Call to set up non-govt conservation trust

Led by someone from private sector, it would help Singapore preserve more of its built and natural heritage, and scrutinise all conservation proposals

By Lydia Lim 

GIVE us an independent conservation body with more clout.

Set it up as a heritage conservation trust led by someone from the private sector.

Make President S.R. Nathan the patron of this trust, which should be involved in urban planning.

These recommendations come from a focus group of 29 academics and professionals who were charged with examining the 'identity versus intensive use of land' issue in deciding the shape of Singapore to come.

They want this agency to:

Evaluate all conservation proposals

• Be involved in the tender process of conservation districts

• Lead environmental and social-impact studies for new developments near conservation sites, which should be made compulsory

• Promote appreciation of conservation

  The group is one of two set up by the National Development Ministry to gather public feedback on key issues relating to the 2001 Concept Plan, a blueprint on land use in Singapore.

  In an interim report released this week, the group said that Singapore needed a Heritage Conservation Trust. Its role would be to safeguard buildings and nature areas unique to Singapore.

  They want President Nathan to be its patron because heritage areas are part of the country's 'national reserves'.

  The group's stand is that the Concept Plan should 'conserve more of the built heritage and nature areas in Singapore'.

  Heritage sites now occupy a tiny 0.2 per cent of the total land area here.

  Nature areas take up another 5 per cent.

  Conservation, says the group, should embrace not just buildings from the colonial and other early periods but also more recently- developed areas which are rich in culture and character.

  Katong, Geylang and some of the older public housing estates are some of these areas.

  If possible, such neighbourhoods - and not just individual buildings located within them - should be kept intact.

  On nature areas, the group wanted more places to be set aside for conservation, including Loyang Forest and the Sungei China mangroves in Lim Chu Kang and Woodlands.

  To nurture a sense of identity, it is not enough just to preserve the past, said the group.

  Ways must also be found to encourage the construction of new buildings that are diverse and distinctive - buildings that Singaporeans will want to be identified with.

  Some of its other proposals:

• Have different planning and development guidelines for each new town, so that new towns will not end up looking the same

• Review existing policies that allow developers to focus solely on commercial returns

• Get the private sector more involved in the building of public housing estates

  At the same time, the focus group noted that conservation policies should be open to review, because identity evolves over time, and so do people's needs and values.

  Conservation policy should give 'the option of choice to future Singaporeans rather than tying their hands', it said.