Objective

1. The Night Lighting Master Plan for Bras Basah.Bugis is to guide the lighting up of developments to achieve a unique, three-dimensional nightscape for the Bras Basah.Bugis (BBB) area. This Master Plan will be realised incrementally as and when new buildings are developed and when existing buildings undergo major refurbishment.
2. To enhance BBB as an arts, culture, learning and entertainment hub, the following developments within the Master Plan boundary (see Appendix 1) are required to provide night lighting of the buildings in compliance with the prescribed night lighting guidelines:
   • Arts & cultural uses: museums, art galleries, art housing, Places of Worship;
   • Educational uses: universities, colleges, tertiary institutions, etc.;
   • Entertainment uses: theatres, cinemas, etc.;
   • Buildings with architectural heritage significance: National Monuments and conservation buildings; and
   • Buildings at gateway entry points: key buildings along Selegie Road, Victoria Street and Bencoolen Street.
3. The guidelines aim to achieve a coherent and well-coordinated nightscape for the area and provide a recommended framework for the lighting treatment of key selected buildings according to architectural styles and building uses.
4. The guidelines also highlight practical issues, such as light trespass, light pollution, light fitting details, as well as energy efficiency and maintenance, which should be considered upfront at the design stage. The detailed Guidelines can be found in Appendix 2.
5. More information on the Master Plan can be found in the Night Lighting website at - http://www.ura.gov.sg/lightingplan, where all approved lighting designs for developments in BBB will be uploaded for reference. The guidelines on Good Lighting Practices can also be found on this website.

Definition of Lighting Design and Fixtures

6. The night lighting design under the Master Plan refers to the lighting up of the exterior of the building to highlight the design of the building, in particular, the roof or crown, façades, main architectural features, covered walkways and open spaces at street level, using permanent lighting fixtures.
7. The light fixtures are to be designed and well-integrated with the overall design of the building and integrated into the building façade. The lighting fixtures shall be located and installed fully within the boundary of the development.
8. As a guide, the daily night lighting shall be elegant, tasteful and sensitive to the architecture of the building and well-coordinated with the overall night time streetscape.

Submission and Evaluation Process

9. All developments identified in Appendix 1 are required to provide night lighting under the Night Lighting Master Plan.
10. All night lighting proposals shall be submitted formally to URA’s Development Control Group for approval as part of the Development Application process, using the submission form attached in Appendix 3. To ensure that the external building lighting installation is considered as an integral part of the design of the development, the night lighting proposal must be submitted as part of the development plans at the Provisional Permission (PP) stage.
11. To facilitate the submission of night lighting proposals, URA has drawn up a checklist of submission requirements (see Appendix 4). The checklist provides a step-by-step guide on the design issues to be addressed from the overall lighting concept through to the detailed proposals. The checklist also lists all the supporting drawings and technical information which is required to be submitted to facilitate the evaluation of the lighting proposal.
12. Approval of the night lighting proposal is subject to:
    1. Compliance with the technical guidelines (specification of lighting levels and fixtures);
    2. Submission of a Letter of Undertaking to comply with all prevailing operating requirements, for daily night lighting and during festivals and events;
    3. Compliance with all other planning and urban design requirements for the site; and
    4. Retention, operation and maintenance of the approved night lighting at the owner’s own cost and expense.
13. The external night lighting must be reflected in the proposal plans for the development for URA’s approval. A retention clause will be included as a condition in the Written Permission (WP) for the development to ensure that the night lighting is retained and operated and will be enforced through the Planning Act on the owner and any subsequent purchaser of the development.
14. Any changes to the approved night lighting proposal for the development (e.g. subsequent change in lighting concept, type of lighting equipment and specifications, etc.) are required to be submitted to the URA for evaluation and approval.
15. The entire night lighting proposal, including all external building lighting installations, shall be installed and commissioned according to the approved plans and verified and endorsed by URA under the Planning Act. URA’s clearance of the completed Night Lighting Installation is required before the Commissioner of Building Control issues the Temporary Occupation Permit (TOP) or Certificate of Statutory Completion (CSC) (in the event the TOP is not required). Details of the submission, requirements and process for seeking PP, WP and clearance of completed works under the Night Lighting Guidelines are included at Appendix 4. The standard processing time to evaluate and approve a complete and compliant submission for the clearance of the completed works is about 4 weeks. Please note that a longer processing time may be required if the submission is incomplete or not in order. The Applicant is to ensure sufficient lead time is allowed to secure the clearance prior to applying to the Commissioner of Building Control for TOP/CSC. The submission is required to include labeled and annotated photographs (in .pdf file format) showing the completed night lighting installation on site. URA will evaluate the photographs submitted and, if necessary, arrange for a site inspection before issuing the clearance letter for the completed works.
16. If the external lighting fixtures are not installed and commissioned according to the approved plans, the Applicant or Building Owner will be required to revise the lighting installation to match the approved lighting design or provide reasons for the deviation for the URA’s evaluation and approval.
17. The night lighting fixtures are to be retained and maintained throughout the entire life of the building and shall not be removed without the prior approval of the URA.

Operation Hours and Maintenance of the Night Lighting

18. Building owners are required to minimally turn on the night lighting on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, between 7pm and 11pm, according to the approved night lighting proposal and the guidelines outlined in Appendix 2. The night lighting of the building outside the recommended hours shall be in accordance with the approved night lighting proposal and the guidelines in this Circular.
19. The night lighting shall also be turned on during national and district-wide festival and events, subject to the requirements by the relevant authorities.
20. 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 contact our DCG Enquiry Line at Tel: 6223 4811 (email: ura_dcd@ura.gov.sg). We will be pleased to answer queries on this, and any other development control matter. For your information, the past Circulars to the professional institutes are available from our website http://www.ura.gov.sg.