The first of four sites to be launched over the next decade or so to meet the needs of our ageing population. Successful tenderer will build and operate a new funeral parlour complex, which will be sensitively designed to minimise any disamenity to local stakeholders.             

Singapore, 28 July 2020 – On behalf of the National Environment Agency (NEA), the Housing & Development Board (HDB) has launched the land parcel at Woodlands Industrial Park E8 for the development of a new funeral parlour complex. In January 2019, NEA announced that four sites would be progressively launched for the development of new funeral parlour complexes over the next decade or so, to meet the anticipated growing demand for after-death facilities and services as the population of Singapore ages. The land parcel at Woodlands, with a site area of 5,002.8 m², is the first of the four sites to be launched (a list of the locations can be found in ANNEX A). A map of this land parcel in Woodlands can be found in ANNEX B. The tender will close at 12 noon on 5 November 2020.

2          After-death facilities are important public infrastructure that accord dignity to the deceased, as well as comfort to bereaved families and their visitors, in accordance with religious and cultural practices and preferences. With the number of resident deaths projected to increase to around 40,000 by 2040, demand for wake spaces is expected to increase in tandem and Government needs to plan ahead for such essential facilities.

3          When completed, the new purpose-built funeral parlour complex at Woodlands will offer a holistic range of services to the public. There will be ten to fourteen wake halls, and embalming facilities. There will also be an option to provide space for related commercial use to support the funeral parlour complex, such as sale of funerary goods and paraphernalia, florist and an F&B outlet. The complex is expected to be operational about four years after tender award.

4          NEA and HDB have stipulated requirements in the conditions of tender to ensure that the complex is sensitively designed and its operations will provide a smooth and dignified experience for mourning families while minimising disamenities to stakeholders in the vicinity. The successful tenderer’s development proposal will be subject to a design review process. For instance, to minimise any impact or disamenity to local stakeholders in the vicinity, funerary activities including rituals and funeral processions will be kept within the compound of the facility, with appropriate visual screening to keep funeral activities discreet. A centralised burning chamber will also be made available within the facility for paper offerings and no open air burning will be permitted. Parking facilities will be provided within the facility and traffic management plans will be implemented to mitigate potential traffic disamenities during peak periods.

5          NEA will continue to work with agencies to meet the long-term demand for funeral spaces and ensure that they are ready ahead of demand. As a small and densely populated city state, there will always be competing requirements for space to meet Singapore’s various development needs. Through careful long term planning, early engagement of and notice to stakeholders, as well as taking the necessary mitigation measures, agencies will make the best effort to minimise any inconvenience and disamenity that may arise from developing funeral spaces, as much as possible. At the same time, the understanding of residents and other local stakeholders is also sought to make adjustments and practise accommodation to allow for more accessible and geographically well-distributed sites to be developed for after-death facilities, to meet the needs of our ageing population and their families.

6          More details of the site are available on HDB website at go.gov.sg/woodlands-fp. eDeveloper’s Tender Packets containing details and the tender documents of the land parcel are available for sale at www.hdb.gov.sg/edeveloper.

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ANNEX A

List of sites for four new funeral parlour complexes

1. Ang Mo Kio St 63 (near SBS Transit Bus Depot)
2. Industrial area along Bukit Batok St 23
3. Mandai Rd (near the existing Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium)
4. Woodlands Industrial Park E8

ANNEX B

Location of funeral parlour complex at Woodlands Industrial Park E8