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The Chief Executive in Council has approved the draft Man Kam To Development Permission Area (DPA) Plan.
"The approved DPA Plan provides guidance for planning and to facilitate development control within the Man Kam To area during the period required for detailed analysis of the land use pattern, study of infrastructural provisions and examination of development options for the formulation of an outline zoning plan (OZP)," a spokesman for the Town Planning Board said today (May 18).
The Planning Scheme Area, covering about 354 hectares, is bounded by the Sham Chun River in the north, Ping Che Road in the east, Hung Lung Hang in the southeast, Sha Ling Road in the southwest and the Ng Tung River in the west.
The general planning intention is to promote cultural conservation, recreation tourism and sustainable residential development, to provide suitable facilities to meet the territorial need and cross-boundary infrastructure, to retain good quality agricultural land for agricultural purposes or leisure farming and to preserve the existing heritage features and historic buildings.
A total of 27.62 hectares of land is zoned "Village Type Development" to demarcate existing recognised villages and areas suitable for village expansion.
About 11.28 hectares of land is zoned "Government, Institution or Community" to serve the needs of the local as well as district population.
A total area of 16.68 hectares, comprising an area to the north of the Ping Yuen River around Ta Kwu Ling Village and a small area to the east of Fung Wong Wu, is designated as "Recreation" to encourage the development of active and/or passive recreation and tourism/eco-tourism.
The Lo Wu Control Point and Man Kam To Control Point are zoned as "Other Specified Uses (OU) (Boundary Crossing Facilities)" with a total area of 10.15 hectares. The "OU (Cemetery)" with an area of 92.08 hectares is intended primarily for the provision of land for cemetery, graves and funeral facility uses. A strip of land to the east of the Ng Tung River with an area of 6.73 hectares is zoned "OU (Railway)" primarily for the railway track of the Mass Transit Railway (East Rail Line).
The northern portion of the ex-borrow area at Kong Nga Po with an area of 3.23 hectares falling within this DPA Plan is designated as "Unspecified Use" area. The planning intention of the whole ex-borrow area is to allow for comprehensive development for residential use with the provision of open space and other supporting facilities in future.
To retain and safeguard good quality agricultural land, farm and fish ponds for agricultural purposes, about 59.76 hectares of land is zoned "Agriculture".
A total of 114.19 hectares of land is zoned "Green Belt", which consists of the mountainous areas west of the boundary crossing at Man Kam To and at Lo Shue Ling in the east, the densely vegetated areas which are mainly scattered around the village settlements including Chow Tin Tsuen and Muk Wu and the permitted burial grounds for indigenous villagers. There is a general presumption against development within the zone.
A small patch of land at Yuen Leng Chai near the foothills of Sandy Ridge to the west of MacIntosh Fort at Nam Hang with an area of 4.24 hectares is occupied by existing fish ponds/wetlands and is zoned "Conservation Area" to conserve the ecological value of wetland and fish ponds which form an integral part of the wetland ecosystem.
The approved Man Kam To DPA Plan No. DPA/NE-MKT/3 is available for public inspection during office hours at the Secretariat of the Town Planning Board; the Planning Enquiry Counters in North Point and Sha Tin; the Sha Tin, Tai Po and North District Planning Office; the North District Office; and the Ta Kwu Ling District Rural Committee.
Copies of the approved DPA Plan are available for sale at the Map Publications Centres in North Point and Yau Ma Tei. The electronic version of the plan can be viewed at the Board's website (www.info.gov.hk/tpb).
Ends/Friday, May 18, 2012
Issued at HKT 15:46
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