No plans for NEA to directly manage One Punggol Hawker Centre after Timbre ends tenancy: Grace Fu

There are no plans for the National Environment Agency (NEA) to directly manage One Punggol Hawker Centre (OPHC), Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said in a written parliamentary reply on Jan. 12.

The response came after Workers' Party Member of Parliament (MP) He Ting Ru asked about the reasons behind Timbre + Hawkers' early termination of their tenancy, as well as whether NEA would consider directly managing the hawker centre.

According to Fu, Timbre and NEA had mutually agreed to end the operator's tenancy at OPHC on Aug. 14, 2026, citing Timbre's operational challenges.

The timeline would provide NEA sufficient time to appoint a new operator and ensure a smooth transition with minimal disruption to stallholders and patrons.

OPHC will also continue to be a Socially-conscious Enterprise Hawker Centre (SEHC), Fu said.

Opened in 2022

Timbre previously announced the termination of its tenancy at OPHC on Dec. 29, 2025.

The hawker centre, which opened on Oct. 31, 2022, currently has 31 stalls, according to its website.

Timbre has been operating One Punggol Hawker Centre since its launch in 2022, when it opened with 34 stalls.

Its second tenancy began in 2024 and was originally set to run till Aug. 14, 2027.

In a previous media statement, NEA also said Timbre will not be participating in the upcoming open tender to appoint a new operator for the hawker centre.

During the transition period, there will be no changes to the stallholders' rentals and ancillary fees, and the incoming operator will also be required to retain all existing individual stallholders who wish to continue operating for at least two years, the agency added.

Current rental rates are also to be maintained for the first year, with any subsequent increases capped at market-valued rental averages.

Top photos via NEA/Facebook and joyoftessa/Google Maps