Transport Planning - HKU Libraries - The University of Hong Kong

T.P.D.M.V.L4Parking ProvisionsThe standards on parking provision is given in the Hong Kong Planning Standards andGuidelines for various types of developments. Engineering judgement must, however, be usedin applying these standards in a flexible way and is generally related to several factors: theaccessibility to public transport, the availability of public car parks in the locality and the sparecapacity of the supporting road network.It should be noted, however, that there is a risk of over-provision of car parks for residentialdevelopments even though a ratio of car parking spaces to flats is specified in the Hong KongPlanning Standards and Guidelines. For a given plot ratio it can be designed to have a largenumber of smaller flats or a small number of large flats. It is rather clear that the formerscenario would entitle developers to more car parking spaces than the latter. Precaution has tobe taken in such cases and an initial view on the minimum floor area for one car parking spacemust be formed before examination of the submission.Notably, the current trend in the properties business is to build large scale developments withmixed uses, such as malls, offices, restaurants and hotels in the commercial area like Central.It is understandable that offices tend to get the major share of the parking provisions in theday-time during weekdays whereas the malls and restaurants in the same development would beable to utilize most of the parking spaces after office hours. In this way the combinedrequirement would be much smaller than if they are considered separately. This kind ofsituation naturally demands special attention of engineers.Any proposal to provide a high traffic generator, e.g. a car park or a development with a level ofparking provision higher than the standard set out in the Hong Kong Planning Standards andGuidelines must be substantiated by a Traffic Impact Assessment. However, under section2(5)(b) of the Town Planning Ordinance, the Town Planning Board has delegated its authority tothe District Planning Officer to consider planning applications for minor amendments todevelopment proposals with planning permission previously granted by the Board under section16 of the Ordinance. These amendments include:Categories ofMinorAmendmentsChanges in thetotal number ofparking spacesApproved byDPO underTPB's delegatedauthorityNot exceeding 50parking spaces or5% of theapprovedminimum level ofprovisionwhichever is thelesser.*Processed by Dof Plan underTPB's delegatedauthorityExceeding 50parking spaces or5% of theapprovedminimum level ofprovision but notexceeding 100parking spaces or10% of theapprovedminimum level ofprovisionwhichever is thelesser.Considered byTPBExceeding 100parking spaces or10% of theapprovedminimum level ofprovisionwhichever is thelesser.Remarks*Notwithstandingthe 5% limit,changes notexceeding 10parking spacesmay be approvedby DPO providedthat C for T doesnot object to thechanges.