Revised Strata Landed Housing Guidelines - Allowable Number of Units per Development

Circular No : URA/PB/2008/20-DCD

Our Ref : DC/ADMIN/CIRCULAR/PB_08

Fax : 6227 4792

CIRCULAR TO PROFESSIONAL INSTITUTES

Who Should Know:
Architects, engineers, developers, landed housing owners, property consultants.

Effective Date:
With effect from 3 Feb 2009.

Objective

This circular is to inform the industry and landed housing owners of the revised strata landed housing guidelines on allowable number of units per development.

Details

1. Strata landed housing are landed housing with strata titles and common facilities. They are allowed within Designated Landed Housing Areas. Hence, the density of such developments should be comparable to other conventional landed housing so that they do not adversely affect the amenity of the surrounding landed housing area.

2. When strata landed housing was first introduced in 1993, the number of strata landed housing units within a development site was capped based on a minimum plot size control per unit for the respective conventional landed housing form. In 2001, this control was lifted except for strata bungalows proposed within Good Class Bungalow Areas (GCBA). The change was intended to give the industry greater flexibility in design and to promote self-regulation.

3. In 2007, URA carried out a Focus Group consultation exercise on landed housing. The consultation process involved landed housing residents as well as developers, architects, academics and other property professionals. The feedback from the Focus Group participants was that strata landed housing developments have become very dense and congested. As a result, the quality of the living environment and those of the surrounding area deteriorated as houses within the strata landed development are packed very close together to maximise the number of units. Such dense strata landed housing developments have affected the overall character and living environment of the landed housing estates where they are located. Landed housing residents living nearby now have to deal with heavier traffic into the estate and a more congested environment due to the large number of strata landed housing units being built. URA has also received a number of complaints from residents of landed housing estates of the increasingly dense environment caused by some new strata landed housing developments.

4. Based on the feedback received, URA has further consulted REDAS and SIA. Both REDAS and SIA agreed that the concerns raised on increasingly densely-built strata landed housing developments and the impact on the overall environment is valid. To ensure that such developments will have densities that are more comparable with the surrounding landed housing, URA will be revising the guidelines for strata landed housing.

Details of guidelines

5. URA will be re-introducing the control to cap the maximum number of allowable units in strata landed housing developments based on a minimum plot size per unit for the respective conventional landed housing form.

6. For strata landed housing developments comprising only 1 type of housing form, the maximum number of units allowed will be determined by the following formula:

where Y = plot size control for the relevant landed housing form²

7. For mixed strata landed housing developments comprising more than 1 type of landed housing form, the allowable number of units will be determined by the following formula:
   
   (B x YB) + (SD x YS) + (T x YT) ≤ Total Site Area of Development
   
   where,
   B = proposed number of strata bungalow units
   SD = proposed number of strata semi-detached house units
   T = proposed number of strata terrace house units
   YB, YS, YT = plot size control for the relevant landed housing form²
   
   (see Appendix 1 for examples)

8. By capping the number of units allowed for strata landed housing developments, the density of such developments will be brought closer to those of the surrounding landed housing estate. With this revision, strata landed housing will still remain an attractive housing option. There is sufficient flexibility for creative layouts since there are no specific plot size and plot width controls for individual units, as long as the number of units is within the allowable limit based on the minimum plot size control of the specific landed housing form. Developers can also save on land which would have been required to be vested for public park and public roads if the site was developed for conventional landed housing.

Implementation

9. To give the industry sufficient advance notice of the change, the revised guidelines on maximum allowable number of units for strata landed housing developments will take effect 3 months from the date of this circular. Development applications (which do not include Outline applications) submitted prior to 3 Feb 2009 which results in a Provisional Permission will continue to be evaluated under the old guidelines.

10. 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 DCD Enquiry Line at Tel: 6223 4811 or e-mail us at ura_dcd@ura.gov.sg ↗ (opens in new tab). We would 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 ↗ (opens in new tab).

Thank You.

HAN YONG HOE
DIRECTOR (DEVELOPMENT CONTROL)
for CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
URBAN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

^{1 Where the formula does not result in a round number, the number of allowable units will be rounded down to cater for each unit having the minimum plot size for the proposed housing form.}

^{2
YB = 400sqm for Bungalow;
YS = 200sqm for Semi-detached house;
YT = 150sqm for terrace house.}

APPENDIX 1

EXAMPLES OF APPLICATION OF THE REVISED GUIDELINES

Development Site Area: 16,000sqm

Scenario 1

Scenario 2

Development involving a mix of strata bungalows and strata terrace houses:

Minimum land area required for a mixed strata landed housing development comprising 4 strata bungalows and 96 strata terrace houses
= (4 strata bungalows x 400sqm) + (96 strata terrace houses x 150sqm)
= 16,000sqm

Conclusion: Proposed number of units is in order.