Temporary Occupation Licences Issued to Commercial Plant Operators in East Coast/Marina Bay Area

Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Minister for Law (a) how many temporary occupation licences (TOLs) have been issued to commercial plant operators in the East Coast/Marina Bay area; (b) what is the purpose of issuing such TOLs; and (c) whether any traffic impact assessments or environment impact assessments have been carried out before the TOLs were issued.

Temporary Occupation Licences (TOLs) are issued by the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) for the temporary use of state land. Common temporary uses include the use of state land for community events or to support public infrastructure projects.

As of 31 May 2018, a total of 13 TOLs have been issued in the East Coast/Marina Bay area for commercial plant operations. These comprise mainly concrete batching plants that support works carried out by contractors undertaking various public infrastructure projects, including the development of the Thomson-East Coast Line and the North South Corridor, which are critical transport infrastructure developments.

SLA works with the relevant Government agencies, such as the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and National Environment Agency (NEA), to assess all TOL applications. Factors, such as the need and urgency of the project, traffic and environmental impact, and availability of alternative sites, are taken into consideration. Government agencies work with TOL operators to minimise potential disamenities. For example, the concrete batching plants in the East Coast/Marina Bay area are required to maintain a buffer from nearby residential premises to minimise nuisance from noise and dust. A Traffic Impact Assessment on the TOL sites at Marina East was also carried out, and two signalised junctions were implemented in the area to ensure smooth and safe traffic.

There may still be instances where some traffic or environmental impact on users of nearby areas is unavoidable. In such cases, Government agencies will work with the TOL operators and stakeholders to implement suitable mitigation measures. With regard to the TOLs issued in the East Coast/Marina Bay area, monthly stakeholder meetings are held to address any issues which require immediate attention, such as ground pollution. If TOL operators fail to implement the required mitigation measures satisfactorily, warning letters will be issued. In cases involving recalcitrant operators, the TOLs may be rescinded.