The existing Town Planning Ordinance was enacted in 1939 and is revised from time to time to meet the requirements of the changing social and economic environment in Hong Kong.

The Town Planning (Amendment) Bill 2003 was introduced into the Legislative Council in May 2003 and finally came into force on June 10, 2005. Its main objectives are to streamline the plan-making process and planning approval procedures, enhance the openness and transparency of the planning system and strengthen planning enforcement control in the rural New Territories. To facilitate the implementation of the Amendment Ordinance, the TPB has promulgated eight sets of guidelines on the new procedures and requirements. The guidelines together with the new application forms and information pamphlets are available from the enquiry counters of the Planning Department or can be downloaded from websites of the Planning Department (www.pland.gov.hk) and the TPB (www.info.gov.hk/tpb).