The Town Planning Board's Metro Planning Committee has vetoed the rezoning application of the Oil Street site in North Point and asked the Planning Department to conduct a more detailed study.

At today's meeting, committee members supported the provision of more open space and the adoption of a stepped building height profile in the rezoning proposal submitted by Designing Hong Kong Harbour District. However, as the proposal will constrain the layout and design of the development, the committee vetoed the rezoning application.

Members also agreed there is a need to review the development parameters for the site to take account of changing community aspirations, the board's vision and goals for Victoria Harbour, as well as the latest harbour planning principles and urban design guidelines.

The committee has asked the Planning Department to conduct a detailed study to determine the appropriate development parameters, before amending the site's planning brief previously endorsed by the board. The public will be consulted in the course of the preparation of the revised planning brief before the board's endorsement.

The application submitted to the board in July was mainly for rezoning part of the site from "Comprehensive Development Area" to "Open Space", reducing the maximum total gross floor area from 123,470 square metres to 68,800 square metres and imposing stepped height limits on the remaining "CDA" zone.