Residents in 2 villages can turn houses fully into tourist sites under pilot scheme

Hong Kong residents living in the villages of Ho Sheung Heung and Yin Kong in Sheung Shui will be allowed to convert their entire houses into restaurants, guest houses or shops without prior application under a pilot scheme aimed at boosting rural tourism.
The relevant urban planning work is scheduled to begin in the third quarter this year, and the government will consider expanding the scheme to other village-type development zones depending on its effectiveness.
In a policy paper submitted to the Legislative Council on Saturday, the Development Bureau said the pilot scheme would add restaurants, shops and guest houses to the list of “always permitted uses” for the houses in the two villages, enabling residents to better utilise their homes to “improve visitors’ experiences”.
Ho Sheung Heung and Yin Kong are located in the Northern Metropolis, in the vicinity of the Kwu Tung North new development area and Long Valley Nature Park, alongside other nature attractions, making them ideal locations for the pilot scheme, according to the bureau.
“[The scheme] creates opportunities to encourage rural economic activities and rural tourism, promotes village history and culture, and adds unique character and diverse appeal to the Northern Metropolis,” the paper stated.
“We must appropriately relax the planning and other restrictions on the New Territories Exempted Houses to allow them to operate restaurants, shops, and guest houses.”
Under the current regime, residents living in village-type development zones may only operate restaurants and shops on the ground floor of their houses.
Converting upper floors or entire buildings, or turning houses into guest houses, currently requires approval from the Town Planning Board.
Under the pilot scheme, interested parties will no longer be required to submit a planning application for the change of use.
The bureau said that, alongside the Fire Services Department, it would issue clear fire safety requirements that were easy to understand and implement for village houses converted into restaurants later this year.
The Home Affairs Department would also publish a guideline on licensing requirements for village houses turned into guest houses, tailored to the specific circumstances of village buildings.

The paper revealed details of the Northern Metropolis Urban-Rural Integration Fund, a HK$200 million (US$25.5 million) initiative announced in this year’s budget to encourage non-governmental organisations to launch rural tourism projects and help enliven the local economy.
The fund, which is expected to be launched this year, will support cultural, historical and tourism projects that renovate and convert buildings or land, such as turning village houses into artist hubs and exhibition halls.
Under the plan, eligible projects must operate for at least three years, with subsidies of up to HK$10 million each. These projects may also run restaurants, guest houses, bookshops and shops to generate revenue.
One-off events, including village markets, historical and cultural research programmes, and village branding campaigns, are eligible for subsidies of up to HK$2 million.
A vetting committee comprising government officials and community leaders will assess applications based on visitor-carrying capacity, local support, project feasibility and the organisations’ experience, according to the bureau.