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RES exam question on Planning & Development: Mr Wee owns a vacant freehold plot and wants to sell its rear half to his brother, who…

MediumPlanning & Development Control · Paper 1

Mr Wee owns a vacant freehold plot and wants to sell its rear half to his brother, who will hold it under its own title. No building works are planned yet. His salesperson explains what the Planning Act 1998 requires before the sale can go ahead. What is needed?

  1. AA certified plan from a land surveyor lodged with SLA, which takes the place of URA approval
  2. BSubdivision permission from URA, the sale making part of the land separately registrable
  3. CBuilding plan approval from BCA, as each new lot needs its own certified building platform
  4. DNo permission, as subdivision control applies to land with buildings on it, not vacant plots
Show answer & explanation

Answer

B. Subdivision permission from URA, the sale making part of the land separately registrable

Explanation

Answer: Subdivision permission from URA. Selling the rear half so the brother holds it on its own title makes part of the land separately registrable.Rule: Disposing of part of land so it can be registered or included in a separate folio is subdivision. It needs subdivision permission, applied for to URA as the competent authority.Source: Planning Act 1998, s 4(1) and s 12(3), as at 1 October 2026 (sso.agc.gov.sg); Land Titles Act 1993

Why the other options are wrong

  • Surveyor's certified plan replaces URA approval: A survey plan is needed to register the new lot but does not replace URA's permission.
  • BCA building plan approval for each lot: BCA does not approve subdivisions.
  • No permission for vacant land: Subdivision control applies whether or not the land is built on.

Study the concept behind this question: Planning Permission, Enforcement & Building Control

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