The People's Government of Guangzhou recently issued the Trial Measures of Guangzhou for Improving Efficiency of Industrial Land Utilization (hereinafter referred to as the Trial Measures). It is required that, in principle, new land plots for industrial purpose in the future should be included by the industrial land plots, such as industrial parks and logistics parks. Clear lower limits of plot ratios are set for different land plots. It is also required that generally new industrial projects should have more than three floors. In addition, the Trial Measures allows developing certain proportion of residential land within industrial land to build public rental houses to meet the need of industrial workers for residence. However, it is not allowed to build dwellings and hotels on it.

To improve the efficiency of industrial land utilization, the Trial Measures sets the lower limits of plot ratios, encouraging industrial land developers to improve land utilization efficiency by building more floors, renovating plant areas, carrying out internal land management and using underground spaces on the premise of meeting related requirements for urban and rural planning and fire control.

For more intensively and economically utilization of industrial land, except for projects subject to special regulations on safety and fire control or special requirements for industrial production, the plot ratio of Class-A industrial land should not be lower than 2.0, while that of Class-B and Class-C industrial land should not be lower than 1.2, and that of industrial land subject to special requirements for production processes should not be lower than 0.8. Except for projects subject to special regulations on safety and fire control, generally, new industrial projects not subject to special industrial requirements should have at least three floors. Construction of single-floor plants are not allowed.

In addition, concentration of administrative and living facilities are encouraged in the industrial land plots. Construction of non-production facilities such as whole set of dwellings, experts' buildings, hotels, guesthouses and training centers is prohibited. However, development of certain proportion of residential land within the Class-A and Class-B industrial land to build public rental houses to meet the need of industrial workers for residence is allowed.

It was learnt that the Trial Measures will be put into practice on April 1, 2015, with a validity term of three years.

Source: Guangzhou Daily, March 4, 2015