To encourage developers to include “car-lite” facilities in their projects, such features may be GFA-exempt. (Photo: URA)
The government plans to incentivise developers to encourage them to provide “car-lite” facilities in their new buildings. Examples include bicycle parking, showers, and locker rooms, reported The Straits Times.
One benefit being considered by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is excluding such facilities when determining a project’s gross floor area (GFA). This means developers may no longer have to bear the cost of areas occupied by such facilities. According to a URA spokesman, the move is in line with the recently announced Walking and Cycling Plan (WCP), but “the details are still being studied”.
Last week, the URA and The Land Transport Authority (LTA) stated that they will be requiring developers to submit a WCP for any new project starting in July, to show how the development’s design will meet the needs of pedestrians, cyclists and non-motorists.
This requirement will apply to commercial projects such as shopping malls, offices, business parks and schools, but is expected to eventually cover housing developments as well. On Monday, the Ministry of Transport also said that developers will soon need to comply with the standards for bicycle parking, similar to the current requirements for minimum parking space for vehicles.
Although market players welcome the WCP, they are asking the government for concessions due to existing limitations and the financial impact of the new rules. Evia Real Estate’s managing director Vincent Ong noted that the plan could put added pressure on developers, who are already grappling with tight space constraints, due to requirements like allocating up to 40 percent of a site’s area for greenery.
“The construction costs might not be significant, but what costs money are supporting services (such as ramps and staircases) and how you fit all these facilities into the development.”
Architecture firm Benoy added that developers could lose “highly profitable space”, as most of these facilities would be constructed on the ground floor. “If the government gives some form of incentivisation, if these extra facilities could be GFA-exempt, it would be a more equitable way to encourage developers to take this on board,” added Benoy’s divisional director Terence Seah.
Cheryl Marie Tay, Senior Journalist at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact her about this or other stories, email cheryl@propertyguru.com.sg
