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

     "The approved OZP provides a statutory land use planning framework to guide the development and redevelopment within the Mong Kok area," a spokesman for the Town Planning Board said today (May 19).

     The Planning Scheme Area, covering about 147 hectares, is located in West Kowloon.

     A total area of 42.3 hectares is zoned "Residential (Group A)" for high-density residential developments. About 2.6 hectares of land in the Tai Kok Tsui area is zoned "Residential (Group E)" to encourage the phasing out of existing industrial uses through redevelopment for residential purpose.
 
     An area of 13.8 hectares is zoned "Government, Institution or Community" (GIC) for the development of Government uses and other community facilities.  Major existing facilities within this zone include the Mong Kok Stadium, Queen Elizabeth II Youth Centre, Mong Kok District Police Headquarters, the Kowloon depot of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and a Government complex at Fuk Tsun Street.

     A total of 10.6 hectares of land is zoned "Other Specified Uses" ("OU").  They include the "OU(Business)" zone and other "OU" sites earmarked for the funeral parlour at Maple Street, five petrol filling stations, the land for the Kowloon-Canton Railway (KCR), a commercial/office/hotel development at the KCR Mong Kok Station, the Lui Seng Chun building, and a site at Sai Yee Street zoned for the development of a multi-storey car/lorry park.

     An area of 7.9 hectares is zoned "Commercial" for commercial developments.  This zoning mainly covers sites on both sides of Nathan Road and a commercial cum multi-storey car/lorry park development i.e. New Kowloon Plaza.

     About 8.6 hectares of land is zoned "Open Space" to provide active and passive recreational uses. Major existing open spaces include the Boundary Street Sports Ground, Macpherson Playground, Lok Kwan Street Park and the playgrounds at Willow Street, Anchor Street, Tong Mi Road/Canton Road, Mong Kok Road, Thistle Street and Sai Yee Street.

     A site of 0.04 hectare is zoned "Comprehensive Development Area" to preserve the existing Hung Shing Temple compound and the mature tree on the site while enabling redevelopment of the site for residential/commercial uses.

     Two urban renewal redevelopment schemes, with about two hectares of land, are designated within the Area. The Argyle Street/Shanghai Street Development Scheme has been completed which is a commercial/office/hotel development comprising a public open space, a neighbourhood community centre, a cooked food centre and a public light bus terminus. The Cherry Street Development Scheme is planned for a commercial/residential development with GIC facilities.

     The approved Mong Kok OZP No. S/K3/24 is now available for public inspection during normal office hours at the Secretariat of the Town Planning Board, the Planning Enquiry Counters of Planning Department, the Tsuen Wan and West Kowloon District Planning Office, and the Yau Tsim Mong District Office.

     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 (http://www.info.gov.hk/tpb).

Ends/Friday, May 19, 2006
Issued at HKT 15:11

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