SERS (Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme)

SERS (Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme)
Name	SERS
Full name	Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme
Country	Singapore
Started	1995
Administered by	Housing and Development Board
Purpose	Urban renewal, public housing redevelopment
Status	Active

Contents

SERS (Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme) is a housing redevelopment policy implemented in Singapore to replace ageing public housing blocks with new flats and amenities, delivering urban renewal, land optimisation, and infrastructure upgrading. It is administered by the Housing and Development Board and interacts with agencies such as the Urban Redevelopment Authority, Ministry of National Development (Singapore), and statutory boards like JTC Corporation and Land Transport Authority. The scheme has influenced planning decisions alongside policies from the Central Provident Fund Board, Building and Construction Authority, and municipal bodies in the context of broader initiatives such as Marina Bay Sands redevelopment and masterplans by the URA Master Plan.

Overview and Purpose

SERS aims to renew selected clusters of flats by acquiring entire blocks for demolition and rebuilding to modern standards, aligning with long-term plans from the Urban Redevelopment Authority and the Housing and Development Board. The policy complements programmes led by the Ministry of National Development (Singapore) and infrastructure projects by the Land Transport Authority and Jurong Town Corporation that reshape precincts near nodes like Marina Bay, Punggol, Tampines, and Toa Payoh. SERS also interacts with national frameworks such as the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint and the Concept Plan to optimise land for developments akin to Marina South and Changi Airport Group expansions. Implementation requires coordination with statutory boards including Building and Construction Authority and agencies like the Singapore Land Authority.

Selection for SERS is discretionary and based on planning, structural, and social criteria managed by the Housing and Development Board in consultation with the Urban Redevelopment Authority and the Ministry of National Development (Singapore). Factors include proximity to major projects by the Land Transport Authority and redevelopment needs identified in masterplans such as the URA Master Plan or precinct plans for areas like Queenstown, Bukit Merah, Geylang, Holland Village, and Kallang. Structural assessments often reference standards from the Building and Construction Authority and may involve engineering experts from institutions such as the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University. Socioeconomic considerations draw on data from the Department of Statistics Singapore and schemes administered by the Central Provident Fund Board.

When a site is selected, the Housing and Development Board issues acquisition notices and offers residents options that involve compensation packages, resale levy considerations tied to policies like those of the Central Provident Fund Board, and allocation of replacement flats under HDB eligibility rules. Compensation arrangements reference valuation practices compatible with land administration by the Singapore Land Authority and legal frameworks overseen by the Attorney-General's Chambers (Singapore). Construction of replacement blocks is undertaken by firms accredited by the Building and Construction Authority and procurement rules may involve contractors registered with agencies such as JTC Corporation. Relocation timelines are coordinated with municipal services from the National Environment Agency and social support from ministries like the Ministry of Social and Family Development.

SERS reshapes neighborhoods, affecting social networks in precincts such as Queenstown, Bukit Ho Swee, Toa Payoh, Ang Mo Kio, and Bedok. The scheme has implications for estate composition, intergenerational household arrangements monitored by the Department of Statistics Singapore, and estate management practices overseen by the Housing and Development Board. Redevelopment can enable integration with transport projects by the Land Transport Authority (for example, closer access to MRT lines like those serving Tanjong Pagar, Dhoby Ghaut, and Jurong East), while also influencing local commerce from precincts such as Geylang Road and Tiong Bahru. Social services from the Ministry of Health (Singapore) and Ministry of Education (Singapore) may be involved when facilities such as clinics and schools are re-sited.

SERS has attracted critique on grounds raised by community groups, opposition MPs in the Parliament of Singapore, and advocacy organisations regarding transparency, compensation adequacy, and heritage impact in areas like Kampong Glam, Chinatown, and Tiong Bahru. Debates have involved academics from the National University of Singapore, journalists from media outlets such as The Straits Times and Channel NewsAsia, and civil society actors referencing planning outcomes in projects like Marina Bay and controversies in precincts such as Toa Payoh renewal. Legal challenges have engaged the Supreme Court of Singapore in interpreting acquisition notices and valuation practices administered by the Singapore Land Authority.

Prominent examples include redevelopments in Queenstown and Tiong Bahru precincts, where schemes intersected with conservation efforts by the Urban Redevelopment Authority and community initiatives involving heritage groups. Other notable SERS exercises affected estates like Bukit Merah, Toa Payoh, Bedok, and Ang Mo Kio, prompting new mixed-use developments akin to projects overseen by the Urban Redevelopment Authority and municipal plans linked to Marina Bay Sands precinct changes. Outcomes have varied: some neighborhoods saw increased density and improved amenities through collaborations with agencies like the Housing and Development Board, Land Transport Authority, and Building and Construction Authority; others prompted debates about social displacement discussed in forums involving the Parliament of Singapore, Ministry of National Development (Singapore), and academic research from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

Category:Housing in Singapore