Three Country Park enclaves, Hoi Ha in Sai Kung, Pak Lap in Clear Water Bay and So Lo Pun in Plover Cove, were the subject of a Judicial Review in The Court of First Instance in 2017. In November 2017 the court gave a direction that all three Outline Zoning Plans be remitted to the Town Planning Board (TPB) for reconsideration, after it agreed that the procedures for estimating the future needs for Small houses, as were the maps that the zonings were based upon, was flawed. The Board has reviewed the issues on the genuine need for Small House development and the accuracy of the map base in respect of the three enclaves.
At its meeting on 3 March 2020 to TPB considered the amended plans for the three enclaves. They fully supported the Planning Departments recommendations. The plans now go to public consultation until 3 June 2020.
For Hoi Ha the Board has now made amendments mainly involve rezoning of an area to the west of the village cluster at Hoi Ha from a “Village Type Development” (“V”) zone to “Green Belt (1)” and an area to the east of the village cluster at Hoi Ha from a “V” zone to “Coastal Protection Area”.
The original OZP assumed that the demand for small houses in the enclave would be around 31, based on estimates from the Indigenous Rural Representative (IIR). This has been reduced to 21 based on more accurate forecasts. Thus the area allocated for “V” zone has been reduced from 1.95 ha to 1.65 ha.
Taking into objections to the map base accuracy the Green Belt (1) GB(1) zone has been increased by 0.2 ha and the Coastal protection Area (CPA) increased by 0.1 ha.
The amendments to the draft Pak Lap OZP follow along the same lines as that for Hoi Ha. However in this case the predicted demand for small houses is assumed to be the same as that in the original plan, 16, even though only six applications have been made for the past ten years. The “V” zone has been reduced by 0.1ha. The Government, Institution or Community (G/IC) and G/IC(1) zones have been increased by 01. ha and the Conservation Area (CA) by 0.2 ha.
So Lo Pun
For So Lo Pun the revised estimate for small house demand has been reduced from 73 to 29, even though no applications have been received in the past ten years. The original IIR estimate was for 229 houses needed for demand over the nest ten years! Consequently the “V” zone has been reduced by 1.37 ha. This has been added to the Agricultural (AGR) zone.
The draft OZPs, incorporating the amendments, is now available for public inspection during office hours at the Secretariat of the Board; the Planning Enquiry Counters of the Planning Department in North Point and Sha Tin; the Sha Tin, Tai Po and North District Planning Office; the Tai Po District Office; and the Sai Kung North Rural Committee.
Any person may make written representation in respect of the amendments to the Secretary of the Board on or before 3 June. Representations made to the Board will be available for public inspection.
Copies of the draft OZPs are available for sale at the Map Publications Centres in North Point and Yau Ma Tei. The electronic version of the OZP can be viewed at the Board’s website (www.info.gov.hk/tpb).
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