The Planning Department (PlanD) today (June 17) updated the report of vacant school premises (VSP) sites reviewed under the Central Clearing House (CCH) mechanism. The report is available on PlanD's website (www.pland.gov.hk) and at PlanD's Planning Enquiry Counters located at North Point Government Offices and Sha Tin Government Offices. The latest review report updated the list of VSP sites reviewed under the CCH mechanism up to March 2020.
Under the CCH mechanism, PlanD will consider suitable long-term alternative uses for VSP sites after the Education Bureau has confirmed that the sites are no longer required for school use. Upon confirmation of the long-term uses for the VSP sites, PlanD will inform the departments concerned of the recommendations for their follow-up as appropriate.
In recent years, PlanD has reviewed successively the long-term uses for 234 VSP sites in accordance with the CCH mechanism. About 77 per cent (181 sites) are recommended for retaining the Government, Institution or Community use. About 11 per cent (26 sites) are recommended for residential use, and over half of these (14 sites) are recommended for public housing development. For the remaining 12 per cent or so (27 sites) that are former village schools in the New Territories located in village areas, they are recommended for retaining their uses, which include village type development, rural use and open space.
As at the end of 2019, out of the 234 reviewed VSP sites, there were 43 sites on private land and their utilisation generally depends on private owners' initiative having regard to the applicable uses in statutory planning terms and lease conditions. For the 191 VSP sites on government land or private land to be surrendered to the Government, 64 of these will be put to long-term uses in accordance with the recommendations under the CCH mechanism, or put to short-term uses pending implementation of the long-term uses. There are 84 of these sites already put to long-term uses in accordance with the recommendations under the CCH mechanism or put to short-term uses pending implementation of the long-term uses. A further 36 sites pending implementation of long-term uses are available for application by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) or social enterprises for community, institutional or non-profit making uses on a short-term basis. Members of the public can contact the relevant managing parties for the latest information on these sites.
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