Following is a question by the Hon Law Chi Kwong and a written reply by the Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands, Mr Michael Suen, in the Legislative Council today (November 19):
Question:
In September this year, the Industry and Commerce Working Group of the Development and Housing Committee of Sha Tin District Council published the "Report on How to Further Develop and Use the Vacated Industrial Buildings in Sha Tin" which put forward a number of recommendations. One of its recommendations is that the Government should take the initiative to relocate some premises for community and welfare purposes to vacant industrial buildings and encourage charitable organizations to make similar arrangements. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether it will consider implementing the above proposal to include community and welfare activities in the uses which are always permitted in industrial areas so that social welfare organizations can apply to the Town Planning Board for converting vacant industrial buildings into premises for such activities; if it will, of the implementation timetable; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
Madam President,
As early as the late 1980s, the Government introduced the concept of "industrial-office building" (Generally speaking, the design and structure of an industrial-office building allow each of its flats the flexibility to switch between "industrial" or "industrial-office" uses), the scope of permitted uses of which are much wider than that of traditional industrial buildings, to facilitate the industrial restructuring of Hong Kong. In October 2000, in order to promote better use of industrial buildings, the Town Planning Board (TPB) further introduced the "Other Specified Uses" annotated "Business" zone so that buildings within such zones can be used for both industrial and office/commercial purposes.
Industrial and industrial-office buildings are generally located either in "industrial" or "business" zones. The permitted uses of a building are also affected by its design. For reasons of fire safety, the provision of social welfare facilities in industrial buildings was not permitted (For industrial buildings located in a "Business" zone, applications can be made to the TPB for changing the whole building for non-industrial uses, including the provision of non-residential social welfare facilities) before 2003. For industrial-office buildings, applications might be made to the TPB for provision of non-residential social welfare facilities in the non-industrial portion of the lower floors. Upon completion of the review of the "Master Schedule of Notes to Statutory Plans" by the TPB in early 2003, the provision of community facilities and other institutional uses are permissible in the lower-floor non-industrial portions of industrial or industrial-office buildings without having to apply to the TPB for approval, provided that the requirements as stipulated in the Notes of the respective statutory plan are met. Applicants may also apply to the TPB for provision of non-residential social welfare facilities in the non-industrial portion of the lower floors of industrial buildings. Results of the 2003 review have since been gradually adopted in the relevant Outline Zoning Plans. The Annex shows the permitted uses (those related to community and welfare facilities) of these two types of buildings in different land use zones.
We will take the initiative to advise the Social Welfare Department (SWD) of the uses permitted in different types of buildings and the channels for filing relevant applications. The SWD may in turn inform the interested parties accordingly so as to make the best use of buildings for community or welfare purposes.
Ends/Wednesday, November 19, 2003
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