The Development Bureau today announced revised in-situ land exchange arrangements for the Northern Metropolis, with the aim of expediting the project’s implementation and facilitating better development layouts.

Highlighting that an enhanced conventional new town approach (ECNTA) is being adopted for the Kwu Tung North/Fanling North and Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Areas, the bureau said the Government will, in principle, resume all private land planned for development before allocating it for various purposes. including for private development.

However, for sites intended for private development, the Government allows in-situ land exchange applications from landowners subject to certain conditions, which could avert the need to resume land and put it out to tender.

Besides allowing landowners’ to participate in the project in a manner that complies with the Government’s planning, the revised arrangements will reduce the Government’s upfront spending on land resumption and public works while allowing it to realise premium revenue at an earlier stage, the bureau said.

The early provision of residential, industrial and other development will also benefit the public, it added.

It was announced in the 2023 Policy Address that the ECNTA approach would be extended to development sites specified by the Government in all new development areas, and that operational arrangements will be improved.

Practice Notes applicable to individual new development areas will be issued in due course. These will outline, in detail, specific land exchange arrangements, including the sites available for in-situ land exchange, application criteria and conditions, and application deadlines.