Revised Guidelines For Temporary Workers’ Dormitories Within An Industrial Or Warehouse Development

Circular No : URA/PB/2008/28-DCD

Our Ref : DC/ADMIN/CIRCULAR/PB_08

Fax : 6227 4792

CIRCULAR TO PROFESSIONAL INSTITUTES

Who Should Know:
Developers, building owners and Qualified Persons.

Effective Date:
5 Dec 2008

Click here to see quick guide in submitting workers' dormitories application

Objective

To revise the guidelines for temporary workers’ dormitories provided within an industrial or warehouse development.

Details

1. To help further ease the current shortage of housing for foreign workers, URA has reviewed the guidelines for ancillary and secondary workers’ dormitories in industrial/warehouse developments together with JTC, HDB and other relevant government agencies. The revised guidelines which incorporated the following changes are summarised in Appendix A:

   1. Allowable quantum of secondary or ancillary workers’ dormitory
      The ancillary quantum control for secondary or ancillary workers’ dormitories and other ancillary uses within industrial developments is increased from 40% to 49% (max).

   2. Number of Workers
      The maximum number of workers to be housed in a dormitory is subject to compliance with technical requirements of FSSD, NEA and clearance from SPF. The previous cap of 500 workers is no longer applicable.

   3. Location Criteria
      The location of proposed workers’ dormitory is subject to evaluation. In addition, workers’ dormitories are not allowed within any NEA’s health and safety buffers. If the proposed workers’ dormitory is located within multiple-unit industrial and warehouse developments, it should be located in a separate whole block within the development site.
      
      Within industrial estates that are safeguarded by JTC or HDB for strategic industries or where the workers’ dormitories may be incompatible with the surrounding land use, only ancillary workers’ dormitories (i.e. housing own workers) are allowed. Secondary worker dormitories are not allowed within these areas (i.e. no-go areas). The list of no-go areas for secondary workers’ dormitories has been reviewed to allow for more industrial sites to qualify for conversions to workers’ dormitories. The revised list is attached in Appendix B.

   4. Prior clearance from PUB
      Workers’ dormitories use may result in an increase of used water discharge which requires an adequate sewerage system to serve the development. Applicants are advised to consult PUB early and obtain their clearance before submitting the planning application to URA.

2. Workers’ dormitories that comply with the above guidelines may be granted 3-year temporary permission subject to the condition that the use shall not cause any amenity problems. For existing workers’ dormitories that have been granted temporary permission under the previous guidelines, renewal of the temporary permission will be subject to compliance with the new revised guidelines.

3. For premises which are leased or sold by JTC or HDB, applicants are required to obtain prior clearance from JTC or HDB respectively for the proposed new workers’ dormitories or renewal of temporary permission before submitting the application to URA.

4. This circular supersedes our previous Circular No. URA/PB/2006/20-DCD dated 6 November 2006.

5. 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

APPENDIX A

Revised Guidelines for Workers’ Dormitories within an Industrial or Warehouse Development

APPENDIX B

(Superceded by revised list in Appendix B of Circular No. URA/PB/2010/13-PPG dated 6 Dec 2010 on Amenity Provision Guidelines)