SINGAPORE: With immediate effect, religious
organisations will be allowed to make use of industrial space for
their activities.
The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and the
Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) on
Tuesday issued new guidelines on land development and use of space
for religious activities.
The latest guidelines allow religious groups to make
use of industrial premises zoned Business 1 for their activities on
a limited and non-exclusive basis.
B1 zones are areas for industry, warehouse, utilities and
telecommunication uses.
To ensure that the function and character of industrial premises
are not compromised or displaced by religious activities, religious
organisations and property owners must observe certain
conditions.
The premises cannot be owned by or exclusively leased to religious
organisations. They should be available for rental for other events
such as industrial training, talks and conferences.
There shall be no display of signage, advertisements or posters of
the religious use at the premises or on the building
exterior.
The premises should not be furnished to resemble a worship hall and
there shall be no display of religious symbols, icons or any
religious paraphernalia when it is not in use by the religious
organisation.
Religious organisations that are currently using industrial
premises for religious activities will be granted a three-year
grace period to comply with the guidelines.
In addition, the guidelines also provide for the maximum allowable
plot ratio and storey height for sites zoned for Place of Worship
to be incrementally relaxed.
This gives religious organisations greater scope to expand their
premises and grow their space to cater to their needs.
For places of worship located at the fringe of landed and
low-density housing areas, for example, the gross plot ratio will
be revised from the current 1.0 to 1.4, allowing buildings of up to
four-storeys high.
Those located within housing estates and areas with gross plot
ratio beyond 1.4, industrial and other non-housing areas, will see
their gross plot ratio increased from 1.4 to 1.6, allowing a
building height of up to five storeys.
MCYS and URA said the government continues to pay close attention
to the changing needs of religious communities on the ground and to
gather feedback on the issue.
Different religious bodies have been consulted in the development
of the new guidelines.
The government will review or clarify guidelines consultatively to
meet emerging needs, and where possible, allow for more flexible
land use.
- CNA/al
