Simpler formula pushed to speed up home construction

James Lee

Legislative amendments are in the works to speed up home construction by shortening times for transforming a piece of "primitive land" into a "spade-ready" site for development.

A bill covering amendments to six ordinances will be gazetted today and have its first reading at the Legislative Council on Wednesday.

"We have formulated legislative amendment proposals," a Development Bureau official said, with the aim to step up "speed and efficiency."

The amendments cover five policy directions: streamlining and shortening statutory time limits, avoiding repetitive procedures, allowing officials to proceed with different procedures in parallel, improving inconsistent or ambiguous arrangements, and making more effective use of public resources

The Development Bureau aims to shorten statutory time limits from the current 2+9 system - a two-month public consultation period is allotted before the Executive Council reviews and approves a plan in the following nine months - to a 2+5 formula.

So authorities could see sites spade-ready within four years compared with the six currently.

And time required to prepare large-scale projects could be cut to seven years from 13. To further streamline the process it is proposed to conduct a one-round public consultation rather than three, with personal attendance of people involved at a Town Planning Board hearing.

Applicants seeking to make amendments to approved plans or draft plans must also be the owner or part owner of a site or a person authorized by a land owner.

It is proposed only owners or occupiers of land set to be resumed by the government can object to the Town Planning Board.

The Planning Bureau also proposes to speed up land resumptions, rehousing and compensation by an estimated 18 months by allowing different procedures to proceed in synchronicity.

It suggests a proposal for land resumption can go to the Executive Council for approval after the completion of a statutory planning process when objections to land resumption can be handled at the same time.

And rehousing and compensation arrangements for people affected by development can commence once approval for land resumption has been obtained without waiting for approval of funding by the legislature.

The bill proposes to allow reclamation without completing an outline zoning plan given that planning and engineering studies before reclamation starts can provide justification for a project.

It is recommended that land resumed can be used as temporary storage areas for construction materials, "other gainful uses" or permanently for public use after approval from the Executive Council.

The bill proposes as well to give the secretary for development power to designate rural areas in the New Territories with high ecological value but subject to development pressure as "regulated areas" and to take enforcement and prosecution actions against unauthorized development.

The bureau also announced yesterday a project to revitalize the former North Kowloon Magistracy in Sham Shui Po, hopefully by 2026. And to maintain "judicial spirit and traditions" an education center will be established.

cjames.lee@singtaonewscorp.com