Regulation 2
Definitions
of Planning (Use Classes) Rules
In these Rules, unless the context otherwise requires —“amusement centre” —
means a building where jackpot machines, pin-ball machines, video game machines or any other similar game machines are provided for entertainment; and
includes a video games arcade, computer gaming centre, billiard saloon or bowling alley;“bar” or “pub” means a building used for the carrying on of any trade or business where the primary purpose is the sale of alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises without dancing, singing or performance of live music or live entertainment;“betting outlet” means a building used for the sale of gaming or gambling bets;“building” includes part of a building;“business zone related use” means the use of any part of any industrial building or warehouse, approved by the competent authority as such, for a purpose which —
is related to the goods or foodstuff that are manufactured or packed in the industrial building or stored in the warehouse, as the case may be; and
is not ancillary to the approved industrial or warehouse use of the building;“business zone retail” means the retail of goods or foodstuff —
in an industrial retail building, where such goods or foodstuff, as the case may be, are also manufactured or packed; or
in a warehouse retail building, where such goods or foodstuff, as the case may be, are also stored;“child care centre” means —
a building that is licensed as an early childhood development centre under the Early Childhood Development Centres Act 2017;
a building used as a centre at which 5 or more school-going children who are between the ages of 7 and 14 years are habitually received for the purposes of care and supervision before or after school hours; or
a kindergarten registered as a kindergarten under section 23 of the Education Act 1957;“cinema” means any building used mainly for the screening of cinematograph films;“commercial school” —
means a building used for the purpose of teaching, training or imparting knowledge or skill; and
includes a tuition centre, language school, computer school, art school, music school, dance school, acting school, speech and drama school, child enrichment centre or play school,but does not include a primary school, secondary school, junior college, vocational and technical institution, polytechnic, university, child care centre or foreign system school;“community building” —
means a building used for community-based activities; and
includes an office of an association or a society, a community centre, community club, family service centre or resident’s committee centre,but does not include a building used as a funeral parlour, a child care centre or a social residential home;“community sports and fitness building” means a building used for sports and fitness activities and operated —
by the Singapore Sports Council;
by any person as agent for the Singapore Sports Council; or (c)by any person pursuant to a public-private partnership agreement with the Singapore Sports Council;“confectionery” means a building, with ancillary baking and preparation area, where the primary purpose is the sale of cakes, pastries, bread and sweets by retail for consumption away from the premises;“convalescent home” or “nursing home” means a building used or intended to be used for the reception and lodging of, and the provision of nursing for, persons suffering or convalescing from any sickness, injury or infirmity, but does not include —
a building used solely for the reception, lodging and care of dying or terminally ill persons; or
a hospital;“existing use” means the use to which a building was put on 1st February 1960 or a use authorised or permitted under the Act or the repealed Act;“foreign system school” has the meaning given by the Planning (Development of Land Authorisation for Specified Property) Notification 2015 (G.N. No. S 411/2015);“general industrial building” —
means an industrial building other than a light industrial building or special industrial building; and
includes a building used for any industrial use which is classified as “general industry” by the Director-General of Environmental Protection;[Deleted by S 125/2016 wef 24/03/2016][Deleted by S 469/2026 wef 01/07/2026]“industrial building” means any building used —
for manufacturing, altering, repairing, ornamenting, finishing, cleaning, washing, packing, canning, adapting, breaking up or demolishing any article or part thereof; or
for the getting, processing or treatment of minerals,but does not include a building used as a laundry or an industrial retail building;“industrial retail building” means any building used for the manufacturing or packing of goods or foodstuff and the retail of such goods or foodstuff, as the case may be;“light industrial building” —
means an industrial building in which the processes carried on or the machinery installed are such as can be installed in any residential area without detriment to the amenity of the area by reason of noise, vibration, smell, fumes, smoke, soot, ash, dust or grit; and
