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Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA)
Circulars

Revision to the Balcony Bonus Gross Floor Area (GFA) Scheme for Private Non-Landed Residential Developments to Promote Higher Construction Productivity

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General

2 September 2013

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Circular No : URA/PB/2013/10-DCG BCA 104.1.2

Our Ref : DC/ADMIN/CIRCULAR/PB_13 BCA ID

Fax : 6325 4800 (BCA)
6227 4792 (URA)

CIRCULAR TO PROFESSIONAL INSTITUTES

This circular must be read in conjunction with the overall 10% bonus GFA budget in URA’s Circular No: URA/PB/2009/03-DCG dated 29 April 2009 on “Framework for Managing Bonus Gross Floor Area Incentives” and URA’s Circular No: URA/PB/2007/01-DCD dated 5 February 2007 on “Revised Guidelines for Balconies”.

Who Should Know:
Building owners, developers, architects and structural engineers

Effective Date:
The changes will take effect from 1 November 2013 in two phases and will be effective for 5 years.

Background

  1. The Ministry of National Development highlighted at the 2013 Committee of Supply Debate that in the next three years, companies across the entire construction value chain (including developers, architects, engineers and contractors) will have to work closer together to adapt to the changes in policies and business environment as well as to achieve higher productivity.

  2. Higher buildability standards, including prefabrication such as use of drywall and prefabricated bathroom units (PBUs), will help to significantly improve construction productivity. In addition, these will reduce noise and dust during construction which is increasingly important as more developments are located in densely built up areas.

  3. The current Balcony Bonus GFA scheme has been revised to further encourage the industry to improve construction productivity by adopting more productive construction solutions.

Details of the Revised Balcony Bonus GFA Scheme

  1. The intention of the revision is to reward developers who make the extra effort to strive for higher buildability. Details of the revised scheme are as follows:

  • Phase 1 – Private non-landed residential developments1 can apply for the balcony bonus GFA scheme up to the quantum and subject to the conditions specified in the table below with effect from 1 Nov 2013.

Table caption

Up to 3% additional GFA beyond the Master Plan Gross Plot Ratio (GPR) for balconies if:

Up to 10% additional GFA beyond the Master Plan GPR for balconies if:

  1. It achieves at least 10 points above the minimum legislated buildable design score; and

  2. Uses drywalls for all internal dry areas in the development.

  1. It achieves at least 10 points above the minimum legislated buildable design score;

  2. Uses drywalls for all internal dry areas in the development; and

  3. At least 65% of the bathrooms are PBUs. 

  • Phase 2 – Private non-landed residential developments1 can only apply for the balcony bonus GFA scheme up to the quantum and subject to the conditions specified in the table below with effect from 1 Nov 2014. 

Table caption

Up to 10% additional GFA beyond the Master Plan GPR for balconies if:

  1. It achieves at least 10 points above the minimum legislated buildable design score;

  2. Uses drywalls for all internal dry areas in the development; and

  3. At least 65% of the bathrooms are PBUs.

  1. Where balconies are proposed under the revised scheme, the prevailing standard guidelines for balconies (eg. perimeter openness, balcony screening requirements, etc.) will still be applicable.

  2. The approval of the Balcony Bonus GFA under the revised scheme is subject to:

    • BCA’s acceptance of the preliminary buildable design score computation, buildability detailed design and implementation plan of the development [see BCA circular No:

      BCA BC 15.0.3

      dated 1 Aug 2013];

    • Submission of Letter of Acceptance (LOA) with Security Deposit (SD) to BCA within one month from Letter of Offer (LOO);

    • Submission of a valid BCA’s confirmation letter;

    • Compliance with all other planning and urban design requirements for the site; and

    • Payment of Development Charge (DC) or Differential Premium (DP), whichever is applicable.

  3. The Balcony Bonus GFA will not form the new prescribed maximum GPR for the site upon redevelopment.

  4. The revised Balcony Bonus GFA scheme will apply to all new applications for private non-landed residential developments (including executive condominiums) and the residential component of mixed-use projects submitted on or after the effective date2. Only formal development applications (excluding Outline Applications) submitted before the effective date which have already been granted Provisional Permission or which will result in a Provisional Permission, will not be subject to the revised guidelines for the Balcony Bonus GFA Scheme2.

Submission and evaluation process

  1. Appendix 1 shows the flowchart for the submission and evaluation process for developments proposing balconies under the revised Balcony Bonus GFA scheme. The main process is outlined below.

  2. Applicants who are interested in applying for the scheme are required to first submit an application to BCA (using the application form in Appendix 2) and obtain BCA’s confirmation letter before including the balcony bonus GFA in their planning submission to URA. The application must indicate the buildable design score that the applicant has set out to achieve and should include a key buildability concept proposal to demonstrate how the pre-requisites of the Balcony GFA will be achieved. BCA will evaluate the application and proposal before extending the Letter of Offer (LOO) to the applicant (more information can be obtained from http://www.bca.gov.sg/). With BCA’s LOO, the applicant can proceed to plan and design the development with the Balcony Bonus GFA.

