Impact of En Bloc Sales on Environmental Damage and Rise in Housing Prices

Debated in Parliament on 26 Jul 2021.

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The Minister explained that stricter consent thresholds apply to newer buildings, with 90% of owners needed for sales versus 80% for older ones, and that sale outcomes depend on market conditions, developer demand, and price expectations, which can help moderate housing prices by increasing supply.
He noted that every development proposal undergoes a robust planning evaluation process to assess environmental impact, traffic, and other factors, with technical agencies requiring detailed studies before approval.
To minimize environmental damage, Singapore promotes sustainable construction practices, including demolition waste recovery and the BCA Green Mark scheme, achieving over 99% debris recycling in 2020.
The Ministry has not introduced legislation to limit en bloc sales of newer developments, as the existing framework and processes are designed to balance housing needs with environmental responsibility.
The debate highlights the need to manage both housing affordability and environmental sustainability, with current measures focusing on high consent thresholds and green building incentives.

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Gerald Giam Yean Song

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether the Ministry has conducted any studies on the environmental impact of private en bloc sales; (b) whether the Ministry has conducted any studies on the price impact of en bloc sales; (c) if so, what are the results of such studies; and (d) whether the Ministry will introduce legislation limiting en bloc sales of newer developments in order to prevent unnecessary environmental damage and rises in housing prices.

Summary written by AI (learn more)

The Minister explained that stricter consent thresholds apply to newer buildings, with 90% of owners needed for sales versus 80% for older ones, and that sale outcomes depend on market conditions, developer demand, and price expectations, which can help moderate housing prices by increasing supply.
He noted that every development proposal undergoes a robust planning evaluation process to assess environmental impact, traffic, and other factors, with technical agencies requiring detailed studies before approval.
To minimize environmental damage, Singapore promotes sustainable construction practices, including demolition waste recovery and the BCA Green Mark scheme, achieving over 99% debris recycling in 2020.
The Ministry has not introduced legislation to limit en bloc sales of newer developments, as the existing framework and processes are designed to balance housing needs with environmental responsibility.
The debate highlights the need to manage both housing affordability and environmental sustainability, with current measures focusing on high consent thresholds and green building incentives.

Questions identified by AI (learn more)

Impact of En Bloc Sales on Environmental Damage and Rise in Housing Prices

Debated in Parliament on 26 Jul 2021.

Summary written by AI (learn more)

The Minister explained that stricter consent thresholds apply to newer buildings, with 90% of owners needed for sales versus 80% for older ones, and that sale outcomes depend on market conditions, developer demand, and price expectations, which can help moderate housing prices by increasing supply.
He noted that every development proposal undergoes a robust planning evaluation process to assess environmental impact, traffic, and other factors, with technical agencies requiring detailed studies before approval.
To minimize environmental damage, Singapore promotes sustainable construction practices, including demolition waste recovery and the BCA Green Mark scheme, achieving over 99% debris recycling in 2020.
The Ministry has not introduced legislation to limit en bloc sales of newer developments, as the existing framework and processes are designed to balance housing needs with environmental responsibility.
The debate highlights the need to manage both housing affordability and environmental sustainability, with current measures focusing on high consent thresholds and green building incentives.

Questions identified by AI (learn more)

Full Transcript

Gerald Giam Yean Song

Summary written by AI (learn more)

The Minister explained that stricter consent thresholds apply to newer buildings, with 90% of owners needed for sales versus 80% for older ones, and that sale outcomes depend on market conditions, developer demand, and price expectations, which can help moderate housing prices by increasing supply.
He noted that every development proposal undergoes a robust planning evaluation process to assess environmental impact, traffic, and other factors, with technical agencies requiring detailed studies before approval.
To minimize environmental damage, Singapore promotes sustainable construction practices, including demolition waste recovery and the BCA Green Mark scheme, achieving over 99% debris recycling in 2020.
The Ministry has not introduced legislation to limit en bloc sales of newer developments, as the existing framework and processes are designed to balance housing needs with environmental responsibility.
The debate highlights the need to manage both housing affordability and environmental sustainability, with current measures focusing on high consent thresholds and green building incentives.

Questions identified by AI (learn more)

Desmond Lee

Under the Land Titles (Strata) Act, buildings that are 10 years in age or more are required to obtain consent from 80% of owners before the collective sale can proceed. For buildings less than 10 years in age, consent is required from 90% of owners, so the threshold is higher for newer developments.

Even if the required consent threshold is reached, the eventual outcome of the en bloc sale is dependent on many factors, including prevailing market conditions, developers’ demand for land, and sellers’ price expectations. As with any other land sale site, the impact of en bloc sales on property prices is also contingent on different factors, including the attributes of the site as well as market conditions. For example, the increase in dwelling units due to the intensification of an en bloc sale site could help to meet housing demand in a particular area, and may hence help to moderate property prices.

Let me now move on to the environmental impact. Every development proposal goes through a robust planning evaluation process which assesses not only its potential environmental impact, but also other aspects such as traffic, public health and heritage. As part of this process, technical agencies may require more detailed studies to be conducted, before planning approval is given.

To minimise the environmental impact when buildings are demolished and rebuilt, we also promote the adoption of sustainable construction practices. For example, BCA’s Code of Practice for Demolition provides guidelines for improving the recovery of waste from demolition. In 2020, over 99% of debris from demolition was recycled for further use in the Built Environment sector. BCA’s Green Mark scheme also awards points to developments that make use of resource-efficient building designs and conserve existing buildings onsite. This approach allows us to undertake development in an environmentally responsible manner, while meeting the housing needs of Singaporeans.

Impact of En Bloc Sales on Environmental Damage and Rise in Housing Prices

Summary

Questions Identified

Full Transcript

Gerald Giam Yean Song

Summary

Questions Identified

Impact of En Bloc Sales on Environmental Damage and Rise in Housing Prices

Summary

Questions Identified

Full Transcript

Gerald Giam Yean Song

Summary

Questions Identified

Desmond Lee