Planning Act
(Chapter 232, Section 21(6))
Planning (Development of Land Authorisation) Notification
N 1
G.N. No. S 424/1998

REVISED EDITION 2000
(31st January 2000)
[7th August 1998]
Citation
1.  This Notification may be cited as the Planning (Development of Land Authorisation) Notification.
Operations involving development of land
2.—(1)  The following operations and changes in use involving the development of land are, subject to paragraph 3 and any other written law, authorised under section 21(6) of the Act:
(a)the painting of the exterior of any building;
(b)the erection of builders’ working sheds, contractors’ huts, contractors’ hoardings, scaffolding and any other structures of a similar nature on land under development or about to be developed, in accordance with the permission granted under Part III of the Act and subject to the removal of the structures upon the completion of the development;
(c)the construction of —
(i)gates, walls, fences, palings or other similar means of enclosure; or
(ii)posts, pillars and similar structures of a minor nature,
subject to the following conditions:
(A)no construction shall be carried out which creates an obstruction to the view of persons using any road open to vehicular traffic, excluding a backlane, at or near any bend, corner, junction or intersection; and
(B)sub-paragraph (i) shall not apply to the construction of boundary walls of height exceeding 1.8 metres with bricks, stone, granite or other similar building material or any combination of the same set in mortar or any other binding material, external walls of a building abutting the boundary of the land and retaining walls;
(d)the use of land for any permitted purpose and the erection and use of any temporary structure in connection therewith for such period or periods not exceeding an aggregate of 90 days in any year except that —
(i)the use of land and the erection and use of any temporary structure shall be subject to the following conditions:
(A)the temporary structure shall be removed on the cessation of the permitted purpose for which the temporary structure is erected or on the expiry of the 90 days for which any land and the temporary structure erected thereon may lawfully be used under this sub-paragraph, whichever is the earlier;
(B)any approval or licence required from any other relevant authority is obtained before the commencement of the use of land or the erection of any temporary structure; and
(C)the use of land and the erection and use of any temporary structure shall be carried out in compliance with any other written law; and
(ii)the competent authority may, in any particular case, require the submission of an application for planning permission or conservation permission under section 13 of the Act for the purpose of imposing such other conditions in connection with the use of land or the erection and use of the temporary structure as the competent authority may consider necessary;
[S 392/2000 wef 01/09/2000]
(e)the carrying out on land used for agriculture of operations requisite for the use of that land for agriculture including the erection of fowl houses and the digging of wells and ponds, but excluding the erection of any dwelling-house or other structure not directly related to agriculture;
(f)the carrying out of works of maintenance or improvement of a private street within the existing reserve and the maintenance or improvement of any private access road to a building;
(g)the carrying out of any works for the purpose of inspecting, repairing or renewing any private sewers, mains, pipes, cables or other apparatus not maintainable by a public authority or statutory undertaker;
(h)the change in use of a building from a butcher’s shop, fishmonger’s shop, salt-fish shop, laundry or dry-cleaner’s shop, restaurant (as defined in the Planning (Use Classes) Rules (R 2)), or a shop for the sale of animals or birds to a shop or a food-shop as defined in those Rules;
(i)the erection and display of any sign, placard, board, notice or other device, whether illuminated or not, employed wholly as an advertisement, announcement or direction;
(j)the addition or enlargement, alteration or improvement of a detached dwelling-house, semi-detached house or terrace house including the erection of a car porch, garage, lavatory and other out-buildings, so long as the floor area of the addition or enlargement does not exceed a total of 20 square metres subject to the following conditions:
(i)the addition or enlargement, alteration or improvement or erection shall not —
(A)be effected on more than one occasion;
(B)exceed the original height of the dwelling-house;
(C)except in respect of an open car porch, extend beyond the front of the dwelling-house or the approved building line;
(D)affect road widening or improvement proposals; and
(E)obstruct the view of persons using the road; and
(ii)this sub-paragraph shall not apply to a detached dwelling-house or a semi-detached house or a terrace house which is constructed of temporary materials;
(k)subject to sub-paragraph (2) —
(i)the addition, enlargement, alteration or improvement of an existing landed dwelling-house within the plot of that existing landed dwelling-house;
(ii)the demolition of an existing landed dwelling-house and the erection of a landed dwelling-house of the same housing type within the plot of that existing landed dwelling-house; or
(iii)where a landed dwelling-house existed on the plot but has been demolished, the erection of a landed dwelling-house of the same housing type within the plot of that demolished landed dwelling-house; or
(l)the erection and use of a showflat or showhouse in relation to any development for which permission has been granted under Part III of the Act (referred to in this Notification as the permitted development) subject to the following conditions:
(i)where the showflat or showhouse is erected on land other than the land which is the subject of the permitted development, the written consent of the owner of the first-mentioned land is obtained for the erection of the showflat or showhouse on his land;
(ii)the erection and use of the showflat or showhouse do not give rise to, nor are they likely to give rise to, a public nuisance; and
(iii)where the showflat or showhouse does not form part of the permitted development, it is removed upon completion of the permitted development or upon the cessation of its use as a showflat or showhouse, whichever is the earlier.
