Daily Briefing: No need for smaller HDB flats, says MND; Far East Hospitality launches The Clan Hotel brand

And PBT Engineering bags a contract to design railway noise barriers.

From iCompareLoan:

There is no need for smaller HDB flats for singles as the existing 2-room Flexi flats provide affordable housing options, the Minister for National Development (MND) Lawrence Wong said in Parliament.

He responded to a parliamentary question on whether HDB will consider building 1-room HDB Flexi flats that are integrated with other flat types for singles who have a lower financial capability to purchase HDB flats.

“The smaller 36-square metre flat is cheaper, and caters to singles who have more limited budgets or less space needs. In fact, after the generous government discounts and subsidies, first-timer singles buying new flats, on average, use only about 20% of their monthly income for mortgage instalments,” Wong said.

Under the 2-room Flexi Scheme, elderly Singaporeans can choose the length of lease on their 2-room flat, based on their age, needs, and preferences.

Read more here.

From TTG Asia:

With millennial spending power on the rise, Far East Hospitality (FEH) has launched its Clan Hotel brand to redefine luxury accommodation for a new generation of travellers seeking differentiated stays.

The brand will make its debut with The Clan Hotel Singapore in 2Q2020, comprising four room types: Superior Room, Deluxe Room, Premier Room and Grand Premier Room.

The 324-room luxury hotel targets travellers aged between 25 and 44 years old, which make up an average 41 per cent of international visitor arrivals in Singapore over the last six months.

Appealing to this segment is the concept of the hotel, which will draw inspiration from the concept of kinship, clans and community from Singapore’s pioneer days. Besides guest engagement and neighbourhood experiences with local craftsmen and precinct tours, the Premier Rooms and Grand Premier Rooms are part of the hotel’s Master Series rooms that offer highly customised services to inspire a sense of belonging in guests.

Read more here.

From PropertyGuru:

PBT Engineering has been awarded a contract to design and install 5.5km of railway noise barriers under the third phase of the Land Transport Authority’s (LTA) railway noise barrier programme.

The contract will cover 16 locations, which runs from Pasir Ris to Kembangan stations along the East-West Line, and from Jurong East to Khatib stations along the North-South Line.

Once completed in 2023, LTA expects the noise barriers to reduce noise levels from passing trains by five to 10 decibels. It noted that the type of noise barriers to be installed depends on the tracks’ profile and noise level.

Noise barriers at turnout sections, where trains switch tracks, “have a semi-enclosed 'portal' design to handle the higher noise levels, whereas those along plainline or straight tracks are vertical.”

Read more here.