Circulars

Update to Rejuvenation Incentive Schemes for Strategic Areas: Central Business District (CBDI) Incentive Scheme Strategic Development Incentive (SDI) Scheme

Tags

Development Control

Urban Planning and Design

4 April 2022

This circular has been superseded by Circular No: URA/PB/2025/02-CUDG published on 7 February 2025.

Circular No : URA/PB/2022/03-CUDG

Our Ref : DC/ADMIN/CIRCULAR/PB_22

CIRCULAR TO PROFESSIONAL INSTITUTES

Who Should Know:
Building owners, Developers, Qualified Persons

Effective Date:
04 April 2022 to 26 November 2024

This Circular supersedes the Circular Package on “Rejuvenation Incentives for Strategic Areas” (URA/PB/2019/02-CUDG, URA/PB/2019/03-CUDG and URA/PB/2019/04-CUDG) dated 27 Mar 2019.

URA introduced the CBD Incentive (CBDI) Scheme and SDI Scheme in 2019 to encourage selective rejuvenation of our CBD and other strategic areas, where appropriate, to achieve positive transformation in these areas. To respond to changing needs and industry feedback, we have reviewed and updated the conditions to be imposed on all redevelopments under the CBDI and SDI Schemes. There is no change in the extent of incentives and qualifying criteria of the schemes. Please refer to Appendix 1: SDI Scheme [PDF, 114 KB] (opens in new tab) and Appendix 2: CBDI Scheme [PDF, 419 KB] (opens in new tab) for details.
The updated conditions are:
1. Enhanced Construction Industry Transformation Map (ITM) Standards
  1. Launched in October 2017, the Construction ITM comprises a series of key strategies and approaches that aim to transform the entire construction process and value chain. The ITM focuses on key transformation areas, which include Integrated Digital Delivery (IDD), Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA), and Green Buildings, while strengthening our local workforce and building the capacities and capabilities of firms in these transformation areas.
  2. To further accelerate the adoption of ITM outcome requirements, applications submitted under the CBDI and SDI Schemes are required to comply with stipulated outcomes in the areas of digitalisation, productivity, and sustainability. For sustainability, all CBDI and SDI redevelopments will have to attain minimum Green Mark (GM) Platinum Super Low Energy or any other equivalent standard under the prevailing GM Framework. Projects are required to attain the Maintainability (Mt) and Whole of Life Carbon (Cn) Badges under the GM certification framework. To push boundaries in sustainability, projects (where applicable) may also be expected to deploy photovoltaics (PV) to offset the building’s energy consumption. The remaining ITM outcomes on digitalisation and productivity will be assessed in relation to the context of the proposal, upon submission of the outline application under the CBDI and SDI Schemes.
  3. The additional bonus GFA under the Built Environment (BE) Transformation Gross Floor Area Incentive Scheme will not apply for CBDI and SDI proposals.
2. Electric Vehicles (EVs) Charging Infrastructure Provision
  1. In line with Singapore’s vision for all vehicles to run on cleaner energy by 2040 and to future-proof new developments, applications submitted under the CBDI and SDI Schemes are required to have both active and passive provision of EV charging points within the development.
  2. Active provision refers to charging points that are fully wired and ready for use by EVs. Passive provision refers to catering of sufficient electrical power at the consumer switch room(s) and/or substation(s) to allow more chargers to be installed and activated easily when demand increases in future. The requirements will be updated from time to time and the proposals are to comply with prevailing requirements. As a start, the developer is to ensure at least 15% of the total car park lots can minimally support 3-Phase AC Type 2 chargers with power output of 7kW per charging point (i.e. passive provision), of which at least 1% must be installed with EV charging points (i.e. active provision).
  3. For active provision, the developer shall indicate the location, number, and type of chargers to be installed for LTA’s approval at the plan submission stage. At the CSC stage, LTA will verify that the minimum active provision as approved has been made and is ready for use by EVs. For passive provision, the developer shall submit a declaration (with supporting documents) to LTA at the plan submission stage on the following using the submission template in Appendix 3: LTA EV form [PDF, 93 KB] (opens in new tab).
    1. Total number of lots with active and passive provision, and total number of lots.
    2. Total electrical load required for lots with active and passive provision.
    3. Electrical load required from the rest of the development.
    4. Approved total electrical load from Singapore Power (SP) Group.
3. Restrictions on Strata Subdivision for Commercial Uses
  1. To encourage the upkeep and quality of developments, strata subdivision of the commercial component into individual units will not be allowed for redevelopment proposals under the CBDI and SDI Schemes, except when it is done to delineate between the different commercial uses. Please refer to Circular URA/PB/2022/02-CUDG dated 15 March 2022 for details.
  2. This is to ensure that the redevelopment proposals under the CBDI and SDI Schemes are well managed and maintained, as aligned with the objectives of rejuvenation for the various districts.
4. Vehicle Parking Provision for CBDI Scheme
  1. To achieve a more car-lite city centre and sustainable living environment, redevelopments under the CBDI Scheme are required to adopt the lower bound Range-Based Parking Provision Standards (RPPS) as prescribed in LTA’s prevailing Code of Practice for Vehicle Provision.
  2. At the same time, developers are encouraged to provide a good mix of dwelling units catering to different population segments, to achieve greater demographic diversity in the CBD. This includes larger residential dwelling units catering to families. Hence, we have reviewed the requirement and for larger residential dwelling units of at least 100 sqm nett floor area, the developer can choose to adopt LTA’s prevailing Code of Practice for Vehicle Provision. This provides flexibility for developments with larger dwelling units to provide car parking lots within the RPPS. Dwelling units of less than 100 sqm nett floor area are required to adopt the lower bound RPPS as prescribed in LTA’s prevailing Code of Practice for Vehicle Provision.
The updated conditions will apply to all redevelopment proposals under the CBDI and SDI Schemes, submitted on or after 04 April 2022. Redevelopments under the CBDI and SDI Schemes will also have to comply with the prevailing urban design guidelines for their respective planning areas.
I would appreciate it if you could convey the contents of this circular to your members. 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 (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 on this circular, please email (opens in new tab) us.

Thank You.

FUN SIEW LENG (MS)
CHIEF URBAN DESIGNER (COVERING AS GROUP DIRECTOR (CONSERVATION AND URBAN DESIGN GROUP)
for CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
URBAN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY