Planning Department completes latest round of review of vacant school premises sites in accordance with Central Clearing House mechanism
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The four sites, including one re-examined site, are located in Eastern, Southern, Wan Chai and Tai Po Districts. Three of these sites are recommended to be retained for government, institution or community (G/IC) uses, and the remaining one is recommended for residential use in the long term.
Since the establishment of the CCH mechanism in 2011, the PlanD has reviewed a total of 259 vacant or to-be-vacant school premises sites, including the above-mentioned four sites. In respect of the recommended long-term uses, 41 sites have been recommended for public or private residential use, and 193 sites have been recommended to be retained for G/IC uses. The remaining 25 sites, which are former village schools located within village areas in the New Territories, have been recommended to be retained as village type development, rural use, open space, etc, in the long term.
In accordance with the status of site utilisation (as at December 2023), the majority of these sites (157 sites) have already been or will be put to the recommended long-term uses such as public and private housing and various G/IC uses. The other 52 sites are available for applications by non-government organisations (NGOs) for short-term beneficial community uses (relevant organisations may refer to the "GeoInfo Map" website (www.map.gov.hk/gm/map/search/faci/__VGS?lg=en)). There is only one site the availability of which for short-term uses is subject to further confirmation. For the remaining 49 sites, they are wholly or mostly on private land and their utilisation depends on private land owners' initiatives having regard to the applicable uses in statutory planning terms and lease conditions. Members of the public can contact the relevant managing parties for the latest information on these sites.
In accordance with the CCH mechanism, upon the Education Bureau confirming sites of vacant or to-be-vacant school premises are no longer required for school uses, the PlanD would periodically review and recommend suitable long-term uses for these sites for follow-up actions by relevant bureaux/departments. Before implementation of the long-term use for individual vacant school premises sites, the sites concerned could be made available for applications by NGOs for short-term community, institutional or non-profit making uses.
Ends/Monday, May 27, 2024
Issued at HKT 17:30
Issued at HKT 17:30
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