The Planning Department has submitted a draft planning and design brief for the San Tin Technopole to the Town Planning Board (TPB), which will discuss the proposal on Friday.
When the TPB approved the statutory plans for the technopole in July last year, it agreed that flexibility should be allowed for the information and technology (I&T) land and the detailed planning and appropriate control should be achieved through the PDB, to better integrate innovation industries with the rural ecological environment, the department said in a social media post.
In preparing it, the authorities considered views raised by TPB members and stakeholders last year, and consulted professional bodies, village representatives, as well as the environmental committee for the technopole, it said.
The brief divides the 210 hectares of I&T land into five clusters based on location and characteristics, setting out their primary uses, supporting facilities, planning parameters, and urban design requirements, the post said.
It emphasizes ecological conservation, urban-rural integration, and blue-green infrastructure, while also introducing sponge city concepts, smart and green designs, resilience measures, and encouragement of urban farming.
The land must also comply with conditions set by the environmental impact assessment report, including bird-friendly building designs and designated wildlife corridors.
Developers will be required to submit master layout plans to a special cross-disciplinary committee under the Development Bureau for approval, ensuring they follow the brief’s planning and design requirements, the department noted.
It said the brief will help shape the technopole into a new community that combines industry growth, ecological preservation, and livability, embodying the Northern Metropolis vision of “urban-rural integration and co-existence of development and conservation.”
Staff reporter
