Northern Metropolis land-use laws won’t undermine board’s authority: experts

Proposed designated laws to streamline land-use approval procedures for the Northern Metropolis megaproject will not undermine the authority of Hong Kong’s town planning body, some experts have argued, while urging the government to establish clear key performance indicators (KPIs) to strengthen market confidence.Observers were responding to a package of six subsidiary laws unveiled on Tuesday by the Development Bureau, designed to remove bottlenecks in the large-scale New Territories scheme.A key proposal is to shorten town planning procedures in non-conservation areas from typically nine months to around two months by reducing review rounds by the Town Planning Board from two to one.The bill would also give Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu and the Executive Council the power to adjust the boundaries of the Northern Metropolis. The scheme aims to turn 30,000 hectares (74,132 acres) of land near the border with Mainland China into an engine for economic growth and a housing hub.Lawmaker Andrew Lam Siu-lo, a town planner by profession, argued that the essence of the legislation was not merely about streamlining specific procedures but holistically providing the flexibility required to accelerate the megaproject.Asked if streamlining land-use approval procedures would undermine the board’s power, he said it would depend on “how one views it”.