View of a Tiong Bahru flat. (Photo: Brian Beggerly, Flickr)
The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) on Tuesday (24 July) announced that it will rezone some sites within the Tiong Bahru estate from ‘residential’ to ‘residential with commercial at 1st storey’.
The estate has 800 homes and 120 authorised businesses situated at the first storey of residential buildings, of which over 50 percent are on land zoned ‘residential with commercial at 1st storey’.
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There are also 28 units on land zoned ‘residential’, but are being used for businesses based on agency approvals over the past decades. These units, which have become an integral part of the estate, are mostly found between Eng Hoon Street and Eng Watt Street.
URA revealed that it will recognise these existing businesses and rezone the sites from ‘residential’ to ‘residential with commercial at 1st storey’, after community feedback showed that residents are supportive of the estate’s vibrant character.
“Rezoning the sites will specify under the Master Plan where commercial uses are allowed in the estate,” it said. “This also reinforces URA’s commitment to support its vibrant landscape, while recognising that the Tiong Bahru neighbourhood is primarily a residential estate.”
It added that it is also working with some businesses that are operating in units meant for residential purposes only.
“URA is engaging the affected business operators and owners/tenants to work with them to address the infringements.”
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Romesh Navaratnarajah, Senior Editor at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact him about this or other stories, email romesh@propertyguru.com.sg
