With the objective of making Hong Kong a better place to live and work in, the Planning Department is responsible for the preparation of various types of town plans to guide the proper use and development of land. These plans range from development strategies at the territorial level to various types of statutory and departmental plans at the district/local level. The Department also provides services to the Town Planning Board.
The Headquarters of the Planning Department is located on the 17/F, North Point Government Offices, 333 Java Road, North Point, Hong Kong. Click here for addresses of individual planning sections and district planning offices.
You may visit our Planning Enquiry Counters, or call our Planning Enquiry Hotline at 2231-5000. You may also send us a letter, fax or e-mail stating clearly your question(s) or suggestion(s).
Staff of the Planning Enquiry Counters will assist you both in general and site-specific planning information, and any matters related to town planning in Hong Kong as much as possible. Current and previous Outline Zoning Plans, Development Permission Areas Plans, Regulated Area Plans and relevant planning documents are available for inspection.
You may approach the Planning Enquiry Counters for information. You may also simply refer to the Outline Zoning Plan (OZP) or Development Permission Areas (DPA) Plan. Click here for information on how to obtain OZP or DPA.
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All the amendments on the Outline Zoning Plan will be exhibited for public inspection for a period of two months. During the public inspection period, a notice will be published once a week in two daily Chinese and one daily English local newspapers and notified in each issue of the Gazette, as well as on Town Planning Board’s website. The notice will specify the place and hours at which such plan may be inspected, and invite the public to make representation within the 2-month period. The notice will also be posted at the Secretariat of the Town Planning Board, the Planning Enquiry Counters of the Planning Department, the relevant District Planning Office, the relevant District Office, and, where appropriate, the local community centre and Rural Committee office, and be uploaded to the Town Planning Board's website.
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Outline Zoning Plan (OZP) is a kind of statutory plan prepared by the Town Planning Board under the Town Planning Ordinance. It is basically a plan that shows the land-use zonings and major road systems of individual planning scheme areas. Each plan is accompanied by a Schedule of Notes which show for a particular zone the uses always permitted (Column One Uses) and uses that would require permission from the Town Planning Board (Column Two Uses) upon application.
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DPA Plan is prepared for an area not previously covered by OZP. The land use information shown on a DPA plan is generally not as detailed as on an OZP. This Plan serves as a control to unauthorized development in the rural areas. This Plan will only be effective for three years from the date of publication and will be replaced by OZP within the period. Development without the necessary planning permission or is not permitted under the terms of the respective plan will constitute an unauthorized development and might result in prosecution. The provision for enforcement will however continue to be applicable in the areas even after the DPA Plan is replaced by OZP.
Under the Town Planning Ordinance as amended in 2023, the Secretary for Development may by notice publish in the Gazette designate an area covered by an Outline Zoning Plan (OZP) as a RA except to an area which is within Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, or the New Kowloon and previously included in a plan of a Development Permission Area (DPA). The boundary of a RA is delineated in the form of a plan. Designation of a RA does not change per se the substances or zonings of the OZP currently in force, and thus the RA plan should be read in conjunction with the OZP(s) covering the RA. Similar to the areas previously designated as DPA, where land is within a RA, any development which is not permitted in terms of its respective OZP and without the necessary planning permission constitutes an unauthorized development and is subject to enforcement and prosecution by the Planning Authority.
You could report a suspected unauthorized development through our Enquiry hotline at 2231 5000 or you may also send us a letter, fax or e-mail. The Central Enforcement and Prosecution Section of the Department will investigate and action accordingly. The Department pledges to inspect any suspected unauthorized development and give a reply within 4 weeks on receipt of the report.
The Town Planning Board is a statutory body established under the Town Planning Ordinance with a view to promoting 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. Click here to visit the Town Planning Board's website.
Current OZP, DPA and RA plans can be purchased at the Map Publications Centres
Hong Kong
6/F, North Point Government Offices
333 Java Road, North Point, Hong Kong
OZP for individual district can also be purchased at the respective District Survey Office.
Each Outline Zoning Plan is accompanied by a Schedule of Notes showing the uses always permitted (Column One Uses) and uses that would require permission from the Town Planning Board (Column Two Uses) within a particular zone. There may be additional controls on developments within a particular land use zone and these are specified under the 'Remarks' column in the Notes for that land use zone. You only need to apply for permission under S.16 of the Town Planning Ordinance when your proposed use or development is under 'Column Two' or as required by the 'Remarks' of the Notes.
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The S.16 application form and the 'Guidance Notes' on how to apply are available at the Planning Enquiry Counters, and could also be downloaded from the Town Planning Board's website.
If you are the landowner of the application site (or owns any portion of the application site), or have obtained consent of any landowner of the application site, a public officer or a public body as defined by S.2 of Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (Cap. 201), you may submit an application for amendment of plan under S.12A of the Town Planning Ordinance. The S.12A application form and the 'Guidance Notes' on how to apply are available at the Planning Enquiry Counters, and could also be downloaded from the Town Planning Board's website. If you are not eligible for applying S.12A application, you may submit your rezoning proposal for PlanD’s consideration. For details, please click here.
There are different ways to participate in the planning process. One way is to check the local newspapers and our web page for the latest planning news, and express your view by writing to us. Public engagement exercises for major planning studies are conducted to solicit public views. New or amended OZPs will be exhibited for public comments, and any person may make representation to the Town Planning Board during the statutory exhibition period. Gazetted information could also be accessed through the Town Planning Board's website. We welcome your participation.
You could e-mail us if you have any suggestion or complaint. We will from time to time modify our web page and improve our services.
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