URA/PCUD Plan Release 1/2019E Street Block Plan for Beach Road, Tan Quee Lan Street, North Bridge Road and Seah Street (Downtown Core Planning Area)
Conservation
Development Control
Street Block
Urban Planning and Design
27 November 2019
This circular has been superseded by Circular No: URA/PB/2025/10-CUDG published on 1 December 2025.
Circular No : URA/PB/2019/19-CUDG
Our Ref : DC/ADMIN/CIRCULAR/PB_19
CIRCULAR TO PROFESSIONAL INSTITUTES
Who Should Know:
Developers, building owners, architects and engineers
Effective Date:
With immediate effect
URA has reviewed and updated the street block plan for developments along Beach Road, Tan Quee Lan Street, North Bridge Road and Seah Street, as shown in Appendices 1 and 2.
The updated street block plan includes planning parameters and guidelines for conserved and non-conserved developments, as well as the type of land use, building height, form of development, building edge and covered walkway requirements and vehicular access. Please see Annex A.
This street block plan will be used to guide additions & alterations and redevelopment proposals within the above street blocks and supersedes the previous street block and envelope control plans for the Beach Road, Middle Road, North Bridge Road, and Seah Street (Circular URA/PB/2008/26-CUDD dated 05 Dec 2008, Circular URA/PB/98/15-DCD dated 26 Sep 1998 and Circular URA/PB/93/22-CUDD dated 20 Aug 1993).
I would appreciate it if you could convey the contents of this circular to the relevant members of your organisation. You are advised to refer to the Development Control Handbooks and URA’s website for updated guidelines instead of referring to past circulars.
For other information on the master plan, urban design guidelines, private property use and approval, car park locations and availability, private residential property transactions, and conservation areas and buildings, use URA SPACE (Service Portal and Community e-Services). This is an online portal packed with useful data and visualisation to help building professionals, business operators and the general public in their decision-making. It consolidates detailed information on land use and private property into a one-stop platform presented on geospatial maps. For feedback or enquiries on this circular, please email us.
Thank You.
CHOU MEI (MS)
GROUP DIRECTOR (CONSERVATION & URBAN DESIGN)
for CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
URBAN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
ANNEX A
STREET BLOCK PLAN FOR BEACH ROAD, TAN QUEE LAN STREET, NORTH BRIDGE ROAD AND SEAH STREET (DOWNTOWN CORE PLANNING AREA)
The purpose of this street block plan is to guide additions & alterations and redevelopment proposals within the Beach Road, Tan Quee Lan Street, North Bridge Road and Seah Street street blocks to ensure that developments have a strong street edge and contribute to the planned comprehensive continuous covered walkway network for comfortable pedestrian movement at street level. The prescribed planning parameters and urban design guidelines for the street block plan are set out below.
Table 1
Parameters | Conserved Building Requirements | Envelope Control Site Requirements | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Land Use* | Commercial use for developments fronting Beach Road, North Bridge Road and Middle Road; and Commercial & Residential use for developments fronting Seah Street. Under this zoning, the Gross Floor Area (GFA) allowable for Commercial use is not to exceed 40% of the total allowable GFA. | ||
2 | Gross Plot Ratio | Maximum 4.2 | ||
3 | Conservation Guidelines | All relevant conservation guidelines apply. Please refer to Part 2: Planning Parameters and Restoration Guidelines, section 2.3: Secondary Settlements | N.A. | |
4 | Building Height | The main building must be conserved. The rear portion of the site can be built up to: Maximum 6 storeys fronting North Bridge Road; and Maximum 5 storeys for developments fronting Seah Street, Purvis Street and Liang Seah Street. | Maximum 6 storeys for developments fronting Beach Road, North Bridge Road and Middle Road; and Maximum 5 storeys for developments fronting Seah Street and Purvis Street, excluding 29-38 Seah Street, 37-41 Beach Road, and 47 Beach Road, which are subject to detailed envelope control guidelines. | |
5 | Building Form | Party wall development. Developments are to be built up to the common boundaries with a party wall to the full height of the development. Any party wall that is exposed as an external wall must not have any openings. | ||
6 | Building Setback / Building Edge# | The conserved façade is to be retained and restored according to specific façade guidelines for each building. | In general, developments are to be built up to abut the lines of Road Reserve along Beach Road, North Bridge Road, Middle Road, Seah Street, Purvis Street, Liang Seah Street and Tan Quee Lan Street up to the full height of the development, as indicated in Appendix 2. All new developments, reconstructions / redevelopments and major additions and alterations are required to be built up to the lines of Road Reserve at the front, side and rear. | |
7 | Covered Walkway | A continuous covered walkway is to be provided and abut the lines of Road Reserve. Covered linkways are to be provided to bridge connectivity gaps where adjacent covered walkways are not aligned. | ||
The covered walkway must be restored in accordance with the relevant conservation guidelines. | A minimum 3.6m wide (and 3.0m clear) continuous covered walkway is to be provided to abut the lines of Road Reserve along North Bridge Road, Beach Road and Middle Road. A minimum 3.0m wide (and 2.4m clear) continuous covered walkway is to be provided to abut the lines of Road Reserve along Seah Street, Purvis Street, Liang Seah Street and Tan Quee Lan Street. The covered walkways are:
| |||
8 | Roofscape | The roofscape must be restored in accordance with the relevant conservation guidelines. | Roof areas are to be well-designed and attractive when viewed from the surrounding developments. For flat roofs, roof parapet walls may be built to a maximum height of 1m. However, architectural features on such walls may exceed this limit and will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. | |
9 | Service Areas | All service areas, mechanical and electrical (M&E) equipment, water tanks, car parking lots, etc., are to be located within, and be fully integrated into, the building envelope and visually well-screened from the top and on all sides. Relevant Guideline: | ||
10 | Car Parking | Sufficient car parking spaces are to be provided within the site boundary of the development to meet the needs of the proposed uses. The provision of car parking spaces is to comply with LTA’s requirements. | ||
11 | Vehicular Access | All vehicular access is to be taken from the safeguarded rear service roads. | ||
* Please refer to the updated Master Plan land use zoning. Where there is any discrepancy, the Master Plan land use zoning shall prevail.
# The plot for road widening is required by LTA to be vested free of charge in the State with vacant possession and free from encumbrances prior to the issue of CSC for the development.
