The Study
Background of Study
At present, there is a vast amount of agricultural land in the New Territories, especially the north-eastern and north-western parts, mainly occupied by open storage yards, warehouses and other industrial/rural workshops, which can generally be referred to as brownfield sites. The operations on brownfield sites are generally low in land utilisation efficiency, and often lead to land use incompatibility as well as environmental and traffic issues. On the other hand, operations on brownfield sites play a role in supporting various economic activities in Hong Kong including construction, logistics, port back-up, waste recycling, vehicle repairing and related, rural industries, general warehouse, and others.
It is considered necessary to establish the comprehensive profile and spatial distribution of the brownfield sites in the New Territories (NT) as well as to understand the nature, site characteristics and operational details of the brownfield sites. Planning Department (PlanD) commissioned Ove Arup and Partners Hong Kong Limited (Arup) on 20 April 2017 to undertake the Study on Existing Profile and Operations of Brownfield Sites in the New Territories – Feasibility Study (the Study).
Main Objectives
The main objectives of this Study are:
- To formulate the definition and categorisations of brownfield sites;
- To capture a snapshot of comprehensive profile including the overall distribution, characteristics, and economic uses of brownfield sites in the NT by on-site field and questionnaire surveys;
- To understand details of operations and major industries involved in brownfield sites through interviews with key stakeholders; and
- To identify key issues pertinent to brownfield sites.
Study Area
The Study Area refers to the New Territories of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The Metro Area including Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and Tsuen Wan/Kwai Tsing are excluded from the Study Area.
