This circular supersedes the previous Circular: URA/PB/2012/01-PPG dated 6 February 2012 on “Revised Guidelines for the Integration of Community and Sports Facilities in Commercial Developments”, and should be read in conjunction with the overall 10% bonus GFA budget in URA’s Circular No: URA/PB/2009/03-DCG dated 29 April 2009  on “Framework for Managing Bonus Gross Floor Area Incentives”.

Background

1. The Community/Sports Facilities Scheme (CSFS) facilitates the co-location of compatible community and sports uses with highly accessible commercial developments for mutual benefit. Under the CSFS, bonus Gross Floor Area (GFA) for community and/or sports uses (hereinafter referred to as the “CSFS space”) is allowed over and above the maximum permissible GFA under the Master Plan for highly accessible commercial developments². Since its introduction in 2003, the CSFS has benefited a wide range of community/sports users, including public libraries and non-profit community service providers like eldercare, child care and other social services.
   
   
2. To qualify for the CSFS, the community/sports uses should be non-profit in nature and endorsed by the relevant championing government agency. The activities carried out within the CSFS space should have a predominant public outreach component that directly serves the public. 

3. Currently, the CSFS extends to non-profit child care centres endorsed by the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA)³, while commercial child care centres do not qualify. To support the ECDA’s efforts to expand the provision of good quality and affordable child care services, the guidelines of the CSFS are revised to extend to commercial child care centres that meet the ECDA’s quality and affordability criteria.

Extending CSFS to include commercial child care centres

4. To qualify for the revised CSFS, commercial child care centres will need to obtain ECDA’s endorsement under their Support Schemes. The Support Schemes will require the commercial child care centres under the CSFS to provide quality and affordable child care services to the public and the community. For more information on the qualifying criteria and application process for ECDA’s Support Schemes, please refer to ECDA’s website
5. ECDA will conduct a review every three years on the commercial child care centres under CSFS to confirm that they are providing meaningful public services. To facilitate the review process, the commercial child care centre use under ECDA’s Support Schemes will be approved by URA on Temporary Permission (TP)⁴. Commercial child care centre operators using the CSFS spaces must seek URA’s approval for a renewal of the TP. As part of the submission requirement for the TP renewal, commercial child care operators must continue to fulfil ECDA’s qualifying criteria under their Support Schemes, and obtain ECDA’s re-endorsement for the CSFS⁵.
   
   
6. In the event that the original commercial child care centre ceases to operate in the approved CSFS space or fails to maintain ECDA’s endorsement, the owner of the CSFS space is required to work with ECDA to identify a replacement child care centre, or work with the relevant agencies to identify other suitable community or sports user to occupy the CSFS space. The new user will then need to submit an application to URA for re-assessment and where applicable, fresh planning permission. The replacement user must similarly be endorsed by the relevant championing government agency and meet the guidelines stated in Appendix 1.

Revised CSFS guidelines

7. The details of the revised CSFS guidelines are summarised in Appendix 1. The revised CSFS guidelines will apply to all new applications for community/sport use submitted on or after the effective date.
   
   
8. Appendix 2 gives an overview of the parties responsible for ensuring that the community/sports space continues to be used for the approved purpose. Appendices 3A, 3B and 3C are Letters of Undertaking to be submitted by various community and sports users to URA. Appendix 4 charts out the procedure required to obtain approval for the CSFS.
   
   
9. I would appreciate it if you could convey the contents of this circular to the relevant members of your organisation. If you or your members have any queries concerning this circular, please do not hesitate to call our Development Control Group (DCG) Enquiry Line at Tel: 6223 4811 or email us at ura_dcd@ura.gov.sg. We will be pleased to answer queries on this, and any other development control matters. For your information, past circulars to professional institutes are available at our website http://www.ura.gov.sg.
   
   
   

[1] Community service providers can be government agencies, Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs), and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs).

[2] Bonus Gross Floor Area (GFA) approved under the CSFS is subject to an overall cap of 10% of the maximum permissible GFA for the site allowed under the Master Plan or 2,000sqm (whichever is lower), and will not form the future development potential of the site upon redevelopment. If payable, development charge (DC) or differential premium (DP) will be levied for the bonus GFA, based on the approved community or sports use.

[3]The Early Development Childhood Agency is jointly overseen by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) and the Ministry of Education (MOE).

[4]The length of the TP can be up to ten years. The validity of TP for the CSFS space is contingent on commercial child care centre operator maintaining ECDA’s endorsement under their Support Scheme.

[5] TP renewal applications that are not attached with ECDA’s re-endorsement letter will be deemed as incomplete submissions and will be returned.