SINGAPORE: Advertisers and property owners have successfully
lobbied the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) to open up three areas
in Singapore for outdoor ads and to ease restrictions on some existing
areas by introducing new guidelines.
Outdoor billboards can now be placed on buildings at the Marina Centre,
Raffles Place and along the Singapore River between Coleman Bridge and
Clemenceau Bridge.
Easing of restrictions applied to three precincts where outdoor
advertising was already permitted - Bugis district; Orchard Road; and
China Town, Eu Tong Sen Street and New Bridge Road.
The changes mean more outdoor signs can be erected in these areas and in
some instances it will be easier to gain approval to have sites
illuminated.
Ashley Stewart, managing director of JC Decaux, said: "Having these
guidelines make it a lot clearer about how and where one can install ad
signage on building walls.
"In Chinatown, it used to be a real hit and miss situation whenever we
wanted to" erect an outdoor billboard.
Stewart added: "I think the catalyst for the (renewed) lobbying was the
earlier announcement on the bus shelter contract." After it was reported
that the contract was worth around S$500 million (US$273
million), some building owners believed they could generate significant
sums of money from the outdoor ad industry, he added.
But Stewart quickly pointed out the new outdoor sites "aren't going to
be a goldmine" because Singapore has plenty of outdoor sites.
