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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 – Changes to Phase Two Conditions

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Development Control

9 December 2014

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Circular No : URA/PB/2014/27-DCG, BCA 104.1.2

Our Ref : DC/ADMIN/CIRCULAR/PB_14, BCA ID

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

CIRCULAR TO PROFESSIONAL INSTITUTES

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

Effective Date:
With effect from 9 Dec 2014 to 31 Oct 2018

This circular should be read together with the following circulars:

  1. URA’s Circular No: URA/PB/2009/03-DCG dated 29 April 2009 on “Framework for Managing Bonus Gross Floor Area Incentives”, specifically on the overall 10% bonus GFA budget; and

  2. BCA and URA’s Joint Circular No. BCA 104.1.2 URA/PB/2013/10-DCG dated 2 Sep 2013 on “Revision to the Balcony Bonus Gross Floor Area (GFA) Scheme for Private Non-Landed Residential Developments to Promote Higher Construction Productivity".

  1. The revised Balcony Bonus GFA scheme was implemented on 1 Nov 2013 to encourage the industry to adopt more productive construction solutions. It also aimed to reward developers who make the extra effort to strive for higher buildability.

  2. Since its implementation, BCA and URA have received encouraging response in support of the productivity drive. To further raise construction productivity, BCA has amended the Building Control (Buildability) Regulations to require higher minimum Buildable Design Scores as well as mandatory use of drywalls for all internal dry areas and Prefabricated Bathroom Units (PBUs) for selected developments with effect from 1 Nov 2014 (See BCA’s new Circular No.BCA APPBCA-2014-16 dated 31 Oct 2014).  With these changes, BCA and URA are updating the conditions of the scheme with immediate effect.

Revised conditions to make use of the Balcony Bonus GFA Scheme

  1. Private non-landed residential developments (including executive condominiums) and the residential component of mixed-use projects1 can apply for the balcony bonus GFA scheme up to 10%, subject to the revised conditions specified in the table below with immediate effect.

Table caption

Previous Conditions

Revised Conditions

1. At least 65% of the bathrooms are PBUs

1. At least 80% of the bathrooms are PBUs

2. Achieves a buildable design score that is at least 10 pts above the minimum legislated score

2. Achieves a buildable design score of at least
a) 90 points for GFA ≥ 25,000sqm
b) 87 points for 5,000sqm ≤ GFA < 25,000sqm
c) 82 points for 2,000sqm ≤ GFA < 5,000sqm

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

See note below

Note : The condition for use of drywall for all internal dry areas is no longer required since drywall is already mandated for all non-landed residential developments under the amended Building Control (Buildability) Regulations.

  1. Where balconies are proposed under the scheme, the prevailing standard guidelines for balconies (e.g. perimeter openness, balcony screening requirements, etc.) will still be applicable.  The Balcony Bonus GFA will not form the new prescribed maximum GPR for the site upon redevelopment.

  2. The requirements for approval of the Balcony Bonus GFA under the scheme, the submission and evaluation process, as well as the consequences of non-compliance as stated in the earlier circular released on 2 Sep 2013 (Circular No. BCA 104.1.2 URA/PB/2013/10-DCG) shall remain the same.

Implementation

  1. The revised conditions will supersede the previous conditions under Phase 2 of the Balcony Bonus GFA scheme and 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 date2 which have already been granted Provisional Permission or which will result in a Provisional Permission, will not be subject to the revised conditions under Phase 2 of the Balcony Bonus GFA Scheme2.

  2. 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 www.bca.gov.sg, www.corenet.gov.sg/einfo/ and 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

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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 conditions under Phase 2 of the Balcony Bonus GFA scheme upon resubmission after the Advice or RWP.

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