Good To Consult Residents On Upgrading

Source : The Straits Times, 10 Aug 2007

I REFER to the article, ‘Residents want greater say in estate matters’ (ST, Aug 4).

I fully support the proposal for greater consultation in precinct and flat upgrading.

I am a resident of Block 301 in Ang Mo Kio. My block was among the second batch to undergo precinct and flat upgrading. At that time, upgrading items and enhancements were decided by HDB. Residents could only vote for or against the upgrading.

There was never a forum of any kind to address residents’ needs or for them to voice ideas to make the programme a more successful and popular one.

In fact, residents of one block in our area voted against the upgrading of their flats, resulting in only the void deck and other facilities being upgraded. We never knew what these residents might have wanted.

The upgrading items have improved over the years. For example, some older flats have lifts serving every floor. If only HDB had consulted residents when the initial batches underwent upgrading.

In older and established towns, there is a large population of older folk who have been living there since they got their first HDB flat.

As a result of the lack of consultation on upgrading, I see old folk lugging bags of grocery up staircases to get to the lift landings.

The process is repeated when they get to the lift landing nearest to the floor they live on.

This can be a very daunting task for those who have difficulty walking.

Children or young people like us wish we can be there to help out but this is not always possible.

Therefore, consultations with residents will prove very useful, allowing practical ideas to be reviewed and residents’ needs, met.

On a separate note, I hope that the authorities can look into the possibility of having lift landings on every floor for those flats in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 (Blocks 301, 302 and 322) that had undergone early upgrading.

Chee Kit Fai