Practice Note for Professional Persons No. 1/2006

Practice Note for Professional Persons
No. 1/2006

District Planning Conference (DipCon)

Purpose

  1. In order to further enhance the development process and to facilitate the resolution of issues relating to district planning and development, District Planning Conference (DipCon) meetings at regular intervals are scheduled. Development issues to be considered include those relating to the processing of development proposals; the preparation of planning briefs for Comprehensive Development Area (CDA) sites, Urban Renewal Authority, Hong Kong Housing Society and public housing schemes; the processing of applications for planning permission and amendments to statutory plans; and the checking of compliance of conditions of development schemes approved by the Town Planning Board (TPB).

Metro DipCon and New Territories DipCon

  1. Two new DipCons, namely the Metro DipCon for the Metro Districts and the New Territories DipCon for the New Territories Districts, will replace the former DipCons for the six District Planning Office (DPO) districts. The two new DipCons would be chaired by the Assistant Director of Planning/Metro and the Assistant Director of Planning/New Territories respectively or, in case of major issues to be considered, by the Deputy Director/District. They would be attended by the district representatives of concerned Government departments to consider and endorse district planning and development proposals for the Metro Districts and New Territories Districts respectively. Any issues that could not be resolved at the inter-departmental level at the DipCon would be escalated to the Committee for Planning and Land Development (CPLD) or the TPB, where appropriate, for a decision. The updated terms of reference and membership of the DipCon are at Annex 1.
  2. The DipCon provides an inter-departmental forum for discussing issues and proposals related to district planning and development before commencement of consultation with the relevant District Councils or other bodies as appropriate.

Private Sector's Representation at DipCon

  1. The DipCon will also provide a forum to facilitate resolution of outstanding issues arising from the processing of applications for planning permission and amendments to statutory plans, the checking of compliance with conditions of approval imposed by the TPB and the handling of development proposals submitted to the Planning Department by project proponents in the private sector, as promulgated in the Planning Department Practice Note for Professional Persons Nos. 2/2005 and 4/2005. For such cases, the project proponents will be given the opportunity to make representations and have direct dialogue with representatives of concerned departments. The DipCon Chairman will act as a facilitator and coordinator to iron out disagreement or conflicts with a view to identifying solutions as far as possible.

Meeting Schedules

  1. The meetings of the two DipCons would be scheduled monthly, or more frequently if required. The scheduled dates of the two DipCons can be downloaded from the website of the Planning Department at http://www.pland.gov.hk/pland_en/tech_doc/pra_note/schedules.pdf. The respective secretaries of the Metro DipCon and the New Territories DipCon (Senior Town Planner/Town Planner of Metro District Planning Division or New Territories District Planning Division) and responsible District Planning Offices will provide further information and assistance relating to the arrangements for submission to the DipCons.
  2. The above arrangement is to take effect in June 2006.

(B.C.K. FUNG)
Director of Planning
Planning Department
Date : 30 May 2006


 

  

 

Annex 1 

DISTRICT PLANNING CONFERENCE (DipCon) 

Terms of Reference

  1. To consider and endorse departmental plans (including amendments to the plans), planning briefs, district planning studies, major urban design and landscape proposals, major private development schemes, and Urban Renewal Authority (URA)/Hong Kong Housing Authority/Hong Kong Housing Society (HKHS) schemes; and to ensure that they follow the agreed planning policies and guidelines before submission to the Committee on Planning and Land Development (CPLD) or other relevant committees for approval;

  2. To consider all new and major amendments to statutory plans (Outline Zoning Plans and Development Permission Area plans) before submission to the Town Planning Board (TPB) for agreement;

  3. To review and co-ordinate progress on the preparation of departmental plans, planning briefs for public housing sites, URA, HKHS and other schemes, and district planning studies and surveys relevant to the development of the Metro or New Territories Districts;

  4. To make recommendations for the implementation of the departmental plans and to monitor the overall development of the Metro or New Territories Districts;

  5. To consider and facilitate the resolution of outstanding issues arising from the processing of applications for planning permission and amendments to statutory plans, the checking of compliance with conditions of approval imposed by the TPB and the handling of development proposals submitted to the Planning Department by project proponents in the private sector; and

  6. To report to or seek advice from the CPLD on unresolved matters, other than those related to statutory plans, for resolution of disagreement among departments or bureaux.

 

 

Membership

 

 

Assistant Director of Planning/Metro               (Chairman) 
or Assistant Director of Planning/New Territories

Members : 

District Planning Officer of relevant Metro or New Territories Districts 
or Chief Town Planner/Special Duties

Representative (at senior professional level or above) of: 
District Officer 
District Lands Officer 
Director of Housing 
Project Manager of Civil Engineering Development Department 
Director of Environmental Protection 
Commissioner for Transport 
Representative of other bureaux and departments (as required) 
Representative of the Urban Design and Landscape Section and the Technical Services Section (as required)

In attendance : 
Representative of URA, HKHS and project proponents in the private sector (as required)

Senior Town Planner/Town Planner of 
Metro District Planning Division or 
New Territories District Planning Division     (Secretary)

 

Notes

1. Two DipCons are set up according to the Metro or New Territories District boundaries and the geographical area responsibility of the District Planning Offices (DPOs) as follows:

Metro DipCon

(i) Hong Kong DPO
(ii) Kowloon DPO
(iii) Tsuen Wan and West Kowloon DPO

New Territories DipCon

(iv) Tuen Mun and Yuen Long West DPO
(v) Sha Tin, Tai Po and North DPO
(vi) Sai Kung and Islands DPO
(vii) Fanling, Sheung Shui and Yuen Long East DPO

2. The Metro DipCon is chaired by the Assistant Director of Planning/Metro and the New Territories DipCon is chaired by the Assistant Director of Planning/ New Territories. In case of major planning issues to be considered, the DipCon would be chaired by the Deputy Director of Planning/District.

3. All DipCons are scheduled on a regular basis, at least once a month or more frequently, if required.

4. For planning matters straddling the Metro and New Territories Districts, the two DipCon Chairmen should discuss and decide on how these matters should be handled

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