 6 December 2002

The Chief Executive in Council has approved the draft Ngau Chi Wan Outline Zoning Plan (OZP).

A spokesman for the Town Planning Board today (December 6) said the approved OZP provided a statutory land use planning framework to guide development and redevelopment within the Ngau Chi Wan area.

The Planning Scheme Area (the Area) covered about 193 hectares of land in the Wong Tai Sin District within East Kowloon.

Developments in the Area are concentrated in the southern part and along the main roads. The site currently occupied by the St. Joseph's Home for the Aged is zoned "Comprehensive Development Area" with an area of about 2.17 hectares for a comprehensive residential development with retail and community facilities.

About 35.59 hectares and 5.34 hectares of land are zoned "Residential (Group A)" for high-density residential development and "Residential (Group B)" for medium-density residential development respectively.

Covering about 1.13 hectares, part of the Ngau Chi Wan Village is zoned "Village Type Development" to provide for the retention and expansion of the existing village within the Area.

To serve the residents in the Area and adjoining districts, about 23.51 hectares of land are zoned "Government, Institution or Community". Meanwhile, about 8.01 hectares of land are zoned "Open Space" for recreational uses.

About 9.6 hectares of land are zoned "Other Specified Uses" for specific uses, including petrol filling station, funeral parlour, columbarium, crematorium and urn cemetery.

A large part of the Area with about 91.21 hectares, covering the steep hillslopes in the northern and north-eastern parts of the Area as well as the area around Hammer Hill, is zoned "Green Belt" and is intended to be retained in their natural state with the provision of walking trails and park facilities.

The approved Ngau Chi Wan OZP No.S/K12/14 is available for public inspection during normal office hours at the Secretariat of the Town Planning Board, the Kowloon District Planning Office and the Wong Tai Sin District Office.

Copies of the plan are available for sale at the Map Publications Centres in North Point and Yau Ma Tei. The electronic version of the plan is viewable from the Town Planning Board's website (www.info.gov.hk/tpb).

5. Draft Yuen Long Outline Zoning Plan approved
Hong Kong Government, 6 December 2002

The Chief Executive in Council has approved the draft Yuen Long Outline Zoning Plan (OZP).

A spokesman for the Town Planning Board today (December 6) noted that the approved OZP would provide a statutory land use planning framework to guide development and redevelopment in the Yuen Long area.

The Planning Scheme Area involved, with an area of about 561 hectares, covers the Yuen Long New Town. According to the 2001 Census, the total population of the Area was around 140,000 while the planned population is estimated to be about 231,500.

Sites zoned "Residential (Group A)" with an area of around 60 hectares are intended for high-density public and private residential developments. Various sites along Castle Peak Road covering about seven hectares are zoned "Commercial/Residential" to allow development for either residential or commercial use, or a composite building containing both of them.

There are seven sites of about 24 hectares zoned "Comprehensive Development Area" for medium and high-density commercial/residential developments.

A site at Wang Chau Road with less than one hectare is zoned "Residential (Group E)" to encourage the phasing out of existing industrial buildings by redevelopment into residential use.

A number of sites in the southern and eastern extension areas with more than 33 hectares are zoned "Residential (Group B)" for medium-density residential developments.

The existing villages and land reserved for village expansion covering about 100 hectares are zoned "Village Type Development".

To cater for local needs, about 40 hectares of land is zoned "Government, Institution or Community". Major existing facilities include the Yuen Long Swimming Pool Complex, Yuen Long Town Hall, Yuen Long Theatre, community centre, Government offices and schools. Sites have also been reserved for the proposed Yuen Long Wholesale Food Market and various schools.

A number of sites covering about 110 hectares are zoned "Other Specified Uses" ("OU"). They include the "OU" annotated "Business" zone at Tung Tau Industrial Area, sewage treatment works, Yuen Long Industrial Estate, public car park and/or petrol filling stations with ground floor retail shops, public car park to include retail and residential uses, petrol filling stations, and Light Rail Transit terminus with commercial/residential development.

Meanwhile, about 52 hectares of land is zoned "Open Space" for the development of active and passive recreational facilities. A town park, a sports ground and a town square are under this zoning.

Three well-vegetated knolls of about 38 hectares at the fringe of Yuen Long New Town are zoned "Green Belt" to preserve their existing natural settings.

