Chencharu Hills in Yishun: Everything You Need to Know About the New BTO Housing Estate
Chencharu Hills in Yishun, the newest housing estate and Yishun BTO project, saw 4,630 applicants vying for the 1,277 flats there. Part of the June 2024 HDB BTO launch, this was the first batch of Chencharu flats, out of an announced 10,000 homes in this new housing area.
So what’s coming up for this new Chencharu Hills area, where we will see more Yishun BTO flats? What can future Chencharu BTO homeowners look forward to, and what kind of new energy will this new housing estate in Chencharu Yishun inject into the much-talked-about town?
Here is everything you need to know about the new BTO housing estate, Chencharu Hills in Yishun.
Chencharu Masterplan
Fast facts about Chencharu, Yishun:
Area: approximately 70 ha (about 16 times the size of Padang)
Housing: around 10,000 by 2040 (80% for public housing)
Nearest MRT station: Khatib (North South Line)
Location: bounded by Yishun Avenues 1 and 2, and Sembawang Road
Special amenities: community avenue with a mixed-use Integrated Development, dedicated road Chencharu Link for buses only, park connectors to nature and the upcoming North-South Corridor
Image source: HDB
The HDB Masterplan for Chencharu was unveiled by Minister for National Development Mr Desmond Lee on 5 March 2024, at the Committee of Supply debate. This new 70 ha Chencharu housing estate in Yishun would provide around 10,000 new homes by 2040, to meet housing demand. Of these, 80% will be for public housing.
Chencharu in Yishun is envisioned as ‘A Vibrant Village, Connecting Communities and Heritage’. Once the site of farms and plantations in the 1900s, Chencharu was redeveloped under the Yishun New Town Project in 1976. Since 2019, it was set aside for residential use and finally we will see these plans taking physical shape!
Of course, the masterplan for Chencharu Yishun includes new amenities and facilities for the convenience of its residents. In addition to the existing neighbourhood park, Khatib Central Neighbourhood Centre, Khatib MRT station and HomeTeamNS Khatib, plans include a new educational institution and nursing home.
The masterplan also caters for residents’ pleasant commute to the MRT station, via a community avenue with a mixed-use Integrated Development. There will also be a dedicated road at the upcoming Chencharu Link for only buses to traverse. Park connector links to the surrounding nature parks and the upcoming North-South Corridor are also planned, to also encourage residents’ healthy and active lifestyle.
The Proposed Area of Chencharu
In June 2024, Chencharu Hills, the first Yishun Chencharu BTO flats were launched, along with their prices:
2-room Flexi ($38,000 to $170,000)
3-room ($219,000 to $271,000)
4-room ($279,000 to $346,000)
5-room ($407,000 to $496,0900)
Source: HDB
This first batch of Chencharu BTO flats will be called Chencharu Hills. They will be built in the area bounded by Sembawang Road and Yishun Walk (u/c), with the picturesque Lower Seletar Reservoir Park within walking distance, as well as Yishun Sports Hall, Yishun Stadium, and Khatib MRT station (15 minutes).
Nearby schools to Chencharu Hills BTO include Yishun Innova Junior College, Jiemin Primary School, and Chung Cheng High School (Yishun). As with all new HDB BTO flats, these homes will utilise sustainable design strategies and come with smart infrastructure.
What’s interesting is that the Chencharu Hills BTO’s design will draw on Chencharu Yishun’s rich history, incorporating iconic elements found in the estate. For instance, the Chencharu Hills BTO design will have a black outline around the first few floors of the blocks, alluding to the height of a century-old two-storey colonial-era bungalow along 50 Bah Soon Pah Road.
The Chencharu Hills BTO project will also sport red, black and white colours, similar to that of the bungalow. And if you see motifs such as pineapples and mackerel as navigational cues within the estate, these hark back to Chencharu Yishun’s agricultural past.
Affordable Homes with Connectivity and Greenery in Chencharu Hills
While enjoying the surrounding playgrounds, open lawns, fitness corners, hard courts for sports, and strolling in the therapeutic garden, Chencharu residents can use the plantation house – once owned by the Bukit Sembawang Rubber Company – as a community space. There will also be an educational heritage trail, featuring a series of gardens and storyboards.
Adding to the vibrance of Chencharu will be new amenities. The new community avenue, in the heart of Chencharu, will serve as the main arterial path connecting the new homes to Khatib MRT station and the new park. This lively thoroughfare will be brimming with a plethora of amenities that include a new bus interchange, plaza space, hawker centre, park facilities, shops and more.
For those familiar with non-profit Ground-up Initiative, the sustainability and community building initiative will move from Lorong Chencharu to an area adjacent to HomeTeamNS Khatib. The beloved Live Turtle and Tortoise Museum will also be relocated together. By concentrating these recreational spaces and their community activities, Chencharu will cement its identity as a vibrant contemporary kampung (village).
As for transport links, Khatib MRT station and the new bus interchange will serve Chencharu Yishun residents. Furthermore, there will be a new road running north-south through the heart of Chencharu, but the 400-metre Chencharu Link will be a bus-only corridor for smoother bus journeys. These will supplement the existing bus services along Yishun Avenue 2 and Sembawang Road.
Walking and cycling paths within the Chencharu Yishun neighbourhood are another treat, lined with rustic kampung-themed streetscapes such as Island Lychee (Pometia pinnata) and Hopea trees. Residents will be able to get to neighbouring towns such as Sembawang, green spaces like Khatib Bongsu and Lower Seletar Reservoir, as well as the upcoming North-South Corridor.
Resale Flats in Yishun
Type of HDB flat | Median HDB resale prices in Yishun (Q1 2024) |
2-room Flexi | $330,000 |
3-room | $403,400 |
4-room | $535,000 |
5-room | $650,000 |
Executive | $825,000 |
As a guide, here are the recent median HDB resale prices in Yishun, as of HDB resale statistics in Q1 2024. Yishun, a non-mature estate, still remains more affordable compared to other centrally located towns in Singapore. With the vibrant changes coming to Yishun in the form of Chencharu, residents may see their resale prices increase as demand follows suit.
Source: HDB
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