Hong Kong – Draft Wan Chai Outline Zoning Plan approved

     The Chief Executive in Council has approved the draft Wan Chai Outline Zoning Plan (OZP).
      
     “The approved OZP provides a statutory land use planning framework to guide the development within the Wan Chai area,” a spokesman for the Town Planning Board said today (November 19).
      
     The planning scheme area, covering about 89 hectares, is bounded by Gloucester Road to the north; Percival Street to the east; Leighton Road, Queen’s Road East and Kennedy Road to the south; and Monmouth Path and Arsenal Street to the west.
      
     Wan Chai has been developed into an area characterised by a mixture of commercial and residential developments. Along Queen’s Road East, there is a trend towards more intensive commercial development. The area to the south of Johnston Road contains some new buildings amidst low-rise pre-war residential buildings, many of which are in a dilapidated state.
      
     The approved OZP has incorporated amendments shown on the draft Wan Chai OZPs No. S/H5/26, No. S/H5/27 and No. S/H5/28, which mainly involved incorporation and revision of building height restrictions, non-building area and lot boundary setback requirements for various development zones; rezoning of the “Commercial/Residential” sites to “Commercial”, “Residential (Group A)” or “Other Specified Uses” (“OU”) annotated “Mixed Use” zones; rezoning of the old Wan Chai Police Station and ex-Wan Chai Police Married Quarters sites from “Government, Institution or Community” (“G/IC”) to “OU (Historical Building Preserved for Hotel, Commercial, Community and/or Cultural Uses)” and “Commercial (4)” respectively; rezoning of sites at 99 Kennedy Road and 269 Queen’s Road East from “G/IC” to “Residential (Group E)”; rezoning of the terraces and the stepped street in the Sau Wa Fong area to area shown as “Road”; and rezoning of various sites to reflect the as-built conditions of completed developments.
      
     The approved Wan Chai OZP No. S/H5/29 is now available for public inspection during office hours at the Secretariat of the Town Planning Board, the Planning Enquiry Counters of the Planning Department in North Point and Sha Tin, the Hong Kong District Planning Office and the Wan Chai Home Affairs Enquiry Centre.
      
     Copies of the approved OZP are available for sale at the Map Publications Centres in North Point and Yau Ma Tei. The electronic version of the OZP can be viewed at the Town Planning Board’s website (www.info.gov.hk/tpb).