Incompatible Uses Not Allowed in Historic District Core Areas
View Appendix 1B for location of core areas
1. Western fast-food restaurants
2. Supermarkets
3. Building material showrooms
4. Nursing homes
5. Offices (except at the upper storeys); excludes banks which can be considered on all storeys
Uses Not Allowed in Historic Districts
1. New bars, pubs, nightclubs and karaoke lounges are not allowed.
2. New massage establishments and spas are not allowed.
3. Amusement centres are not allowed.
4. Motor vehicle showrooms are not allowed.
5. Warehouse stores are not allowed. They may only be considered if such a use is ancillary to the main use.
6. Places of worship, unless previously authorised, are not allowed. They should be located on land zoned for places of worship.
7. Pollutive trades such as engineering, spray-painting, welding, plumbing, motor, metal and joinery workshops, tyre and battery shops, and plastic products manufacturing are not allowed.
Other Use Controls in Historic Districts
1. Eating Houses
New eating houses and expansion of existing eating houses are not allowed in areas designated as Problematic Traffic Areas (PTA), as listed in URA’s Circular to Professional Institutes dated 30 May 2016. These are Kampong Glam Conservation Area, Serangoon Road / Jalan Besar within the Little India Conservation Area and Kampong Bahru Road / Spottiswoode Park Road within the Blair Plain Conservation Area.
2. Hotels and backpacker hostels
New hotels and backpacker hostels are not allowed within Little India Conservation Area and certain areas within Chinatown Conservation Area, as listed in URA’s Circular to Professional Institutes dated 12 August 2016.
3. Shops
Shop use can generally be considered. However, planning approval is required for the following types of uses classified under shop use –
Foot reflexology
Beauty salon
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) clinic
Take-away foodshop
New telco and mobile phone shops are not allowed within the Little India Conservation Area.