The approved Yuen Long OZP No.S/YL/12 is available for public inspection during normal office hours at the Secretariat of the Town Planning Broad, the Tuen Mun and Yuen Long District Planning Office, the Yuen Long District Office, and the Shap Pat Heung Rural Committee.

Copies of the approved plan are available for sale at the Map Publications Centres in North Point and Yau Ma Tei. The electronic version of the plan is viewable from the Town Planning Board's website (http://www.info.gov.hk/tpb).

6. Draft Hung Lung Hang Outline Zoning Plan amended
Hong Kong Government, 6 December 2002

The Town Planning Board today (December 6) announced the amendment to the draft Hung Lung Hang Outline Zoning Plan (OZP).

The amendment involved adding 'Social Welfare Facility' under Column 2 of the Notes for the "Green Belt" zone to provide flexibility for such use and to be consistent with the provision under the urban OZPs.

The draft Hang Lung Hang OZP No. S/NE-HLH/2 incorporating the above amendment is now available for public inspection during office hours at the following locations:

(i) Secretariat of the Town Planning Board, 15th Floor, North Point Government Offices, 333 Java Road, North Point, Hong Kong;

(ii) Sha Tin, Tai Po and North District Planning Office, 13th Floor, Sha Tin Government Offices, 1 Sheung Wo Che Road, Sha Tin, New Territories;

(iii) North District Office, 3rd Floor, North District Government Offices, 3 Pik Fung Road, Fanling, New Territories; and

(iv) Ta Kwu Ling District Rural Committee, Ping Che Road, Ta Kwu Ling, New Territories.

Any person affected by the amendment may submit a written objection to the Secretary of the Town Planning Board on or before December 27, 2002.

Copies of the draft OZP are available for sale at the Map Publications Centres in North Point and Yau Ma Tei. The electronic version of the plan is viewable from the Town Planning Board's website (http://www.info.gov.hk/tpb).

7. Harbour park faces court fight
Keith Wallis , The Standard 7 December 2002

Harbour preservationists were set to launch a legal fight against the government's plans for the Wan Chai reclamation, which would include a two-hectare offshore park, after the proposals were approved by the Town Planning Board yesterday.

Society for Protection of the Harbour chairman Winston Chu said a judicial review of the board's decision was now 90 per cent likely.

Chu, who was outraged by the decision, said proceeding with the judicial review needed to be approved by other committee members, including former legislator Christine Loh who was away from Hong Kong.

He said the board's decision reflected the growing view of the government ``that they can do what they like'' when it came to harbour-front development.

``I need to make use of this opportunity to test the harbour protection ordinance,'' Chu said. The ordinance, initially conceived by the society and strongly supported by the Democratic Party, was one of the last pieces of legislation to be signed into law in the final days of Chris Patten's governorship. It assumes a presumption against harbour reclamation except for essential public infrastructure.

Chu said that while most of the Wan Chai phase two reclamation was needed for the Central-Wan Chai bypass and underground rail links, infilling for the harbour park would be banned under the ordinance.

A board spokeswoman last night confirmed it had agreed to the government's plans to reclaim nearly 30 hectares as part of its approval of a new outline zoning plan for Wan Chai north. This runs from the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre extension east to Causeway Bay and Tin Hau and as far south as Gloucester Road.

As part of the scheme, the board gave the green light to the government's controversial proposal, prepared by the Planning Department, to build a two-hectare harbour park offshore from the main waterfront.

The spokeswoman said the board felt the ``public benefits of reclaiming land for the park outweighed the need to preserve that particular part of the harbour''. The 400-metre-long harbour park will be built north of the Causeway Bay typhoon shelter, about 300 metres from the current edge of the shelter on Gloucester Road.

Besides the judicial review, political groups such as the Democratic Party and the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong (DAB) are likely to unite against the plans. Speaking at a Legislative Council planning, lands and works panel meeting in May, DAB deputy chairman Ip Kwok-him said reclamation for the park would break the harbour protection ordinance.

He said a reclamation for recreational use ``is not an acceptable justification to us. If we followed that argument, the government could reclaim the whole of Victoria Harbour''.

He said that both the Eastern and Wan Chai district councils had strong views against the harbour park, but the Planning Department had persisted with the plan despite their opposition.

But while the board's decision angered opponents, it also told the government to reduce the height of a 60-metre-tall hotel or office tower planned in front of Excelsior Hotel.

This followed objections by the Mandarin Oriental group, which had proposed a low-rise waterfront bar, restaurant and entertainment district close to the existing police club.