Previously, Temporary Permissions or TP for dormitories may be granted within certain industrial premises. However, industrial users should note that URA has revised some of the guidelines for temporary dormitories in year 2016. The circular on these revisions was released by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) in September 2016.
The following points were also covered in the circular :
Expansion of the List Containing Areas Where New Ancillary and Secondary Dormitories will not be Approved
The list containing areas where dormitories will be disallowed has been expanded to include 15 areas in total. These dormitories are also not allowed in business parks.
Ancillary worker’s dormitories also means dormitories within factory developments which accommodate workers who are either employees of the owner, employees of the tenant or workers who are working on-site at the factory.
Secondary worker’s dormitories also means dormitories within factory developments which accommodate workers who are not employees of the owner, workers who are not employees of the tenant as well as workers who are working either on-site at the factory or working off-site away from the factory.
The full list of industrial or warehouse areas where new ancillary and secondary dormitories are disallowed can be found on URA website under Appendix A. As for areas that are not found in the list, URA will continue to evaluate the new applications.
Revised Allowable Quantum for Ancillary and Secondary Uses
The allowable quantum for ancillary uses, secondary uses as well as worker’s dormitory uses within industrial developments was also revised. As there are now more purpose-built dormitories with proper amenities available to accommodate foreign workers, the allowable quantum for ancillary or secondary uses including ancillary and secondary dormitories will be revised to 40% down from 49% previously.
Renewals of Existing Dormitories
Renewals for Temporary Permission or TP for existing dormitories including areas that are included in Appendix A, which is also the list containing areas where new dormitories will not be approved, will continue to be reviewed on a case by case basis.
Applying for Temporary Permission
Where applicable, a company applying for temporary permission (TP) for workers’ dormitory has to obtain clearances from the relevant authorities such as Ministry of Manpower, National Environment Agency, Jurong Town Corporation, Singapore Civil Defence Force, Land Transport Authority or the Public Utilities Board. The procedure for submitting the application can also be found on Appendix C of URA’s website which is a flow chart containing an overview of the application process.
List of Approved Dormitories
The list of approved commercial and non-commercial foreign worker’s dormitories can also be found on the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) website. Once you are at the website’s home page, you may click on ‘Work passes and permits’ tab which is on top of the page, followed by ‘Work Permit for foreign worker’ followed by ‘Housing’ and finally click on the ‘Foreign worker dormitories’.
How Companies Can Adapt
While there may be certain changes in the guidelines since the 19th of September 2016, there are many approved worker’s dormitories in Singapore nowadays. Today, there are over 40 of such approved dormitories. With amenities such as shops and minimarts within these dormitories, workers may feel more comfortable and may get better rest after a hard day’s work.