Written Answer by Ministry of National Development on prerequisites for a neighbourhood town centre to qualify for the Remaking our Heartland (ROH) and Revitalisation of Shops (ROS) schemes

Feb 1, 2021

Ms Hany Soh: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) what are the prerequisites for a neighbourhood town centre to qualify for the Remaking our Heartland (ROH) and Revitalisation of Shops (ROS) schemes respectively; (b) what is the scope of works covered under each of the schemes; (c) whether the scopes will potentially overlap with each other; and (d) whether the Ministry can consider integrating these two schemes to achieve a more holistic approach for the upgrading of the town centres.

Answer:

The Remaking Our Heartland (ROH) initiative is a comprehensive rejuvenation blueprint to renew existing HDB towns and estates, ensure the sustainability and vibrancy of the HDB heartlands, and make Singapore a distinctive and endearing home for Singaporeans.  It is a multi-agency effort to develop customised plans that suit the needs of each ROH town, and to bring the plans from different agencies into a holistic package to rejuvenate the town as a whole.  Towns are identified for ROH based on the potential and opportunities for rejuvenation within the towns.  Given the scale and effort involved, each plan typically takes about 5-10 years to be implemented.  Since the programme was launched in 2007, we have announced ROH for 13 towns/estates. 

A key part of the ROH package is usually the upgrading of the neighbourhood centre, with the upgrading work aimed at strengthening the identity of the neighbourhoods such as through entrance promenades and heritage markers, infusing more greenery, and providing more public spaces for the community to gather, such as community plazas, common areas sitting or fitness facilities.  Other examples of ROH upgrading works could include upgrading of existing facilities.  As ROH funding is limited, there is a need to prioritise works that will benefit the community, rather than specific groups such as commercial tenants for which other programmes are available.

The Revitalisation of Shops (ROS) Scheme is a targeted programme to help the retailers and Merchants’ Associations (MA) in our HDB town and neighbourhood centres enhance the vibrancy and competitiveness of their shops.  In line with this intent, HDB co-funds physical upgrading works to improve the shopping environment, as well as retailers’ promotional activities.  To qualify for the scheme, retailers must be represented by an MA, which will be responsible for drawing up the scope of physical upgrading works taking into account the localised needs of retailers.  This is to encourage ownership of the upgrading plans by local stakeholders.  Shop owners in the town or neighbourhood centre must also support and co-fund the upgrading works.  This ensures a common vision and continuity of the revitalisation effort in the long term.  Examples of upgrading works under the ROS scheme include the installation of shopfront awnings and vertical blinds, re-tiling under the fixed awnings, and the replacement of shop signages.  The ROS scheme is currently being reviewed, and more details of the changes will be announced when ready. 

The ROS scheme is implemented independently from ROH, so that MAs in towns that have not yet been identified for ROH can tap on ROS to upgrade their business environments whenever they assess that there is a need to do so, and have garnered sufficient support from the retailers within the town or neighbourhood centre.  Nonetheless, where a site has been identified for both ROS and ROH or other upgrading programmes, HDB will work with the MA to scope the ROS upgrading works to complement the common area upgrading works under ROH or other upgrading programmes where possible.  This is to facilitate a more comprehensive and impactful improvement to the shopping environment.