The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) is acquiring about 600,000 sq ft of land for the construction of the first phase of the North South Expressway, which stretches from Admiralty Road West to Toa Payoh Rise.
This is the first major compulsory land acquisition since 2001, when the SLA bought some 860,000 sq ft of land to develop the Kallang / Paya Lebar Expressway and the second part of the Circle Line. During that time, almost half of the 126 affected owners of homes, offices and shops in Geylang and Paya Lebar said the SLA offered them insufficient compensation.
An SLA spokesperson said compensation will be pegged at market value as of the acquisition date, in line with the Land Acquisition Act provisions made in 2007.
The Collector of Revenue will also conduct a collector’s inquiry to determine the quantum of the compensation. Owners affected by the purchase will also be requested to submit their claims to the Collector of Revenue.
While the acquisition is unlikely to cause discontent among property owners this time, industry watchers said the part lots that are being bought over could lead to a tricky situation. The SLA said in a statement that it will be acquiring 33 part lots and 38 full lots.
“If it cuts through part of your building, then what is going to happen?” said Ng Poh Chue, Executive Director at DTZ Debenham Tie Leung Statutory Valuation.
Another concern is the owner’s sentimental value for their property, she added.
Ms. Ng, however, noted that the government has been “quite sympathetic” to land owners in these situations, making ex-gratia payments in some cases.
All affected owners will have two years from the date of acquisition to leave the premises, said the SLA, whose latest acquisition consists of a mixture of residential, institutional and industrial developments.