To meet changing circumstances, the Definition of Terms used in Statutory Plans (DoT), Broad Use Terms (BUT) and Master Schedule of Notes to Statutory Plans (MSN) are reviewed by the Town Planning Board from time to time. Further to the last revisions made in June 2017, the Board today (January 11) promulgated a revised set of DoT, BUT and MSN for clarity and to streamline the planning application process.
In order to allow greater flexibility for uses/activities of "Art Studio" that would be allowed in industrial buildings in the "Industrial", "Residential (Group E)" and "Other Specified Uses" annotated "Business" zones, an additional remark to the DoT for "Art Studio" has been added to state that "Art Studio (excluding those involving direct provision of services or goods)" means "any art studio which would not involve uses/activities that would attract visiting members of the general public by providing direct services or goods, such as hobby classes, seminars and sales of goods, or providing rehearsal facilities for any party other than the operator, owner and tenant(s) of the premises".
Given that district health centres are similar to medical consulting rooms in nature and modern markets are akin to general retail stores in operation, the BUT and DoT of "Shop and Services" are revised to include "health centre" and "market". Opportunity is also taken to revise the DoT of "Public Clinic" to include health centre co-ordinated by the Government with a view to facilitating the provision of district health centres co-ordinated by the Government. Corresponding technical amendments are also made to the MSN as a result of the above revisions.
Revisions to the DoT of "Telecommunications Radio Base Station" (RBS) are also made to provide flexibility on the location for installation of an RBS. An RBS may be installed at the rooftop or other parts of a building or structure with a view to fostering the development of 5G mobile services. The Board has also made revisions to the DoT of "Public Utility Installation" and "Utility Installation for Private Project" to allow small-scale electricity installations not exceeding 12 square metres (area) x 3 metres (height) within the "Village Type Development" zone to support Small House/New Territories Exempted House developments.
The amendments take immediate effect while revisions to individual Outline Zoning Plans, as appropriate, will be made when the opportunity arises.
The revised DoT, BUT and MSN are now available at the Secretariat of the Board at 15/F, North Point Government Offices, 333 Java Road, North Point, Hong Kong (Tel: 2231 4810 or 2231 4835), the Board's website (www.info.gov.hk/tpb), and at the Planning Enquiry Counters of the Planning Department in North Point and Sha Tin.
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