includes a building used for any industrial use which is classified as “light industry” by the Director-General of Environmental Protection;“massage establishment” means an establishment for massage within the meaning of section 2(1) of the Massage Establishments Act 2017 that is required to be licensed under section 5(1) of that Act;“medical clinic” has the meaning given by paragraph 2 of the Planning (Development of Land Authorisation for Medical Clinics) Notification 2014 (G.N. No. S 836/2014);“motor vehicle showroom” —
means a building used for the display and sale of new or used motor vehicles; and
includes a building used as a car mart, car-trading office, motor vehicle rental office or motor vehicle trading office;“nightclub” —
means a building used for the carrying on of any trade or business where the primary purpose is the sale of alcoholic drinks (with or without the sale of foodstuff) for consumption on the premises with singing, dancing or performance of live music or live entertainment; and
includes a building used as a karaoke lounge or discotheque;“office” —
means a building used as a place of business and for conducting administrative work; and
includes a bank,but does not include a shop;“pet shop” means a building used for the sale of live animals or birds normally kept as domestic pets and includes a building used as a veterinary clinic or for domestic pet grooming service, but does not include a building or an aquarium used for the sale of ornamental fish or a building used for pet breeding, pet day care, pet boarding or as a pet hotel;“restaurant” —
means a building used for the carrying on of any trade or business where the primary purpose is the sale of food for consumption on the premises without performance of live music or live entertainment, and where the sale of liquor and alcoholic drinks, if any, is for consumption on the premises and incidental to the consumption of food; and
includes a coffee shop, eating house, snack bar, cafeteria or foodcourt,but does not include a canteen, bar or pub;“sex shop” means a building used for the carrying on of any trade or business where the primary purpose is the sale of products (including toys, magazines, clothing or equipment) connected with sexual activity;“shop” —
means a building used for the carrying on of any trade or business where the primary purpose is the sale of goods or foodstuff by retail or the provision of services; and
includes a building used as a furniture shop, department store, pawnshop, dispensary, beauty salon, ticket agency, travel agency, confectionery or take-away foodshop,but does not include —
a building used for the carrying on of any trade or business where the primary purpose is the preparation of food for sale by distribution or catering and the food is for consumption away from the premises;
a building used for the primary purpose of storage or wholesale of goods or foodstuff;
a building used for the sale of coffins, sale of motor vehicles parts and accessories or repair and servicing of motor vehicles;
a building used as a petrol station, laundry shop, dry cleaner’s shop, funfair, market, nightclub, bar, pet shop, showroom, motor vehicle showroom, amusement centre, massage establishment, betting outlet, sex shop or an office; (v)any part of an industrial retail building or a warehouse retail building used for business zone retail; or (vi)a building used as a medical clinic;“showroom” means a building used for the display of goods with no retail sales, and does not include a shop or motor vehicle showroom;“Singapore Sports Council” means the Singapore Sports Council established under the Singapore Sports Council Act 1973;“social residential home” has the meaning given by section 2(1) of the Social Residential Homes Act 2025;“special industrial building” —
means an industrial building in which the processes carried on are dangerous or offensive; and
includes a building used for any industrial use which is classified as “special industry” by the Director-General of Environmental Protection;“sports and recreation building” —
means a building used for sports and recreational or fitness activities; and
includes a building used as a sports club, sports complex, recreation club, clubhouse, fitness centre or gymnasium,but does not include a community sports and fitness building;“take-away foodshop” means a building used for the carrying on of trade or business where the primary purpose is the sale by retail of food or drinks for consumption away from the premises only and without any provision for consumption of food or drinks within the premises, and may include ancillary food preparation area;“theatre” means a building where live theatrical performances, including plays, operas and music are performed, but does not include a building used as a nightclub or cinema;“warehouse” means a building (excluding any land occupied therewith) where storage is the principal use and where no business is transacted other than incidentally to such storage, but does not include a warehouse retail building;“warehouse retail building” means any building used for the storage of goods or foodstuff and the retail of such goods or foodstuff, as the case may be.
