Tai Po Outline Zoning Plan Approved, Guiding Future Development and Redevelopment

Draft Tai Po Outline Zoning Plan approved

The Chief Executive in Council has approved the draft Tai Po Outline Zoning Plan (OZP).

"The approved OZP provides a statutory land use planning framework to guide the development and redevelopment within the Tai Po area", a spokesman for the Town Planning Board said today (January 23).

The planning scheme area, covering an area of about 2 438 hectares, is surrounded by the mountain ranges of Pat Sin Leng, Cloudy Hill, Tai Mo Shan and Grassy Hill on three sides. The coastline of Tolo Harbour forms its natural boundary to the east.

The approved OZP has incorporated amendments shown on the draft Tai Po OZP No. S/TP/31, which mainly involve (i) rezoning a site at the junction of Lo Fai Road and Ting Kok Road from "Green Belt" ("GB") and an area shown as 'Road' to "Residential (Group A)11" to facilitate a public housing development under a Land Sharing Pilot Scheme (LSPS) application (LSPS Site A); (ii) rezoning a site at Ting Kok Road to the north of Fortune Garden from "GB" and an area shown as 'Road' to "Residential (Group A)12" to facilitate a private housing development under a LSPS application (LSPS Site B); (iii) rezoning a site to the north of Shek Kwu Lung from "Open Space" to "Government, Institution or Community (3)"; (iv) rezoning two parcels of land adjoining the LSPS Site A and Site B along Ting Kok Road from areas shown as 'Road' to "GB"; (v) rezoning a strip of land to the east of the LSPS Site B along Ting Kok Road from "GB" to an area shown as 'Road'; (vi) rezoning two parcels of land to the north of Fortune Garden along Ting Kok Road from "Residential (Group C)1" ("R(C)1") to areas shown as 'Road'; and (vii) rezoning a parcel of land to the north of Fortune Garden along Ting Kok Road from an area shown as 'Road' to "R(C)1".

The Notes and Explanatory Statement of the OZP have been amended to reflect the above amendments. Opportunity is also taken to update the general information of various land use zonings and the planning circumstances, where appropriate.

The approved Tai Po OZP No. S/TP/32 is available for public inspection during office hours at (i) the Secretariat of the Town Planning Board, (ii) the Planning Enquiry Counters, (iii) the Sha Tin, Tai Po and North District Planning Office, (iv) the Tai Po District Office, and (v) the Tai Po Rural Committee.

Copies of the approved OZP are available for sale at the Map Publications Centre in North Point. The electronic version of the OZP can be viewed on the Town Planning Board's website (www.tpb.gov.hk).

Hong Kong Customs detects case of suspected illicit motor spirit

Hong Kong Customs on March 9 detected an illicit motor spirit case involving a fishing vessel in the waters off So Kwun Wat, Tuen Mun, and seized 1 260 litres of suspcted illicit motor spirit. A man aged 75 was arrested.

In the afternoon on March 9, Customs identified and intercepted a suspicious fishing vessel being towed with two sampans during a sea patrol in the northwest area of Hong Kong waters. The batch of illicit motor spirit, with an estimated market value of about $38,000 and a duty potential of about $7,600, was found on the three vessels upon search. The 75-year-old captain of the fishing vessel, suspected of violating the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO), was arrested.

Under the DCO, anyone involved in importing, dealing with, possession of, selling or buying illicit motor spirit commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $1 million and imprisonment for two years.

Members of the public may report any illicit fuel activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Hong Kong Customs detects case of suspected illicit motor spirit Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases