In response to a media report alleging that a land sale site in Tung Chung overlapping with a road reserve shown on the Outline Zoning Plan (OZP), a spokesman for the Lands Department (LandsD) clarified today (July 7) that the land sale plan prepared by LandsD followed the Layout Plan (LP) prepared by the Planning Department (PlanD) and that there was no question of incompatibility between the two plans.
The subject site, Tung Chung Town Lot No. 36, is in Area 55a, Tung Chung, Lantau Island. It will be disposed of by public tender. The tender invitation commenced on June 17, 2011 and will close on July 22, 2011. The total number of residential units to be built on the subject site shall not be less than 2 020 with the size of each residential unit not exceeding a saleable area of 60 square metres, of which at least 1 650 residential units shall range in saleable area from 35 square metres to 45 square metres and at least 370 residential units shall range in saleable area from exceeding 45 square metres to 60 square metres.
The spokesman said, "There is no question of the Government rushing the sale of the Tung Chung residential site to meet the housing supply target at the expense of accuracy of information provided to the market. As a matter of fact, the land sale conditions (including the boundaries) for the subject site were formulated in accordance with the established practice. There was thorough consultation among the relevant Departments."
"The subject site has been delineated on the basis of the detailed LP. The minor overlaps with the road reserve on the OZP are considered acceptable under the provision for minor boundary adjustment in the covering Notes of the OZP," the spokesman explained.
Land use planning in Hong Kong is carried out at territorial and district levels. The latter is guided by OZP and departmental plan including detailed LP. All relevant departments have been consulted in the preparation of OZP and LP. OZP is a small-scale plan to illustrate the broad land use zones and major road network so that development and redevelopment can be put under statutory planning control. It also provides the planning framework for preparing more detailed departmental plans to form the basis for public works planning and site reservation for various uses.
LP is drawn on a larger scale to show more details including detailed road layout and site demarcation which serves as a basis of land transactions such as lease modification or sale of Government land.
"By virtue of their different objectives and level of details, minor discrepancy between OZP and LP is common. To cater for the broad-brush nature of OZP, there is provision in the covering Notes of the OZP that road junctions and alignments of roads and boundaries between zones may be subject to minor adjustments as detailed planning proceeds," the spokesman said.
The spokesman added, "The subject site is respectively covered by the approved Tung Chung Town Centre Area OZP and the adopted Tung Chung Town Centre Area LP (see attached plans). On the 1:5000 OZP, the subject site is zoned 'Residential (Group A)' ('R(A)') with a very minor portion encroaching upon an area shown as 'Road' (Road L3). However, on the 1:2000 LP, the site is entirely zoned as 'Residential Zone 2' ('R2')."
The alignment and design of proposed Road L3 are still subject to further review by concerned departments. Through minor adjustment of the zoning boundary as explained above, the subject site would not conflict with the proposed Road L3 and the minor portion designated as "Road" could be included as part of the site for residential development.
"The purchaser of the subject site will be able to build on the portion of site that falls on Road L3 on the OZP. There is no question of the purchaser bearing the risk of the development being in conflict with Road L3," the spokesman added.
The spokesman stressed that there was no uncertainty regarding the location of the subject site which was based on the land sale plan issued by LandsD.
Ends/Thursday, July 7, 2011
Issued at HKT 21:37
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