The Development Bureau has rolled out enhanced arrangements for exempting car parks from gross floor area (GFA) calculations in private development projects, alongside several related measures.
     As aboveground car parks are cheaper and faster to build, the new policy aims to reduce construction costs and shorten development timelines. The enhanced arrangement applies to both “private/ancillary” car parks for residents and visitors, and “public” car parks required by the Government to serve the wider community.
     A key change is that private developments with three or more levels of aboveground parking will receive a 50% GFA concession for each level beyond the second, regardless of whether the parking is private or public—aligning rules that were previously different for each category. Existing arrangements remain unchanged for underground car parks, which continue to receive full GFA exemption.
     To support implementation, town planning procedures for approving aboveground car park height will be streamlined. For applications involving up to two aboveground parking levels, developers will typically only need to provide visual appraisals and, where major breezeways are affected, simple air ventilation assessments.
     The Planning Department has confirmed that most sites in New Development Areas already have height limits that can accommodate two aboveground parking levels. For the remaining sites that require height relaxations, the Government will initiate the necessary town planning applications next year. (Reported by Building.hk)


(SHKP)