  3. Following this, the applicant shall submit the Letter of Acceptance (LOA) (Appendix 3) together with the Security Deposit (SD)3 to BCA (see Appendix 4 for an example on SD computation) within one month from the date of LOO. Failure to submit the LOA and the SD within one month from the date of the LOO shall constitute non-acceptance of the LOO. Should that occur, the applicant is required to make a fresh application to BCA in accordance with paragraph 10 above, unless BCA in its sole discretion, agrees to extend the validity of the LOO.

  4. Upon receipt of the LOA and SD, BCA will issue a confirmation letter to the applicant. After receiving the confirmation letter from BCA, the applicant can submit the confirmation letter and planning application incorporating the Balcony Bonus GFA to URA for planning approval within 6 months. BCA’s confirmation letter should be attached in the planning application to URA4. The planning application must also be copied to BCA. If no planning application is made within the 6 months validity of BCA’s confirmation letter, the applicant will no longer be able to incorporate balcony bonus GFA in its planning application unless BCA in its sole discretion, agrees to extend the validity of the confirmation letter.

  5. During Phase 1 of the scheme (ie. between 1 Nov 2013 – 31 Oct 2014), if there is any revision to increase the Balcony quantum beyond 3%, the applicant shall inform BCA and seek endorsement again before applying to URA for amendment application. This should be carried out in accordance with the same submission procedure as stipulated in Appendix 1.

Consequences for non-compliance

  1. If the applicant subsequently fails to satisfy the stipulated buildable design score standard, the pre-requisites of using drywalls and PBUs where relevant, the SD will be called up. Checks for compliance will be done by BCA at 2 stages:Stage 1: At Building Plan Submission and Construction Stage.

  2. At the Building Plan (BP) submission stage in accordance with section 5 of the Building Control Act, the applicant or its appointed Qualified Persons shall submit the Building Plans with the buildable design score, the buildability detailed design and implementation plan, approved balcony quantum5 and any other required details to BCA. The buildable design score must meet the standard stipulated as pre-requisites for the development to enjoy Balcony Bonus GFA. BCA will also conduct site checks to ensure compliance of the buildable design score submitted. The applicant or its appointed Qualified Persons shall submit quarterly progress update reports to BCA to demonstrate that the buildable design score requirements can be met.Stage 2: Before Temporary Occupation Permit Stage

  3. Checks for compliance will also be done before the Temporary Occupation Permit (TOP) or Certificate of Statutory Completion (“CSC”), whichever is issued earlier by BCA. The applicant or its appointed Qualified Persons shall, before TOP/CSC application, submit the as-built buildable design score and documentation to BCA to demonstrate the fulfilment of all the pre-requisites for Balcony Bonus GFA for assessment.

  4. If the applicant still has not submitted the evidence of achieving the pre-requisites after a reasonable grace period, it will be deemed that the applicant has failed to comply with the terms and conditions of the Balcony Bonus GFA incentive scheme, and the SD will be called up. However, upon full compliance of the pre-requisites and the as-built buildable design score, the applicant may submit the application form (attached in Appendix 5) for the release of SD.

  5. We 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 BCA’s Mr James Lu at Tel: 6325 5091 (email: james_lu@bca.gov.sg) or URA’s DCG Enquiry Line at Tel: 6223 4811 (email: ura_dcd@ura.gov.sg). For your information, the past circulars to the professional institutes are available from our BCA, URA and CORENET websites in the links http://www.bca.gov.sg,http://www.corenet.gov.sg/einfo/ andhttp://www.ura.gov.sg.

Thank You.

ANG LIAN AIK
GROUP DIRECTOR
CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTIVITY CENTRE
BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION AUTHORITY


HAN YONG HOE
GROUP DIRECTOR
DEVELOPMENT CONTROL
URBAN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

1 Applicable to all new building projects with GFA of 2,000m2 or more.

2 Development applications submitted before the effective date resulting in an Advice or Refusal of Written Permission (RWP) will be evaluated based on the revised Balcony Bonus GFA scheme upon resubmission after the Advice or RWP.

3 Security Deposit is computed using a Buildability Premium of SGD$100/sqm x maximum permissible GFA for the development. The Buildability Premium will be revised every 6 months on 1 Mar and 1 Sep every year.

4 Planning applications to URA incorporating balcony bonus GFA without attaching BCA’s confirmation letter will not be evaluated for planning approval until the confirmation letter is received by URA.

5 During Phase 1 of the scheme (i.e. between 1 Nov 2013 – 31 Oct 2014), if there is any revision to increase the Balcony quantum beyond 3%, the applicant shall inform BCA and seek endorsement again before applying to URA for amendment application. This should be carried out in accordance with the same submission procedure as stipulated in Appendix 1.

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