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Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA)
Circulars

Revised Guidelines for Outdoor Signs in The Central Area

Tags

Conservation

Urban Planning and Design

Others

1 June 2021

Circular No: URA/PB/2021/04-CUDG

Our Ref: DC/ADMIN/CIRCULAR/PB_21, APPBCA-2021-08

CIRCULAR TO PROFESSIONAL INSTITUTES

Who Should Know:
Building Owners, Management Corporations, Qualified Persons, Professional Engineers, Developers, Media Companies, Advertisers, Signboard Makers and Business Operators.

Effective Date:
1 June 2021

This circular supersedes Circular No: URA/PB/2009/20-CUDG dated 14th September 2009 on “Guidelines for Outdoor Signs in Central Area”.

  1. The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has carried out a review of the guidelines on outdoor signs in the Central Area. These include advertisements and signboards.

  1. The guidelines have been revised to better respond to changing business needs and provide clearer requirements on the display of outdoor signs.

  1. Under the revised guidelines, the name/logo sign of the main tenant business is now allowed at the roof level of high-rise and mid-rise commercial developments across Central Area. Buildings fronting Raffles Place Park along the designated signage routes are also given more flexibility in the placement of advertisements. Existing signage route along Serangoon Road has been extended to Rangoon Road to provide more advertising opportunities.

  1. Details of the guidelines can be found in Annex A [PDF, 10.05 MB] (opens in new tab). These guidelines are to be read in conjunction with the ‘Guidelines for Outdoor Event Signage in Central Area’ dated 2 September 2019.

  1. This circular will supersede the previous signage circular, URA/PB/2009/20-CUDG dated 14 Sep 2009.

  1. The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) will adopt this set of guidelines, together with the prevailing Building Control (Outdoor Advertising) Regulations, when evaluating applications for advertisement licenses for all proposed outdoor advertisements and signboards on non-conserved buildings in the Central Area.

Submission Requirements

  1. Applications to display outdoor advertisements and signboards are to be made to Advertisement Licensing Department, BCA, prior to the installation of the signs. Planning permission from URA is not required for putting up these signs.

  1. Submissions must be made in full compliance with the provisions of the Building Control (Outdoor Advertising) Regulations, the Building Control (Temporary Buildings) Regulations and the Guidelines for Outdoor Signs in the Central Area. Please refer to BCA’s website for details of the submission requirements.

  1. BCA, on behalf of URA and the relevant Government agencies, reserves the right to turn down any application for the display of outdoor signs where it could potentially lead to sensitivity in the community or if the proposal is not in line with the broader objectives of the planning intention for the area.

  1. We would appreciate it if you could convey the contents of this circular to the relevant members of your respective organisations. The guidelines are also available on BCA’s website (opens in new tab). If you or your members have any queries concerning this circular, please email BCA (opens in new tab) or URA (opens in new tab).

  1. 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 (opens in new tab) (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, please email URA (opens in new tab).

Thank You.

CHOU MEI (MS)
GROUP DIRECTOR
CONSERVATION & URBAN DESIGN
URBAN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

CLEMENT TSENG
GROUP DIRECTOR
BUILDING PLAN AND MANAGEMENT GROUP
BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION AUTHORITY