Constraints Limiting Conversion of Under-utilised HDB Multi-storey Car Park Spaces for Community Uses

63 Mr David Hoe asked the Minister for National Development (a) aside from demand, potential disamenities, fire safety, exit capacity and structural loading, what other constraints may limit the conversion of unde-rutilised HDB multi-storey car park (MSCP) spaces for community uses; and (b) whether such constraints apply to the MSCP at Clementi Peaks.

The Senior Minister of State for National Development (Ms Sun Xueling) (for the Minister for National Development): The Housing and Development Board (HDB) periodically receives requests to repurpose multi-storey car parks (MSCPs) for alternative uses. This matter was also raised by the Member for Sengkang Group Representation Constituency (GRC), Assoc Prof Jamus Lim, during the Committee of Supply (COS) 2026 debate for the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth last month.

As MSCPs are built for vehicle parking, HDB would need to carefully evaluate proposals to repurpose these MSCPs. They have to bear in mind considerations, such as residents' needs and safety. The assessment also includes the factors cited by Mr David Hoe, such as having enough lots to meet the demand for parking over time, potential disamenities to residents and technical considerations including fire safety requirements, exit capacity and structural loading.

Revenue considerations, including opportunity costs from forgone income that Assoc Prof Jamus Lim mentioned at the COS debate last month, are not a factor in HDB's assessment. It is important for me to clarify this point, so that members of the public have the correct set of facts and do not form the wrong impression based on what Assoc Prof Lim said.

In the case of Clementi Peaks, the project was completed less than four years ago in July 2022. Parking needs have not yet fully stabilised and it is too early to consider converting the parking spaces to other uses at this juncture.

Mr Speaker: Mr David Hoe.

Mr David Hoe (Jurong East-Bukit Batok): Thank you, Speaker. I thank the Senior Minister of State for her response. I would like to seek clarification on how the Ministry assesses what it means when parking needs have been stabilised? What criteria or benchmark are we looking at? And how did we arrive at these criteria and benchmark?

Secondly, I would like to ask also, as a Member of Parliament to Clementi Division, at Block 463 MSCP, on my numerous visits to this carpark, I have noticed that it has been severely under-utilised to a point that there are no cars on Level 7. And oftentimes, I see that residents are doing their jogs, children are cycling, parents are teaching their children how to cycle. I understand that in the current situation, current circumstance, that it is not ready to be repurposed. I would like to seek the Senior Minister of State on what alternatives can I then give to my residents? Because when they look at me, they are just asking for space and we do have space at Level 7 of the MSCP, but it is severely under-utilised with no cars at Level 7 on occasional visits.

Ms Sun Xueling: On Mr Hoe's first question, parking demand can change and evolve over time, especially in a new estate. You could have changes in household sizes and with that, changing in parking needs. That is why it can take quite a number of years before parking demand in a new estate stabilises. That is the case for Clementi Peaks, which I mentioned was completed less than four years ago.

So, HDB does not recommend conversion of parking spaces into alternative uses during the early years of developments, because with premature conversion where the parking spaces are removed permanently, this could lead to parking shortages in the later years should the parking demand grow.

On Mr Hoe's second question, our HDB estates are designed with playgrounds, with community spaces, with open lawns. And residents can use these places for leisure. For under-utilised space in MSCPs, these are incidental spaces, and they are not designed and intended for community activities and gatherings. But where the opportunity arises, HDB can consider repurposing suitable carparks into alternative uses, subject to meeting the parking needs of residents, which I mentioned earlier, as well as technical feasibility.

Mr Speaker: Assoc Prof Jamus Lim.

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim (Sengkang): I thank the Senior Minister of State for her clarification on how revenue considerations are not critical. I am very gratified to hear this. And yet, in my experience, HDB has seemed very reticent to appeals for change of use. Perhaps the Senior Minister of State could clarify a clear set of criteria for appeals of change of use that HDB takes into consideration, that Town Councils can submit to ensure that such requests will be taken into account seriously.

Ms Sun Xueling: I thank Assoc Prof Lim for raising the questions. Could I first ask the basis for the statement that the Member made on 5 March, last month? Because, and I quote, the Member had mentioned that, "One objection is that there is an opportunity cost to foregone income, since such lots could generate potential revenue and this has sometimes been MND's response to requests for converting car park spaces to other uses, such as community gardens".

Could I first clarify if there was correspondence with the Ministry of National Development (MND) that suggests that this is why the Member thinks that the MND is not allowing the conversion of the MSCPs?

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: Thank you for the request. This was conveyed to me by Town Council staff. If I was mistaken in this statement, I will retract that request. But nevertheless, I think the general spirit of my question remains, which is that in prior requests that the Town Council has made requesting a change of use, MND has cited various reasons for not permitting this change of use. And hence, my request for asking for a clear set of criteria.

Ms Sun Xueling: Thank you, Assoc Prof Lim. The Member might want to check with his Town Council staff, because I have a copy of correspondence between the Member as well as the HDB staff. The Town Council staff might have been copied. This was in relation to a request that the Member made in 2021. The HDB staff, and I quote the email that was sent back to the Member, it says, "We refer to your request to install playgrounds and cloud kitchens on multi-storey car parks in Sengkang". The email then goes on to say, "HDB provides residential car parks primarily to meet the parking needs of HDB residents". Then, it goes on to say that "HDB does look into requests for conversion of car park lots into alternative non-parking uses at suitable sites, if the carparks are assessed to be sufficient to meet parking needs after the conversion of the lots. In addition, as MSCPs are not designed upfront to support non-parking facilities in terms of their structural loading, we also have to assess if it is technically feasible to support other non-parking uses. Aside from this, there are other considerations, such as regulatory requirements, fire and safety, building safety standards, for instance, suitability of location and potential disamenities to residents that the non-parking uses may create".

So, I think by citing these four reasons and considerations in the email between HDB and the Member, I think it quite amply explains what are the considerations that HDB has, and in the Member's proposal to repurpose those MSCPs for community use, if the Member is able to address the considerations that HDB has, I think we would be happy to facilitate those requests.