What happened at 32 Desker Road?
URA reported that in a conserved shophouse in the Little India Conservation Area, the first-storey residential front, the rear façade and the entire rear service block were demolished without permission, and the original internal timber staircase was removed. In April 2026 the individual who carried out the works was fined S$250,000 and the owner company S$150,000, and the company must reinstate and restore the building at its own cost. URA said it was the first such prosecution since the 2017 penalty increases.
From the RRD Field Guide, checked against the sources cited in A&A Works to Conserved Shophouses in Singapore: URA's 3R Rules, Permits and Fire Safety. General information, not advice for your project.
The fuller picture
Any work to a conserved shophouse needs URA Conservation Permission before it starts, even repainting. URA's rule is maximum Retention, sensitive Restoration and careful Repair: the roof, party walls, front façade, five-foot way and (in historic districts) timber floors must be kept. Rear extensions and roof mezzanines are allowed only within set limits, and Fire Code clause 9.9 governs timber floors and stairs.
More questions on this topic
- Do I need URA approval to repaint a conserved shophouse?
- Which parts of a conserved shophouse must be kept?
- Can I build a rear extension to a conserved shophouse?
- Can I add an attic to a shophouse?
- Does SCDF allow timber floors and staircases to stay?
- Can a conserved shophouse be converted to a hostel or co-living use?
- Can a contractor do conservation works without an architect?