DC - Agriculture

Agriculture uses comprising agrotechnology parks, aquaculture farms, plant / landscape nurseries, nurseries, hydroponics farms, agriculture research / experimental stations and farms are generally zoned "Agriculture" in the Master Plan.

All Agriculture developments shall be sufficiently set back from the road and common boundary. The setback distance is measured from the road reserve¹ line or boundary line to the external wall of the agriculture building, excluding land to be vested to the State for road or drainage or public purpose.

All Agriculture developments fronting a public road shall provide a road buffer, the width of which depends on the road category. The classification of the road category may be obtained from LTA's Road Interpretation Plan (RIP). A green buffer shall be set aside in the road buffer depending on the width of the road buffer.

The buffer requirements for the Road Categories 1 to 5 are in Table 1 below. The common boundary setback requirements are in Table 2 below.
¹ Road Reserve: The plot of land to be vested in the State as required under the Street Works Act. It is demarcated by the line of Road Reserve in the Road Line Plan and the site boundary.

Road Buffer and Green Buffer

Common Boundary Setback & Planting Strip

Setback for Building Appendages

Unless otherwise stated, the overall building height¹ of agriculture developments is subject to compliance with the technical height controls of the relevant agencies such as Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA).

Certain agriculture development might be subject to height controls arising from urban design considerations.

¹ Building height is based on Singapore Height Datum (SHD).

To ensure that the uses proposed in an agriculture development conforms to the agriculture zoning of the land, only certain types and quantum of ancillary and non-agriculture uses may be allowed.

The quantum for ancillary office, workers’ quarters, production-related ancillary use (eg R&D, food processing) and other non-commercial ancillary uses supporting the operations of the agriculture use shall adhere to the quantum supported by the lessor of the land (eg Singapore Food Agency, National Parks Board or Singapore Land Authority).

Covered greenhouse / farm spaces shall be computed as GFA. Netting over plants will not constitute covered areas, and will not be computed as GFA.

The GFA for retail / F&B use (restaurant, showroom, and shop) shall be capped at 200 sqm maximum.

The GFA for visitor centre use shall be capped at 200 sqm maximum.

Residential dwelling houses or units for the owner’s own dwelling purpose shall not be allowed in agriculture developments.

Ancillary structures are minor structures erected to support the main use of the agriculture site and should not be proposed within the building setback distance. Ancillary structures proposed within the building setback distance and their height are subject to evaluation.

Ancillary structures located within the green buffer may be assessed in accordance with NPARKS' guidelines – see here.

LTA prescribes the parking provision standards and requirements for motor vehicles and bicycles. The requirements are usually based on the quantum of the gross floor area the development uses.

Details may be found in LTA’s Code of Practice for Vehicle Parking Provision in Developments.

Separately, to enhance commuter experience and reduce congestion at Pick-up and Drop-off Points (PUDOs), LTA and URA collaborated with the industry to develop a design guide for PUDOs containing best practices that building owners and professionals can consider applying to new and existing PUDOs.

Earthworks are defined as any operations or works in, on, or over land which result in substantial modification to the existing ground terrain, land form, or slope. These include excavation, formation of a new slope or embankment, and cut and fill operations.

Extensive earthworks are discouraged as it may change the existing terrain. Earthworks may also result in the building of high retaining walls that mar the streetscape and have adverse impacts on the surrounding areas. Earthworks on any development site, where necessary, shall be minimised.

All earthworks (ie earth cut or earth fill) will require endorsement and clearances from the lessor, SFA, and PUB.

Planning permission is required if earthworks cause the level of any point in the land to be more than 1.5 metres above the lower of the following:

1. the level of that point in the land at the time when the land was leased or agreed to be leased by the State or statutory body; or

2. the level of any point at the abutting edge of abutting land

Earthworks on a smaller scale than the above may qualify for the agriculture plan lodgment scheme. 

The digging of wells and ponds on agriculture land is authorised and do not require planning permission.

Earthworks are generally not encouraged, except in the following circumstances:

• When the proposed earthworks are to match the existing platform levels of the neighbouring sites;

• When the sites are on undulating or sloping terrain, with large differences in platform levels within the site, or between the site and the road;

Earthworks within the buildable area of more than 1.5m are subject to evaluation depending on merits.

