Town Planning Board
The Town Planning Board's function is to promote the health, safety, convenience and general welfare of the community through the systematic preparation of plans for the layout of such areas of Hong Kong as the Chief Executive may direct, as well as the types of buildings suitable for erection therein.
Lands Department
The Lands Department's functions include land disposal for development, valuation, acquisition of private land for public projects, land lease regrant and modification, land control and lease enforcement, land boundary survey, map production, slope maintenance on unallocated Government land and approving the pre-sale of uncompleted flats and deeds of mutual covenant.
Police
The Hong Kong Police Force ensures a safe and stable society by upholding the rule of law, maintaining law and order, preventing and detecting crime, and safeguarding and protecting life and property.
The gross floor area of the antique buildings in the Former Marine Police Headquarters development project has been verified to be 5,610 square metres, Secretary for Development Carrie Lam says, adding the technical amendment is based on a detailed survey.
Mrs Lam today told lawmakers the Planning Brief endorsed by the Town Planning Board said the gross floor area of the five buildings was estimated to be 4,300 square metres and recommended the potential additional gross floor area to be 7,900 square metres.
The subsequent tender document mentioned the gross floor area of the historical buildings on the lot was approximately 4,300 square metres, which was believed to have come from the figure mentioned in the Planning Brief.
After surveying the site area and applying established calculation formula, the Lands Department found the potential additional gross floor area of the lot should not exceed 7,213 square metres.
As the gross floor area indicated on the building plan submitted by the developer to the Buildings Department did not tally with the gross floor area specified in the Master Layout Plan endorsed by the board, the building plan was not approved.
In June 2006 the developer asked the board agree to its proposed technical amendment to confirm the relevant gross floor area should be rectified as 6,172 square metres.
To facilitate the board in assessing the application, the developer conducted a detailed on-site survey with officers of the Buildings and Lands Departments.
“The gross floor area of the existing historical buildings was verified to be about 5,610 square metres. Subsequently, in December 2006, the Town Planning Board confirmed this verified figure as the gross floor area of the historical buildings.
“This was a technical amendment based on a detailed survey, and reflects the actual gross floor area of the historical buildings. There was no question of the developer having been given extra gross floor area in substance. Moreover, no additional premium could be levied on such a technical rectification.”
