After months of anticipation, new proposed laws regarding collective sales, better known as en bloc sales, were tabled in Parliament in August 2026. These amend existing rules on consent thresholds for en bloc sales, allowing owners of older developments to consider redevelopment without needing near-unanimous support. According to the Ministry of Law, these proposed measures “support the renewal of ageing developments and optimise land use in Singapore”.
Lower Consent Thresholds Proposed For Older Developments
Currently, an 80% consent threshold is required for developments aged 10 years or more to proceed with an en bloc sale. If the development is less than 10 years old, the threshold rises to 90%. The consent threshold is the proportion of the development’s owners who agree to an en bloc sale.
Under the proposed amendments, developments that are 40 to 59 years old will require a 70% consent threshold, while developments 60 years and older will only require 65% of owners to consent. The existing 90% and 80% thresholds will continue to apply to newer developments under 10 years old and those between 10 and 39 years old, respectively.
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Remaining Former HUDC Estates All Fall Within The Proposed Age Requirements
Whether by coincidence or not, these proposed amendments would apply to the five remaining developments built by the Housing and Urban Development Company (better known as HUDC).
The HUDC was established in 1974 as a private company, co-owned by HDB and URA, with the objective of building residential properties in prime areas to bridge the gap between HDB flats and private condominiums for middle-income Singaporeans. These homebuyers exceeded the income ceiling for HDB units but could not afford private property. Many HUDC units were larger than HDB units and built in taller blocks in more prime locations.
For 12 years between 1975 and 1987, a total of 7,731 units across 18 estates were built, after which the HUDC scheme was discontinued due to declining demand. In many ways, it is the predecessor of today’s executive condominiums (ECs).
Privatisation of these HUDC estates occurred between 1995 and 2017, giving owners greater control over management and maintenance. The last of these HUDC estates to be privatised was Braddell View, which was so large that it spanned two parcels of land with different leases, hence the longer privatisation process.
Privatisation allowed these estates to proceed with en bloc sales, and 13 former HUDC estates have since been sold for redevelopment. However, not for lack of trying, there are still five remaining HUDC estates: Laguna Park, Lakeview Estate, Braddell View, Ivory Heights, and Pine Grove. Each of these has gone through several attempts at en bloc, but has often been unable to proceed due to failing to meet the 80% consent threshold.
Now, with the proposed amendments, these five estates, all 40 years and older, might have a better chance to proceed with the en bloc.
Why It Is Important To Make En Bloc More Practical For Older Developments
According to the Ministry of Law, these “significantly older” developments “require substantial investment for maintenance, repairs or upgrading works, to remain safe and liveable”. After over 40 years, the additional costs of lift replacements, sewage repairs, and maintenance of other ageing infrastructure might be more than what the property’s maintenance and sinking funds can afford, which means owners may be expected to contribute more.
Based on feedback from the public through multiple rounds of consultations, there is also an understanding that many of these owners now live overseas or have medical issues that require a power of attorney, making it more difficult to secure the signatures needed to exceed the consent threshold.
#1 Lakeview Estate
Town: Bishan
Number Of Units: 240
Year Completed: 1977, 49 years old
Previous En Bloc Attempts: 5
The oldest of the remaining 5 former HUDC projects, Lakeview Estate has seen five attempts to en bloc, with the latest attempt as recent as 2025. Though the proportion of consenting signatures in its latest attempt is not known, the highest consenses it has achieved in the previous four attempts was 56%.
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#2 Laguna Park
Town: Marine Parade
Number Of Units: 516 with 11 shop lots
Year Completed: 1978, 48 years old
Previous En Bloc Attempts: 5
Laguna Park has also gone through the collective sale process five times in the past two decades. The latest attempt in 2025 concluded in early April this year with about 49% of the votes needed.
#3 Braddell View
Town: Toa Payoh
Number Of Units: 918
Year Completed: 1981, 45 years old
Previous En Bloc Attempts: 3
Braddell View’s case is different from the others in that it exceeded the current 80% consent threshold in 2019. Unfortunately, the en bloc attempt was unsuccessful because it received no bids from developers. In this case, the reduced consent threshold is unlikely to affect the en bloc process for Braddell View.
#4 Pine Grove
Town: Bukit Timah
Number Of Units: 660
Year Completed: 1984, 42 years old
Previous En Bloc Attempts: 5
Pine Grove’s fifth and latest en bloc attempt is in the works, with reportedly 64% of the signatures required thus far. It was earlier reported that some owners had challenged the en bloc attempt over concerns about the legality of the process.
#5 Ivory Heights
Town: Jurong East
Number Of Units: 654
Year Completed: 1986, 40 years old
Previous En Bloc Attempts: 3
Ivory Height’s third attempt at an en bloc sale was unsuccessful earlier this year in June. It only received 60% of the signatures required.
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Top Image Credit: Google Maps screenshot