Definition
“amusement centre” —
means a building where jackpot machines, pin-ball machines, video game machines or any other similar game machines are provided for entertainment; and
includes a video games arcade, computer gaming centre, billiard saloon or bowling alley;
Definition
“bar” or “pub” means a building used for the carrying on of any trade or business where the primary purpose is the sale of alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises without dancing, singing or performance of live music or live entertainment;
Definition
“betting outlet” means a building used for the sale of gaming or gambling bets;
Definition
“building” includes part of a building;
Definition
“business zone related use” means the use of any part of any industrial building or warehouse, approved by the competent authority as such, for a purpose which —
is related to the goods or foodstuff that are manufactured or packed in the industrial building or stored in the warehouse, as the case may be; and
is not ancillary to the approved industrial or warehouse use of the building;
Definition
“business zone retail” means the retail of goods or foodstuff —
in an industrial retail building, where such goods or foodstuff, as the case may be, are also manufactured or packed; or
in a warehouse retail building, where such goods or foodstuff, as the case may be, are also stored;
Definition
“child care centre” means —
a building that is licensed as an early childhood development centre under the Early Childhood Development Centres Act 2017;
a building used as a centre at which 5 or more school-going children who are between the ages of 7 and 14 years are habitually received for the purposes of care and supervision before or after school hours; or
a kindergarten registered as a kindergarten under section 23 of the Education Act 1957;
Definition
“cinema” means any building used mainly for the screening of cinematograph films;
Definition
“commercial school” —
means a building used for the purpose of teaching, training or imparting knowledge or skill; and
includes a tuition centre, language school, computer school, art school, music school, dance school, acting school, speech and drama school, child enrichment centre or play school,but does not include a primary school, secondary school, junior college, vocational and technical institution, polytechnic, university, child care centre or foreign system school;
Definition
“community building” —
means a building used for community-based activities; and
includes an office of an association or a society, a community centre, community club, family service centre or resident’s committee centre,but does not include a building used as a funeral parlour, a child care centre or a social residential home;
Definition
“community sports and fitness building” means a building used for sports and fitness activities and operated —
by the Singapore Sports Council;
by any person as agent for the Singapore Sports Council; or (c)by any person pursuant to a public-private partnership agreement with the Singapore Sports Council;
Definition
“confectionery” means a building, with ancillary baking and preparation area, where the primary purpose is the sale of cakes, pastries, bread and sweets by retail for consumption away from the premises;
Definition
“convalescent home” or “nursing home” means a building used or intended to be used for the reception and lodging of, and the provision of nursing for, persons suffering or convalescing from any sickness, injury or infirmity, but does not include —
a building used solely for the reception, lodging and care of dying or terminally ill persons; or
a hospital;
Definition
“existing use” means the use to which a building was put on 1st February 1960 or a use authorised or permitted under the Act or the repealed Act;
Definition
“foreign system school” has the meaning given by the Planning (Development of Land Authorisation for Specified Property) Notification 2015 (G.N. No. S 411/2015);
Definition
“general industrial building” —
means an industrial building other than a light industrial building or special industrial building; and
includes a building used for any industrial use which is classified as “general industry” by the Director-General of Environmental Protection;
Definition
“industrial building” means any building used —
for manufacturing, altering, repairing, ornamenting, finishing, cleaning, washing, packing, canning, adapting, breaking up or demolishing any article or part thereof; or
for the getting, processing or treatment of minerals,but does not include a building used as a laundry or an industrial retail building;
Definition
“industrial retail building” means any building used for the manufacturing or packing of goods or foodstuff and the retail of such goods or foodstuff, as the case may be;
Definition
“light industrial building” —
means an industrial building in which the processes carried on or the machinery installed are such as can be installed in any residential area without detriment to the amenity of the area by reason of noise, vibration, smell, fumes, smoke, soot, ash, dust or grit; and
includes a building used for any industrial use which is classified as “light industry” by the Director-General of Environmental Protection;
Definition
