Recent planning applications threaten conservation areas

by Erithacus

dog hotel
The site of the proposed dog hotel in Hang Hau green belt

Normally we just post the one or two run-of-the-mill planning applications to Town Planning Board on our Town Planning page; if it’s a big story it will get front page treatment. This week there are a number of small applications that, taken together, indicate how our green belt and other areas are gradually being nibbled away.

Ho Chung: The application is to rezone part of the Conservation Area to Village Type Development (V-zone). This would allow the current V-zone to be increased by up a 260 sq. m. of government land so that a small house application can be made. More details here.

Sheung Yeung: Another rezoning application to convert around 200 sq. m. of Green Belt to V-zone for the construction of a small house. More details here.

Ko Tung:  It seems the developers in Ko Tong never give up. Having had nearly all of their recent applications for building small houses on government land rejected, they have now applied to build another house adjacent to a number of those plots.  Presumably they will keep trying until one slips through the net. Details here.

Sheung Yeung Shan: This is a really sneaky proposal. It’s for the excavation of land for permitted agricultural use. The land is adjacent to the green belt and is in a conservation area. The application includes building farm “domestic structures”. septic tanks, and parking for six vehicles. And. of course, they will need to build a 200 m long road to get there! Take a look at the proposed plans in the application document – here, and the snapshots below. There are four two-storey domestic structures; just right for those agile cows!

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Tseung Kwan O: Finally, for something different. BUZZ readers are well known for their help towards animal welfare organisations, so the addition to amenities in the area would normally be welcome. The applicant seeks planning permission to use the premises for proposed temporary animal boarding establishment (dog hotel) for a period of 5 years. The  proposed dog hotel would have a total floor area of 437 sq m and a height of 9.75 m – a 3-storey structure. It would be able to house 16 dogs and have activity and grooming areas. Details can be found here. The only problem is that it’s sited between the busy road and Tseung Kwan O hospital. There have been two previous applications for using the site; in 2006 a proposal to build a school was accepted, but it never happened. In 2014 a proposal to build an old peoples’ home was rejected. The current zoning is green belt.

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