SINGAPORE — Owners of conserved buildings will no longer have to pay processing fees when they make an application to carry out simple repair and maintenance work, as part of efforts to help them preserve the “Singapore story”.

From today, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) will waive such fees for work which does not alter the structure or appearance of the conserved building, National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan said in a blog post yesterday.

The owners can also skip the process of engaging a qualified person, such as an architect or engineer, for such repair and maintenance work. Instead, they can hire their own contractors, subject to URA approval.

Singapore has more than 7,000 conserved buildings, which Mr Khaw described as “a part of our heritage”.

“They add to the character and distinctiveness of our city ... They are popular with home and business owners. However, conserved buildings will require maintenance over time,” he said.

Apart from saving costs and time for all parties, the new measures will also “help owners take care of their conserved buildings, and preserve the story of Singapore”, Mr Khaw added.

In the past, apart from appointing a qualified person to carry out repair work, the owners also needed to use materials that were similar to the original ones and approved by the URA, making the process “tedious” and costly, said Mr Tham Kwok Leong, Civil and Structural Engineering Technical Committee Member at The Institution of Engineers Singapore.

“A more simplified process, which would lower the cost to owners carrying out minor and localised repairs and maintenance works, would encourage owners not to delay any needed maintenance repairs unnecessarily,” he added.

Architects TODAY spoke to welcomed the changes, saying that building owners now need not hire an entire team to make minor repairs.

While the measures will improve efficiency and cost savings for building owners, Mr Liu Kah Teck, principal architect of Liu & Wo Architects, cautioned that what may seem like superficial repairs to a contractor could lead to other problems.

He suggested that there could still be a consultation process before engaging either a qualified person or contractor.

“Buildings that are classified for conservation or preservation (have) a certain value, and we should pay more attention to it. If we are going to give building owners that sort of convenience, you will lose control. I think somewhere along the way, there needs to be a checkpoint,” he said.