Answer for Oral Question PL231

QUESTION

Yang Berhormat Dayang Chong Chin Yee

YANG BERHORMAT DAYANG CHONG CHIN YEE requested MENTERI PEMBANGUNAN to state whether the Government will establish location, density and local community needs criteria for new applications for convenience stores, particularly in areas where several similar stores already exist within close proximity.

ANSWER

Yang Berhormat Menteri Pembangunan

Location, density and local community needs criteria are among the criteria currently used by the Ministry of Development in assessing applications for either Tukar Syarat Tanah or Kebenaran Perancangan for convenience stores. The main land-use planning policy referred to is the Dasar Pembangunan Komuniti Bandar yang Mampan (Creating Sustainable Urban Communities Policy), which is contained in the Land Use Master Plan and District-Level Development Plans. This policy aims to control the location of business activities in supporting community needs and local economic growth at appropriate scales and locations. In addition, it aims to improve the efficiency of optimal land use by directing business activities to suitable areas, while avoiding ad hoc development that could affect the functions of areas, the residential amenity, infrastructure capacity and the environment.

In coordinating the implementation of this policy at the Kebenaran Perancangan application stage, the Garis Panduan dan Piawaian Perancangan bagi Kemajuan Perniagaan and the Garis Panduan dan Piawaian Perancangan Suplementari Kepadatan are also among the other documents referred to. Matters assessed include the suitability of the location, compatibility with surrounding land uses, infrastructure capacity, access and the impact on the environment and local community. This includes examining the distribution of existing commercial developments to avoid an excessive concentration of activities in any particular area and to ensure that commercial facilities are provided in a more balanced manner and meet local community needs. This approach is not intended to restrict business competition; rather, it is intended to ensure that commercial area development is planned in a more orderly and sustainable manner and can support local community needs in the long term.

Another assessment taken into consideration is the determination of density according to the Urban Structure Model, which outlines, among other things, the development hierarchy, such as Town Centres and rural areas. This approach aims to ensure that the type and intensity of commercial activities are aligned with the function of an area and the size of the population served. For example, areas functioning as Town Centres have higher population densities and economic activity and would normally have the capacity to accommodate more business premises, including convenience stores. Conversely, in smaller or low-density rural areas, consideration will be given to the actual needs of residents, market capacity, the impact on traffic flow and the suitability of the development in order to avoid an excessive concentration of premises.