“massage establishment” means an establishment for massage within the meaning of section 2(1) of the Massage Establishments Act 2017 that is required to be licensed under section 5(1) of that Act;
Definition
“medical clinic” has the meaning given by paragraph 2 of the Planning (Development of Land Authorisation for Medical Clinics) Notification 2014 (G.N. No. S 836/2014);
Definition
“motor vehicle showroom” —
means a building used for the display and sale of new or used motor vehicles; and
includes a building used as a car mart, car-trading office, motor vehicle rental office or motor vehicle trading office;
Definition
“nightclub” —
means a building used for the carrying on of any trade or business where the primary purpose is the sale of alcoholic drinks (with or without the sale of foodstuff) for consumption on the premises with singing, dancing or performance of live music or live entertainment; and
includes a building used as a karaoke lounge or discotheque;
Definition
“office” —
means a building used as a place of business and for conducting administrative work; and
includes a bank,but does not include a shop;
Definition
“pet shop” means a building used for the sale of live animals or birds normally kept as domestic pets and includes a building used as a veterinary clinic or for domestic pet grooming service, but does not include a building or an aquarium used for the sale of ornamental fish or a building used for pet breeding, pet day care, pet boarding or as a pet hotel;
Definition
“restaurant” —
means a building used for the carrying on of any trade or business where the primary purpose is the sale of food for consumption on the premises without performance of live music or live entertainment, and where the sale of liquor and alcoholic drinks, if any, is for consumption on the premises and incidental to the consumption of food; and
includes a coffee shop, eating house, snack bar, cafeteria or foodcourt,but does not include a canteen, bar or pub;
Definition
“sex shop” means a building used for the carrying on of any trade or business where the primary purpose is the sale of products (including toys, magazines, clothing or equipment) connected with sexual activity;
Definition
“shop” —
means a building used for the carrying on of any trade or business where the primary purpose is the sale of goods or foodstuff by retail or the provision of services; and
includes a building used as a furniture shop, department store, pawnshop, dispensary, beauty salon, ticket agency, travel agency, confectionery or take-away foodshop,but does not include —
a building used for the carrying on of any trade or business where the primary purpose is the preparation of food for sale by distribution or catering and the food is for consumption away from the premises;
a building used for the primary purpose of storage or wholesale of goods or foodstuff;
a building used for the sale of coffins, sale of motor vehicles parts and accessories or repair and servicing of motor vehicles;
a building used as a petrol station, laundry shop, dry cleaner’s shop, funfair, market, nightclub, bar, pet shop, showroom, motor vehicle showroom, amusement centre, massage establishment, betting outlet, sex shop or an office; (v)any part of an industrial retail building or a warehouse retail building used for business zone retail; or (vi)a building used as a medical clinic;
Definition
“showroom” means a building used for the display of goods with no retail sales, and does not include a shop or motor vehicle showroom;
Definition
“Singapore Sports Council” means the Singapore Sports Council established under the Singapore Sports Council Act 1973;
Definition
“social residential home” has the meaning given by section 2(1) of the Social Residential Homes Act 2025;
Definition
“special industrial building” —
means an industrial building in which the processes carried on are dangerous or offensive; and
includes a building used for any industrial use which is classified as “special industry” by the Director-General of Environmental Protection;
Definition
“sports and recreation building” —
means a building used for sports and recreational or fitness activities; and
includes a building used as a sports club, sports complex, recreation club, clubhouse, fitness centre or gymnasium,but does not include a community sports and fitness building;
Definition
“take-away foodshop” means a building used for the carrying on of trade or business where the primary purpose is the sale by retail of food or drinks for consumption away from the premises only and without any provision for consumption of food or drinks within the premises, and may include ancillary food preparation area;
Definition
“theatre” means a building where live theatrical performances, including plays, operas and music are performed, but does not include a building used as a nightclub or cinema;
Definition
“warehouse” means a building (excluding any land occupied therewith) where storage is the principal use and where no business is transacted other than incidentally to such storage, but does not include a warehouse retail building;
Definition
“warehouse retail building” means any building used for the storage of goods or foodstuff and the retail of such goods or foodstuff, as the case may be.