Draft Ho Chung Outline Zoning Plan approved
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    The Chief Executive in Council has approved the draft Ho Chung Outline Zoning Plan (OZP).

     "The approved OZP provides a statutory land use planning framework to guide the development and redevelopment within the Ho Chung area," a spokesman for the Town Planning Board said today (November 10).

     The Planning Scheme Area of the Ho Chung OZP covers about 296 hectares of land. The general planning intention is primarily to demarcate the boundaries of the villages, to provide low?rise and low?density residential development in an orderly pattern, to conserve the peripheral hill slopes and the mature woodland of landscape significance, to promote agricultural and recreational activities, and to phase out the undesirable industrial uses.  

     About 138.3 hectares of the woodland and well-vegetated hillslopes are zoned "Conservation Area", about 0.05 hectare of natural coastlines and the sensitive coastal natural environment are zoned "Coastal Protection Area", and about 3.7 hectares of land with special scientific interest of both fauna and flora and their habitats are designated as "Site of Special Scientific Interest". In addition, about 55.1 hectares of the lower hillslopes, vegetated land and roadside amenity areas are zoned "Green Belt".

     To reflect the existing low-rise, low-density residential developments and to maintain the intensity of future developments within the capacity of the infrastructural constraints, about 3.4 hectares of land are zoned "Residential (Group C)".  

     To encourage upgrading of the existing temporary structures, the existing structures for residential, industrial and storage purposes in Luk Mei Tsuen occupying about 6.8 hectares of land are zoned "Residential (Group D)". Besides, about 44.8 hectares of land in the recognised villages and their adjoining areas suitable for village expansion are zoned "Village Type Development".  

     Another 3.9 hectares of land are zoned "Residential (Group E)" for phasing out of existing industrial uses through redevelopment for low-rise and low density residential uses. About 1.3 hectares of land in Nam Pin Wai are zoned "Comprehensive Development Area" for comprehensive development/redevelopment into low-rise and low-density residential and/or commercial uses with the provision of open space and other supporting facilities.  

     About 0.2 hectare of land is zoned "Government, Institution or Community" for an existing pumping station to the south of Ho Chung Road.

     To serve the general public, about 7.6 hectares of land for recreational developments are zoned "Recreation".

     About 17.6 hectares of agricultural land in Ho Chung Valley are zoned "Agriculture".

     The approved Ho Chung OZP No. S/SK-HC/9 is now available for public inspection during normal office hours at the Secretariat of the Town Planning Board, the Planning Enquiry Counters of the Planning Department, the Sai Kung and Islands District Planning Office, the Sai Kung District Office and the Sai Kung Rural Committee.

     Copies of the approved plan are available for sale at the Map Publications Centres in North Point and Yau Ma Tei. The plan can be viewed on the Town Planning Board's website at http://www.info.gov.hk/tpb.

Ends/Friday, November 10, 2006
Issued at HKT 16:19

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