(2)  Sub-paragraph (1)(k) shall not apply unless —
(a)the plot is zoned “Residential” in the Master Plan;
(b)the plot is located within the landed housing area delineated in any of the maps set out in the Schedule;
(c)no part of the plot consists of State land;
(d)the plot abuts a public road;
(e)the operations will result in a landed dwelling-house of the same housing type as the existing or demolished landed dwelling-house, as the case may be;
(f)earthfill works on the plot, if any, will not change the existing level of the plot by more than one metre and will not cause the level of any part of the plot to exceed the level of abutting land by more than one metre;
(g)the operations comply with all relevant planning guidelines including, in particular, guidelines on building setback, site coverage, housing type and building height issued by the competent authority;
(h)the operations will result in a landed dwelling-house which stands on every lot within the plot;
(i)not more than one landed dwelling-house will exist on the plot when the operations are completed;
(j)no part of the existing landed dwelling-house comprises works that are unauthorised under the Act;
(k)a declaration is made by the qualified person for the operations in such form as required by the competent authority that —
(i)sub-paragraphs (a), (b), (c), (d) and (j) have been complied with;
(ii)the plans lodged with the competent authority under sub-paragraph (l) have been prepared in compliance with the relevant planning guidelines referred to in sub-paragraph (g); and
(iii)he will ensure that the operations shall be carried out in compliance with —
(A)sub-paragraphs (e), (f), (h) and (i);
(B)the conditions in sub-paragraph (3)(a) and (b), where the fee paid under sub-paragraph (l) is $100;
(C)the plans that are lodged with the competent authority under sub-paragraph (l) for such operations; and
(D)the requirements of all relevant authorities;
(l)prior to the submission of any application to the Commissioner of Building Control for approval of the building plans for the operations under the Building Control Act (Cap. 29), the following are lodged with the competent authority at the same time together with the fee specified in sub-paragraph (3):
(i)the plans for the operations as required by the competent authority;
(ii)the declaration required under sub-paragraph (k); and
(iii)the consent in writing of the owner of the plot to the lodgment of the plans, in such form as required by the competent authority;
(m)all approvals required from relevant authorities, other than the Commissioner of Building Control referred to in sub-paragraph (l), for the operations have been obtained prior to the lodgment of the plans under sub-paragraph (l); and
(n)the operations are carried out in compliance with —
(i)sub-paragraphs (e), (f), (h) and (i);
(ii)the conditions in sub-paragraph (3)(a) and (b), where the fee paid under sub-paragraph (l) is $100;
(iii)the plans that are lodged with the competent authority under sub-paragraph (l) for such operations; and
(iv)the requirements of all relevant authorities.
(3)  The fee referred to in sub-paragraph (2)(l) shall be $750 or, if the operations comply with the following conditions, $100:
(a)the proposed additional gross floor area of the landed dwelling-house as a result of the operations does not exceed 50% of the existing and approved gross floor area; and
(b)less than 50% of the external walls of the existing landed dwelling-house (excluding the replacement of walls), as represented by their linear length indicated on the plans lodged with the competent authority under sub-paragraph (2)(l), are to be removed.
(3A)  For the purpose of sub-paragraph (1)(d) —
“permitted purpose” means any trade fair, trade exposition, fun fair, carnival, athletics or sports meet, festive bazaar, festive sale, festive entertainment, religious entertainment, religious ceremony, opening ceremony, funeral wake, wedding reception or wayang but does not include the use of land for any open air cinema;
“temporary structure” includes any shed, platform, scaffolding or other structure of a similar nature.
[S 392/2000 wef 01/09/2000]
(4)  For the purpose of sub-paragraphs (1)(k), (2) and (3) and paragraph 4(2) —
“landed dwelling-house” means a dwelling-house of any of the following housing types but does not include a landed dwelling-house governed by the provisions of the Land Titles (Strata) Act (Cap. 158):
(a)detached house;
(b)linked house;
(c)semi-detached house; or
(d)terrace house;
“plot” means all of the one or more lots of land on which a single-landed dwelling-house already exists, or existed but has been demolished, at the time the plans required by the competent authority are lodged under sub-paragraph (2)(l);
“public road” means any road over which the public has a right of way;
“qualified person” means a person who is registered as an architect under the Architects Act (Cap. 12) or who is registered as a professional engineer under the Professional Engineers Act (Cap. 253).
Authorisation under paragraph 2 not to apply in certain cases
3.  The authorisation under paragraph 2 shall not apply to any operation involving the development of land as set out in —
(a)paragraph 2(1)(a), (c), (f), (g), (h), (i), (j) and (l) where such operation is or is to be carried out within a conservation area; and
(b)paragraph 2(1)(k) where such operation is or is to be carried out within a conservation area or a good class bungalow area.
Transitional provisions
4.—(1)  Subject to sub-paragraph (2), any authorisation obtained under the cancelled Planning (Development of Land Authorisation) Notification (N 1, 1996 Ed.) which was in effect immediately before 7th August 1998 shall continue to apply.
(2)  Upon any lodgment made on or after 7th August 1998 in accordance with paragraph 2(2)(l) in respect of operations referred to in paragraph 2(1)(k), any authorisation previously obtained under paragraph 2(1)(k) of this Notification or under paragraph 2(1)(l) of the cancelled Planning (Development of Land Authorisation) Notification, in respect of any operations on the same plot as the first-mentioned operations which have not been completed, shall cease to apply.