Development control and development process : a study on comprehensive development area (CDA) zone in Hong Kong

Abstract

There is growing interest in the impact of development controls on the development process. Many researches focus on whether development controls offer certainty and flexibility to developments. Nevertheless, not many researches explore the causes leading to delays in developments. Through examining the length of time spent in the stages of planning, lease and building controls of 57 completed Comprehensive Development Area (CDA) sites where the development processes were started and completed in the Metro Planning Committee Area in Hong Kong between 1990 and 2014, this paper explores if there are any factors accounting for the delay in the development process of the completed CDA sites. Besides, this research examines the relationships between the length of time involved in the development process and the characteristics of the completed CDA sites. Meanwhile, this research also examines 67 approved planning applications submitted for uncompleted CDA sites where the development processes have not been completed in order to explore the relationships between the stage of planning control of CDAs and particular variables. Through quantitative statistical analyses, this paper confirms that the stage of planning control does not cause a delay in the development process of the completed CDA sites. Approval rate of planning applications does not necessarily affect the development process of them. Instead, the relatively lengthy amount of time spent in the development process in the completed CDA sites can be stemmed from the change of mind of the planning applications’ applicants. The GFA of completed CDA sites affects the length of time spent in the development process. In addition, when the year of the first approved planning application of completed CDA sites is closer to year 2014, the length of time spent in the whole development process is less. For the 67 approved applications submitted for the uncompleted CDA sites, it is confirmed that the GFA of the proposed developments cause impacts on the length of time a planning application involved to get an approved decision from the planning authority. Based on the findings collected, it is concluded that the stage of planning control does not cause a delay in the completed CDA sites and, various factors play a part accounting for the length of time spent in the development process and in getting approved decisions from the planning authority.