In force2020 Revised Edition

Contents

Town Councils Act 1988 · 2020 Revised Edition · Part 4 · Functions and Powers of Town Council

26. Power of Town Council to carry out certain works

(1)

Where any defect occurs in any pipe, wire, cable, duct or other apparatus within a flat in any residential or commercial property of the Board within the Town which is used for or in connection with the carrying, conveying or supplying to such property of water, sewerage, drainage, gas, electricity, garbage or artificially cooled air, the Town Council may carry out such work as is necessary to rectify the defect.

(2)

Where —

(a)

a Town Council incurs any expenses or performs any repairs, works or acts that it is required or authorised by this Act or by any other written law to perform (whether or not the expenses were incurred or the repairs, works or acts were performed consequent upon the service on it by any Government or statutory authority of any notice or order); and

(b)

the expenses or the repairs, works or acts were rendered necessary by reason of any wilful or negligent act or omission on the part of, or breach of any provision of the by-laws of the Town Council by, any person or the person’s tenant, licensee or invitee,the amount of those expenses expended by the Town Council in performing the repairs, works or acts are recoverable by the Town Council from that person.[22

Terms defined in s 2

Board
Defined · s 2
“Board” means the Housing and Development Board established under the Housing and Development Act 1959;
Open s 2
commercial property
Defined · s 2
“commercial property” means any building or premises vested in or belonging to the Board (or part of such building or premises) which is permitted under the Planning Act 1998 to be used wholly or partly as —(a)a market, food centre, confectionery, bakery, restaurant or bar, or an eating house;(b)an office or a place of business and for conducting administrative work; or(c)a shop or premises for the carrying on of any trade or business where the primary purpose is the sale of goods by retail or the provision of services;Examples A furniture shop, department store, supermarket, dispensary, medical clinic, dental clinic, beauty salon, ticket agency, travel agency, laundry shop, dry cleaner’s shop, pet shop, video games arcade, computer gaming centre, billiard saloon, bowling alley, bank or multimedia kiosk, or an automated teller machine.(d)a place —(i)for the care or education, or care and education, of children below 7 years of age; or(ii)at which 5 or more school-going children who are 7 years of age or older but below 14 years of age are habitually received for the purposes of care and supervision before or after school hours;(e)premises —(i)for the reception, lodging and care of aged or disabled persons or persons suffering or convalescing from any sickness, injury or infirmity; or(ii)for any type of examination of the human body or of any matter derived from the human body for the purpose of providing information for the diagnosis, prevention or treatment of any disease or for the assessment of the health of any person;Examples A hospice, convalescent home or nursing home, or a dialysis centre, cancer screening centre or medical health centre.(f)a kindergarten registered under section 23 of the Education Act 1957 or an institution providing education or instruction;Examples A tuition centre, language school, computer school, music school, dance school, speech and drama school, child development centre or play school, or an art school or acting school.(g)a sports club, community centre, community club, family service centre or residents’ committee centre, or premises for community-based activities, and includes an office of such a club, centre or committee; or(h)a police post, fire station or civil defence centre,but excludes any property specified or described by the Minister, by order in the Gazette, as not to be a commercial property for the purposes of this Act;
Open s 2
flat
Defined · s 2
“flat” means a horizontal stratum of any building or part thereof, whether the stratum is on one or more levels or is partially or wholly below the surface of the ground, which is used or intended to be used as a complete and separate unit for the purpose of human habitation or business;
Open s 2
statutory authority
Defined · s 2
“statutory authority” means a body or an office that is established or constituted by or under a public Act to perform or discharge a public function, but does not include the Board or any Town Council;
Open s 2
Town
Defined · s 2
“Town” means any area declared to be a Town under section 3;
Open s 2
Town Council
Defined · s 2
“Town Council”, in relation to a Town, means the Town Council established under section 4 for that Town;
Open s 2

Report

Read on from s 27

Part 4A

Lift Upgrading Works

Read on from Part 4A

Part 5

Proceedings of Town Council

Read on from Part 5

Part 6

Financial Provisions

Read on from Part 6

Part 6A

Inspection and Official Management of Town Councils

Read on from Part 6A

Part 7

Miscellaneous Provisions

Read on from Part 7

Details

Town Councils Act 1988 · s 26

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Judgments that cite this Act

8 in all

Convictions for bribing a public body's employee stood, but the prison term was cut SummaryLum Hsien Loong Kenneth v Public Prosecutor · [2026] SGHC 89
The Attorney-General v The Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council[2015] SGHC 137
Attorney-General v Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council[2015] SGCA 60

Where this comes from

Singapore Statutes Online · Town Councils Act 1988, 2020 Revised Edition. Reader record updated on 7 Oct 2026.

Singapore legislation is Government copyright, used with the permission of the Attorney-General’s Chambers. Check Singapore Statutes Online for the latest version.

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