New Master Plan Expected To See Selective Changes

Source : The Business Times, May 6, 2008

Key sectors seen benefiting include hotels, aerospace, healthcare, transport

URBAN Redevelopment Authority's Master Plan 2008 - which will be exhibited soon - will see changes in land use and increases in plot ratios, but these will be selective and focused on growth areas, rather than a widespread upgrade in densities, DBS Vickers Securities said in a report dated yesterday.

The strategic initiatives from the Master Plan will filter down to improved growth fundamentals for various economic sectors. While the property sector will be a key and obvious beneficiary, also standing to benefit from the strategic outline are the hotels, aerospace, healthcare, transport and construction sectors, the report said.

More land will be provided for development of the aerospace industry and the establishment of a designated hub near Seletar Airport will continue to provide strong fundamentals for the sector's continued growth. For the healthcare sector, DBS Vickers sees a medical hub developing around the Novena area and 'we could see rezoning of land parcels in this area to facilitate the development of this medical hub'.

It also suggests plot ratio increases in some mature HDB estates, as part of the rejuvenation plan. With Jurong and Paya Lebar earmarked as new business hubs outside the CBD, 'we are likely to see a concentration of Government Land Sale projects in these two areas in the medium term'.

Noting that the authorities have revealed plans for new residential enclaves such as the area around Marina South Gardens and Kallang Basin, it said, 'we expect rezoning and plot ratio adjustments in these areas'.

'We expect much of the key significant land use and plot ratio changes to be concentrated in certain strategic areas - Seletar (aerospace industrial use), Jurong (new regional centre), Paya Lebar (commercial hub near city fringe), Marina Bay (white sites and residential), Novena (medical and healthcare), Kallang Basin (residential) and Ophir-Rochor (mixed development).'

The report added: 'With the phased opening of the Circle Line from 2009 onwards, we also expect to see an increase in plot ratios for undeveloped state land sites that are close to Circle Line MRT stations, and in particular those that intersect with existing MRT stations.'

'With interchange stations planned at Paya Lebar, Serangoon, Bishan, Buona Vista, Harbourfront and Dhoby Ghaut, we believe that the highest potential for plot ratio changes could come at the Paya Lebar and Serangoon stations, given that the area around the remaining interchange stations are already relatively built up,' DBS Vickers said.