Criteria for Development Works to Require Heritage Impact Assessment and Status of Bukit Brown Cemetery

Debated in Parliament on 5 Jul 2022.

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Leon Perera asked for the criteria determining when a heritage impact assessment (HIA) is required, whether Bukit Brown Cemetery would qualify, if public or NGO consensus on heritage value would be a factor, and for commitment to publish heritage studies even when HIAs are deemed unnecessary.
Desmond Lee outlined that heritage considerations are integrated into planning through a robust evaluation process and collaboration with expert panels, with HIAs introduced in March 2022 for major public projects affecting significant heritage sites.
He noted that HIAs are typically for large-scale public developments in rich heritage areas, while smaller-impact projects are assessed case-by-case with possible heritage recall measures.
Regarding Bukit Brown, he stated that part of the area is zoned residential under Master Plan 2019, with cemetery areas preserved until longer-term review is needed.
The government engages community and expert input upstream, but public or NGO consensus is not explicitly a formal criterion for triggering an HIA.

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Leon Perera

Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for National Development (a) what are the criteria for development works to require a heritage impact assessment (HIA); (b) whether the Bukit Brown Cemetery will qualify under the criteria; (c) whether one of the criteria will include a reasonable number of not-for-profit organisations or members of the public deeming the site to be of heritage value; (d) for sites where an HIA is deemed unnecessary by URA and NHB, whether the Government will commit to publishing findings from heritage studies that have been conducted.

Summary written by AI (learn more)

Leon Perera asked for the criteria determining when a heritage impact assessment (HIA) is required, whether Bukit Brown Cemetery would qualify, if public or NGO consensus on heritage value would be a factor, and for commitment to publish heritage studies even when HIAs are deemed unnecessary.
Desmond Lee outlined that heritage considerations are integrated into planning through a robust evaluation process and collaboration with expert panels, with HIAs introduced in March 2022 for major public projects affecting significant heritage sites.
He noted that HIAs are typically for large-scale public developments in rich heritage areas, while smaller-impact projects are assessed case-by-case with possible heritage recall measures.
Regarding Bukit Brown, he stated that part of the area is zoned residential under Master Plan 2019, with cemetery areas preserved until longer-term review is needed.
The government engages community and expert input upstream, but public or NGO consensus is not explicitly a formal criterion for triggering an HIA.

Questions identified by AI (learn more)

Criteria for Development Works to Require Heritage Impact Assessment and Status of Bukit Brown Cemetery

Debated in Parliament on 5 Jul 2022.

Summary written by AI (learn more)

Leon Perera asked for the criteria determining when a heritage impact assessment (HIA) is required, whether Bukit Brown Cemetery would qualify, if public or NGO consensus on heritage value would be a factor, and for commitment to publish heritage studies even when HIAs are deemed unnecessary.
Desmond Lee outlined that heritage considerations are integrated into planning through a robust evaluation process and collaboration with expert panels, with HIAs introduced in March 2022 for major public projects affecting significant heritage sites.
He noted that HIAs are typically for large-scale public developments in rich heritage areas, while smaller-impact projects are assessed case-by-case with possible heritage recall measures.
Regarding Bukit Brown, he stated that part of the area is zoned residential under Master Plan 2019, with cemetery areas preserved until longer-term review is needed.
The government engages community and expert input upstream, but public or NGO consensus is not explicitly a formal criterion for triggering an HIA.

Questions identified by AI (learn more)

Full Transcript

Leon Perera

Summary written by AI (learn more)

Leon Perera asked for the criteria determining when a heritage impact assessment (HIA) is required, whether Bukit Brown Cemetery would qualify, if public or NGO consensus on heritage value would be a factor, and for commitment to publish heritage studies even when HIAs are deemed unnecessary.
Desmond Lee outlined that heritage considerations are integrated into planning through a robust evaluation process and collaboration with expert panels, with HIAs introduced in March 2022 for major public projects affecting significant heritage sites.
He noted that HIAs are typically for large-scale public developments in rich heritage areas, while smaller-impact projects are assessed case-by-case with possible heritage recall measures.
Regarding Bukit Brown, he stated that part of the area is zoned residential under Master Plan 2019, with cemetery areas preserved until longer-term review is needed.
The government engages community and expert input upstream, but public or NGO consensus is not explicitly a formal criterion for triggering an HIA.

Questions identified by AI (learn more)

Desmond Lee

We have a systematic approach to incorporate heritage considerations in our planning and development process. Every development proposal is subject to a robust planning evaluation process that considers its impact on traffic, public health, environment and built heritage. URA and NHB regularly engage and collaborate with expert panels, such as the Heritage and Identity Partnership (HIP) and Heritage Advisory Panel (HAP), as well as the community, upstream in the planning process to integrate heritage buildings and structures sensitively into our modern cityscape.

To complement this approach, we introduced a Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) framework in March 2022. Under this framework, public projects likely to cause major impact to significant heritage sites will be assessed to ascertain the need for heritage studies or other mitigating measures. The scale and scope of such studies will be dependent on the site contexts and design proposals.

HIAs, the most extensive type of studies, are likely to be necessary only for larger-scale public development projects in areas of rich, complex, heritage significance. For other projects that have smaller heritage impact and are assessed to not require a full HIA, URA and NHB will work with developing agencies to study the proposals on a case-by-case basis, including meaningful ways to recall the heritage and identity of the sites.

Under Master Plan 2019, part of the Bukit Brown area is zoned for residential use. The existing cemetery areas will be kept for as long as possible and these will only be reviewed in the longer term when the need arises.

Criteria for Development Works to Require Heritage Impact Assessment and Status of Bukit Brown Cemetery

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Leon Perera

Summary

Questions Identified

Criteria for Development Works to Require Heritage Impact Assessment and Status of Bukit Brown Cemetery

Summary

Questions Identified

Full Transcript

Leon Perera

Summary

Questions Identified

Desmond Lee