A Funeral Hub, Sir?

Source : TODAY, Monday, October 8, 2007

Sin Ming residents upset by plans to build funeral home complex

There were the expected questions on Electronic Road Pricing, public transport fares and the quality of public bus services. It was the Transport Minister holding court in this dialogue session after all.

But even as construction on the Circle Line was taking place in their backyard, transport issues failed to draw the same heated emotions as those concerning funeral matters.

For some 200 residents of the Bishan-Toa Payoh Group Representation Constituency, proposed funeral parlour developments at Sin Ming Lane was the order of the day at a meeting with Transport Minister Raymond Lim yesterday. This topic came up in half of the 20 or so questions raised during a 75-minute dialogue session.

According to Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) plans, this proposed funeral parlour development would be situated about 200m behind Ai Tong School. Public and private housing estates are also within view of this proposed site.

Noting the funeral parlours already there, one resident, also a grassroots leader, asked whether Sin Ming estate was being converted into "a funeral hub". She was worried the proposed development would "look like Disneyland", having heard from the authorities at an earlier dialogue session that it could have a "beautiful facade".

The resident, who lives opposite the proposed development, added: "The residents are strongly against the idea of locating a funeral parlour within the estate."

Another resident expressed concern over a potential fall in property value if the development gets the green light from the authorities. He wanted to know if homeowners at Sin Ming Lane would be "compensated" if the parlours are built there.

In response, Bishan-Toa Payoh Member of Parliament Hri Kumar said grassroots leaders have already raised resi- dents' concerns with the URA. He said the authorities had mooted the building of funeral parlours in Yishun years ago but commercial operators failed to take it up "because they needed it to be in a more accessible location".

A resident then queried: Would the new parlours be truly accessible, given there was no MRT station nearby or anything more than a few bus services?

Mr Kumar assured residents that "no decision has been made ... URA is still receiving feedback from us on this". He said there would be no "Disneyland concept" and a proposed light industrial development at Sin Ming Lane could shield residents from the proposed funeral parlour development.

Mr Lim also weighed in and told residents that Mr Kumar and grassroots leaders would take up their concerns with the URA.

Mr Lim, cautioning against a "not in my backyard" mindset, said: "We are living in a small and compact city, and trying to address many competing interests."