With close to 1,900 units, the new development on the former Normanton Park en bloc site was going to be one of the biggest residential projects to be launched in 2019. It would be second only to the 2,203-unit Treasure at Tampines – the biggest private condo in Singapore to date – which was launched last month.

However, the new launch at Normanton Park is likely to be delayed. In January 2019, the Controller of Housing (COH) slapped the developer Kingsford Huray Development with a no-sale licence “as the company had failed to meet the requirements for a sale licence”, says an Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) spokesperson in an email response to queries from EdgeProp Singapore.

“In assessing any application for a Housing Developer’s Licence, the Controller of Housing (COH) will consider various factors, including the developer’s track record,” said the URA spokesperson. “Where necessary, the COH may issue a licence with conditions to ensure that the interests of home buyers are duly protected.”





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The former Normanton Park site, where developer Kingsford Huray Development was issued a no-sale licence by the Comptroller of Housing (Credit: Samuel Isaac Chua/EdgeProp Singapore)





No sales before TOP, Quality Mark certification for every unit

Developers issued with a no-sale licence can only commence construction but are not allowed to sell any units before Temporary Occupation Permit (TOP) is obtained.

A “sale licence”, on the other hand, allows the developer to sell units in a development once Building Plan Approval is given, says URA on its website.

The former Normanton Park has been approved for the development of 1,863 apartments, 19 strata landed houses and eight commercial units on the site. However, COH stipulated several conditions that Kingsford Huray has to fulfil under the no-sale licence: strict compliance with the Housing Developers (Control & Licensing) Act and the Housing Developers Rules; the developer is not allowed to sell any units in the development without COH’s “prior approval in writing”; and Kingsford Huray has to obtain Quality Mark certificates for all units in the Normanton Park housing development. The certificates have to be obtained before an application to COH to sell the units can be made.

Kingsford Huray also has to inform COH, in writing, of any changes to persons holding responsible positions in the company; or changes in particulars relating to the developer or the building project, within 14 days of the effective date of change.

The no-sale licence “shall continue in force until the housing developer is notified in writing by the Controller that a licence under the Act is no longer required for the housing project or unless otherwise earlier revoked under the Act”, according to COH in the notice to Kingsford Huray, dated Jan 15, 2019.

COH’s requirement for a developer to obtain Quality Mark certification for a project to be licensed is to assure homebuyers that “their housing units are constructed and finished to a reasonable standard of quality”, says the URA spokesperson. The COH’s no-sale licence is to ensure that the developer is able to meet requirements such as “track record of completing a project satisfactorily”, adds URA. “A no-sale licence allows the developer to commence construction for the housing project but prohibits the sale of units off-plan without approval from the COH.”





Track record

Previous projects by the developer had been taken into consideration. According to URA, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) had found that some building works such as windows, barriers and common storey shelter had deviated from requirements under the Building Control Act and Regulations for its Kingsford Waterbay project in Upper Serangoon View. Feedback received from buyers of Kingsford Hillview Peak, another project by the developer, was also taken into consideration.

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