Criteria for Locating Coffee Shops or Eateries within an HDB Estate

Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for National Development (a) what are the criteria that HDB takes into account in considering to locate coffee shops or eateries within an HDB estate; and (b) whether such criteria include (i) the number of dwelling units (ii) proximity in terms of prescribed distance to other available eateries and (iii) availability and variety of eateries to cater to specific dietary requirements of residents such as vegetarian and halal fare.

HDB towns are designed to be self-sufficient with easy access to a wide range of facilities, including commercial facilities to meet the needs of residents.

HDB typically plans for a Town Centre at the heart of every HDB Town, to serve as the key commercial hub and provide a broad range of goods and services such as supermarkets, F&B outlets and retail shops. The Town Centre is complemented by neighbourhood centres that are distributed across the town. In selected precincts located further away from the Town Centre and neighbourhood centres, HDB will also build precinct shops which generally include an eating house, supermarket or minimart, and a few shops for the convenience of residents. Most residents will be able to access commercial facilities with a food court or eating house within 400 metres from their homes, or a walk of five to 10 minutes. The quantum of HDB commercial space provided depends on the number of dwelling units and the availability of similar facilities nearby.

To ensure that the eating houses provide a variety of food options for residents, HDB eating house operators are required to provide at least one halal food stall within their premises. HDB also observe that most eating houses already provide vegetarian options alongside other menu items.