Earthfill involving the entire development site may only be considered if the proposed earthworks are required to meet the technical requirements of PUB. Such earthfill may be allowed up to PUB Minimum Platform Level (MPL)¹ .

¹Minimum Platform Level (MPL): The minimum 1^st storey level to be provided within the site. The MPL is determined by the Public Utilities Board (PUB).

The maximum allowable height for boundary walls is 1.8m.

High retaining walls shall be avoided wherever possible, particularly for small in-fill plots. If they have to be built and can be allowed, they shall meet the following requirements:

• the height shall be less than 1.5m;

• retaining walls higher than 1.5m may be considered because of site constraints and the need for extensive excavation;

• the total visible height of the solid boundary-cum-retaining wall shall not exceed 2.8m, of which the solid boundary wall shall not exceed 1.8m.

If the retaining walls are to meet the MPL requirement stipulated by PUB for drainage purposes, the retaining walls along the site boundaries (except along boundaries that abut foreshore, roads, or waterbodies with drainage reserve equal to or more than 17.5m wide) need not be tiered as these are transitory measures, pending the redevelopment of the neighbouring land to the same MPL.

Development proposals involving single storey structures not exceeding 12m in height shall be authorised, ie there is no need to submit an application to URA for planning approval. This is provided there is no retail / F&B (i.e. shop, restaurant, showroom use) or visitor centre use; and the structures comply with the minimum building setback / road buffer set out in the planning guidelines for agriculture developments. The proposed works may start after written consent is obtained from the lessor.

For development proposals involving structures that exceed 1-storey or 12m in height, and fully comply with planning guidelines for agriculture development and lodgement criteria, applicants may engage a Qualified Person (QP) to lodge their plans with URA for a flat fee for instant approval. The works can proceed immediately.

Proposals that do not satisfy the authorisation or lodgment criteria will have to submit a development application with the requisite fees to URA.

¹ Except for works within the boundary as shown in Appendix 1, which will require a Development Application to be submitted.

Other requirements:

1. The QP appointed to lodge the proposals is required to comply with the following procedures under the scheme:

   1. to submit EDA Form for lodgment to URA before Building Plan submission stage together with the required processing fees; 

   2. to ensure that all proposals are endorsed by the lessor for the land (eg SLA, SFA, NParks);

   3. to ensure all proposals have obtained the written consent from owner/lessee of the land;

   4. to obtain clearances from all relevant technical departments directly, including BCA, LTA, NParks, FSSD, PUB, DSTA, and NEA;

   5. to submit all declaration, plans, lessor written endorsement, landowner’s consent to URA, that the development works have complied with all development control and other technical requirements; and

   6. prior to the submission of the application to the Commissioner of Building Control for temporary occupation permit or a certificate of statutory completion under the Building Control Act (Cap. 29), whichever is earlier, for the operations, to submit to URA a declaration that, to the best of the QP’s knowledge and belief, the operations are carried out in accordance with the lodged plans and all relevant planning guidelines.

2. Works declared by the QP in the Lodgment Form which comply with the planning and lodgment requirements are deemed to be authorised and be allowed to submit for building plan approval. The lodgment authorisation letter issued by URA is deemed proof of lodgment.

3. If any existing structures to be retained and any new works proposed cannot fully comply with the prevailing development control guidelines and other lodgment requirements, these works will have to be submitted as a development application for planning approval.

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Works on land tenanted out or granted Temporary Occupation Licence (TOL) by the State for agriculture use on an interim basis shall be authorised without the need to submit an application to URA for planning approval, provided the proposed works are in accordance with the parameters stipulated in the tenancy agreement and the planning guidelines. 

However, a development application shall be submitted to URA for planning consideration, if the proposed works deviate from the planning parameters stipulated in the tenancy agreement.

² Developments within the Agri-Food Innovation Park (AFIP) are not eligible. A development application will have to be submitted for all works within AFIP.

³ For such cases, URA requires planning applications for all proposed development works to be submitted for approval. Tenants will be guided to make the planning applications to URA when they seek the landlord’s consent for their development works.

⁴ Fees for all Outline Applications for New Erection and Additions & Alterations are 50% of the formal application fee. The fee will not be allowed to offset the subsequent formal application fee.