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Aim |
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| 1. |
This paper seeks public views on URA's current guidelines on allowing
childcare centres in landed housing estates. |
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Turning Landed Houses to Childcare
Centres |
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| 2. |
Childcare centres meet an important social need by providing the necessary childcare support for many families with young children. Today, families tend to have parents who are both working and who do not enjoy the support of extended families. Sending their young children to a childcare centre is increasingly becoming the norm. Therefore, facilitating the provision of adequate childcare facilities in convenient locations to meet childcare needs is a key government policy. |
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| 3. |
URA's current guidelines for the setting up of childcare centres are
generally open and flexible. We allow childcare facilities to be
located in a variety of premises such as HDB void decks, landed
houses, work places, community centres, places of worship etc. |
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| 4. |
Based on the current number and location of childcare centres, there
appears to be a strong demand for childcare centres in landed
residential estates. Childcare centres in landed houses comprise about
32% of all childcare centres in Singapore and they
provide a valuable service to the community and families living close to
them. |
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| 5. |
However childcare centres tend to generate extra vehicular traffic,
especially in the mornings and evenings when parents pick up their
children. There is also the likelihood that neighbours may have to
put up with more noise in the day, arising from the children's
activities. |
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| 6. |
Operators of these childcare centres try to mitigate potential noise
by air-conditioning their premises and by limiting outdoor play times under
the teachers' supervision. They also work with parents to minimise
traffic congestion during the peak hours. |
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| 7. |
Despite these mitigating measures, complaints from the neighbours on noise and traffic congestion arising from these
childcare centres are on the rise. There are also some residents who worry
that the value of their properties may drop due to these childcare
centres nearby.Childcare centres in
semi-detached houses tend to attract the most number of complaints. |
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| 8. |
In dealing with the increasing complaints, URA has to balance different needs. On one hand, we want to support families by allowing more accessible childcare facilities and to meet the demand from childcare operators for flexibility in the choice of locating such facilities; yet, we are also mindful of residents who want to enjoy the relatively traffic-free and noise-free environment of landed housing estate. |
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| 9. |
Our objective is to strike a balance as best as we can so that we can
continue to meet the market demand for childcare centres in landed
houses, and at the same time, protect the residential environment of these estates. |
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| 10. |
URA's current guidelines allow childcare centres to operate from any
form of landed properties except intermediate terrace houses and Good Class
Bungalow Areas so long as the location of
the premises complies with the Land Transport Authority's (LTA)
traffic and carparking requirements. |
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| 11. |
If the operator's
proposed location meets these requirements, URA will issue him/her a
temporary permission of between one to three years to operate the
childcare centre. The permission will be renewed if there should be no major
complaint from neighbours. |
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| 12. |
URA does not regulate the optimum number of childcare centres within
an estate as we think it is better left to market forces. We also do
not impose a limit on the enrolment capacity. |
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Under MCYS regulations, the minimum space requirement
per child is 3sqm (excluding service areas like kitchen and toilet). |
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The operating hours of childcare
centres are generally as follows: |
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Monday to Friday
: 7.00 am to 7.00 pm |
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Saturday
: 7.00 am to 2.00 pm |
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Closed on Sundays and public holidays (See
http://www.mcys.gov.sg) |