Restrictions on Redevelopment Given Recent Focus on Sustainability and the Environment

Mr Seah Kian Peng asked the Minister for National Development in light of the recent focus on sustainability and the environment (a) whether the Ministry will consider putting some restrictions on redevelopment; and (b) in particular, whether the Ministry will consider an age floor before en bloc schemes can be considered.

Present regulations on collective sales already take into account the age of the development. Generally, under the Land Titles (Strata) Act, developments that are 10 years in age or more are required to obtain consent from 80% of owners before the collective sale can proceed. The consent threshold is increased to 90% for developments less than 10 years in age. To date, the vast majority of collective sales have involved developments aged 30 years and older.

There are also safeguards to ensure that development is undertaken in an environmentally responsible manner, while meeting the housing needs of Singaporeans. At the planning stage, every development proposal goes through a robust evaluation process. The proposal will be assessed on its potential environmental impact, along with other aspects such as traffic, public health and heritage, before planning approval is given. In addition, we promote the adoption of sustainable construction practices. For example, BCA’s Code of Practice for Demolition provides guidelines for recovery of waste from demolition. BCA’s Green Mark scheme also awards points to developments with resource-efficient building designs, as well as those which conserve existing structures on-site.