A larger buffer zone and additional planning requirements could affect private commercial buildings and future redevelopment in the Civic District, says the National Heritage Board.
The Padang and its surrounding buildings, collectively known as the Padang Civic Ensemble, will no longer be nominated for inscription on UNESCO's World Heritage List after a preliminary assessment was made. (File photo: TODAY/Leonard Leong)
The Padang and its surrounding buildings, collectively known as the Padang Civic Ensemble, will no longer be nominated for inscription on UNESCO's World Heritage List after a preliminary assessment was made. (File photo: TODAY/Leonard Leong)
SINGAPORE: Singapore will not proceed with plans to nominate the Padang and its surrounding historic buildings as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, after an assessment found that additional planning measures could affect future development in the wider Civic District.
The National Heritage Board (NHB) on Tuesday (Nov 3) said a preliminary assessment of the site, named The Padang Civic Ensemble, by UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre and the advisory bodies revealed “significant challenges” to the nomination.
The preliminary assessment report had recommended establishing a larger buffer zone than Singapore had proposed, protection of important views to and from the site, and controls on future developments to preserve its heritage significance.
But implementing these measures “would introduce additional consideration and consultation requirements for future planning and development” across the wider Civic District, including areas well beyond the Padang, said NHB.
Singapore would, for instance, have to consult the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on future developments that could impact the site's historical and heritage significance, including modifications to existing buildings or new plans in the surrounding areas that could affect important views to and from the Padang.
“Following the preliminary assessment, we have deliberated over the additional measures recommended for the site which may affect future plans for the Civic District, including the impact on the many existing buildings in the district, beyond the protected national monuments,” said Ms Jean Wee, director of the preservation of sites and monuments division at NHB.
"After consideration, we have decided not to proceed with pursuing the nomination of the Padang Civic Ensemble as Singapore’s next World Heritage Site.”
Singapore's decision “reflects the need to strike a careful balance between safeguarding the heritage significance of The Padang Civic Ensemble and retaining sufficient flexibility for any future plans in the larger Civic District”, said NHB.
At a media briefing on Tuesday, it said UNESCO's requirements could span decades and change over time, raising concerns that the long-term implications could be quite substantial even if Singapore went ahead with the nomination and succeeded.
The board had initial reservations about the potential implications of the nomination, but voluntarily undertook the preliminary assessment to obtain official inputs from UNESCO's experts.
NHB saw this as an opportunity to get formal advice on the potential nomination in an efficient, low-cost manner, the board said in the briefing on Tuesday.
The preliminary assessment allows countries to receive early guidance from UNESCO's advisory bodies before submitting a full nomination. The process will become mandatory for all World Heritage Site nominations from 2027.
The Padang Civic Ensemble was placed on Singapore’s tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage status in March 2023, given its historical significance. It began a voluntary preliminary assessment process in September that year.
The preliminary assessment report recognised the heritage significance of The Padang Civic Ensemble, including its role in Singapore’s transition from colonial rule to nationhood and its significance as an example of a British colonial civic square in the tropics.
It also acknowledged the site’s potential for a World Heritage Site nomination.
The report was completed by end 2024 and various government agencies and stakeholders were engaged to discuss the findings, said NHB.