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Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA)
Circulars

Guidelines For Outdoor Signs Outside The Central Area

Tags

General

14 September 2009

Circular No : URA/PB/2009/21-PPG

Our Ref : DC/ADMIN/CIRCULAR/PB_09, BCA BC 15.17.8


Fax: 6226 3546 (URA)

6325 7526 (BCA)


CIRCULAR TO PROFESSIONAL INSTITUTES


GUIDELINES FOR OUTDOOR SIGNS OUTSIDE THE CENTRAL AREA

Objective

This circular provides details on the guidelines for the display of outdoor signboards and advertisement signs located outside the Central Area. The Guidelines are intended to strike a balance between safeguarding our streetscape from visual clutter and meeting the commercial needs of businesses for advertising space at appropriate locations outside the Central Area.


Effective Date

With effect from 14 September 2009


Who should know

Building owners, Management Corporations, Qualified Persons, Professional Engineers, developers, media companies, advertisers, signboard makers and business operators.


Details of Guidelines

Background

  1. In response to the feedback from the industry, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has developed a set of more comprehensive guidelines for outdoor signboards and advertisement signs located outside the Central Area (opens in new tab). The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) will adopt this set of guidelines when granting licenses for outdoor signage. The aim of the guidelines is to provide clearer requirements on the locations, size and height, as well as the form of signs that can be allowed outside the Central Area. Apart from providing greater clarity and transparency, the Guidelines are intended to strike a balance between safeguarding our streetscape from visual clutter and meeting the commercial needs of businesses for advertising space at appropriate locations outside the Central Area.


GUIDELINES FOR OUTDOOR SIGNS OUTSIDE THE CENTRAL AREA

Advertisement Signs

  1. An advertisement sign refers to any sign used to promote any brand, product, service or event and includes any temporary sign promoting events or activities in the displayed premises for a period of less than 2 months. The display of advertisement signs on the following type of buildings is subject to the guidelines as summarized below. Details are found in Appendix 1 [PDF, 536.05 KB] (opens in new tab).

Buildings Approved for Commercial and Industrial Uses

  • Advertisement signs will continue to be allowed on the building walls of all commercial and industrial buildings located outside the Central Area, subject to the following conditions:

i) the aggregate area of all advertisement signs does not exceed 100 sqm per frontage, or 50% of the surface area of the wall as measured up to 30m above the ground level, whichever is smaller; and

ii) the top edge of all advertisement signs does not exceed the height of commercial and/or industrial floors, or 30m above the ground level, whichever is lower.

Buildings Approved for Institutional, Sports & Recreation, Health & Medical Care, Bus Terminal/Interchange, MRT/LRT Station Uses

  • Buildings approved for civic and community, sports and recreation, health & medical care and education purposes, bus terminals/interchanges and MRT/LRT stations are allowed to display temporary signs promoting events and activities taking place at these premises. However, advertisement signs promoting any goods and services are not allowed at these premises, except on the building walls of approved commercial space within bus terminals/interchanges and MRT/LRT stations.

Petrol Stations

  • No advertisement signs are permitted within the premises of a petrol station, except for temporary signs promoting events and activities taking place at the premises, and goods and services that are available at the petrol station. Such temporary signs can be displayed on the building walls and/or structures (e.g. pumps, pillars) within the pumping area under the canopy. However, no sign shall be hung from the roof/ceiling of the canopy or protrude beyond the building wall.

Buildings Approved for Utility, Agriculture-related, MRT/Bus Depot, Residential Uses

  • No advertisement signs are permitted at these premises.

Free-standing Advertisement Signs

  1. No free-standing advertisement signs are permitted at any premises, except for temporary free-standing signs promoting community events and activities taking place at buildings approved for civic and community, sports and recreation, health & medical care and education purposes.

  2. The guidelines also specify the controls / requirements for the display of other forms of outdoor advertisement signs which include:

    • Advertisement signs on lamp posts

    • Marketing signs at construction sites

    • Real estate signs (for the sale or lease of a property / building or land)

    • Advertisement signs on balloons

    • Signs on awnings, canopies and blinds

    • Advertisements on digital screens (e.g. LED, LCD screen)

Signboards

  1. A signboard refers to any sign for the identification and naming of places, buildings and tenant business names. Signboards will continue to be allowed on all buildings, subject to compliance with specific requirements on size, height and form.

  2. More details of the guidelines are given in Appendix 1 [PDF, 536.05 KB] (opens in new tab).

Prohibited Signs

  1. The current list of prohibited signs has been retained with updates to make the list clearer and more comprehensive (see Appendix 2 [PDF, 266.78 KB] (opens in new tab)). The aim of having the prohibition list is to ensure that these undesirable signs do not mar our streetscape and negatively affect the image of Singapore as an attractive city. The prohibited signs are applicable to locations both outside and within the Central Area.

TRANSITION PERIOD FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF GUIDELINES

  1. The new guidelines shall apply with immediate effect to all license applications received by BCA on or after 14 September 2009 for display of new signboards and advertisement signs located outside the Central Area. However, to give owners of existing signs sufficient time to make changes to their signs to comply with the new guidelines, the licenses for existing signboards and advertisement signs will be allowed one renewal for a maximum period of 12 months even if these existing signs do not comply with the new guidelines, provided that they meet the following requirements:

    • The existing sign has a valid license expiring on or before 13 March 2010; and

    • The application for license renewal for the existing sign must be received by BCA on or before 20 March 2010.

Submission Requirements

  1. Planning permission from URA is not required for putting up outdoor signboards and advertisement signs. Applications to display these signs are to be made to Advertisement Licensing Department, Building and Construction Authority (BCA), prior to the installation of the signs. For any signs located on gazetted conservation buildings or National Monuments, clearance from Conservation Department, URA is also required before applications are made to BCA.

  2. Submissions must be made in full compliance with the provisions of the Building Control (Advertisement) Regulations, the Building Control (Temporary Buildings) Regulations and the Guidelines for Outdoor Signs outside the Central Area. Please refer to BCA's Website (opens in new tab) for the details of submission requirements.

  3. BCA, URA and the relevant Government agencies reserve the right, in their absolute discretion, to reject or refuse any application for the display of an outdoor sign where it considers the overall objectives of the Guidelines are not met or where the proposal is contrary to the broader objectives of the planning intention for the area.

  4. Please convey the contents of this circular to the relevant members of your organization. The same set of guidelines is also available at BCA's website. If you or your members have any enquiry concerning this circular, please do not hesitate to call URA’s DCG Enquiry Line at Tel: 6223 4811 (email: ura_dcd@ura.gov.sg (opens in new tab)) or BCA’s Enquiry Line at Tel: 1800 DIAL-BCA (342-5222) (email: bca_adv_lic@bca.gov.sg (opens in new tab)). We would be pleased to answer them


Thank you.

Ms Hwang Yu-Ning
Group Director
Physical Planning
Urban Redevelopment Authority

Ms Chin Chi Leong
Director
Building Plan & Management Division
Building and Construction Authority