SINGAPORE: Residents in Sengkang’s Anchorvale neighbourhood said they have seen improvements in their estate’s cleanliness in recent months, with rubbish being cleared more promptly and common areas kept tidy.
It comes more than a year after Sengkang Town Council (SKTC) took over the direct management of the neighbourhood in November 2021, with day-to-day operations handled by staff directly hired by the town council.
The town council, which is run by the Workers’ Party, had decided to directly manage Anchorvale after its tender for a managing agent drew only one bid from a company that had no experience in managing a town council.
Following this, it failed to receive any bids in its 2022 tender for a managing agent for its three other neighbourhoods - Compassvale, Buangkok, and Rivervale - after a contract with EM services expired in January this year.
As a result, SKTC has been directly managing the entire Sengkang town since Feb 1.
Recruitment for the direct management team started in the second half of last year, according to the town council. It added that it has hired experienced and suitable individuals including employees from both CPG Facilities Management and EM Services, for its town management works.
According to a report published by the Ministry of National Development in June last year, all town councils - including Sengkang - achieved a "Green" banding for estate cleanliness, estate maintenance and lift performance.
Assessments are given using three colour bands - green, amber and red - with green being the best possible score.
The Town Council Management Report for FY2021, which runs from April 2021 to March 2022, showed that stains and litter were the biggest cleanliness issue in Sengkang, followed by the dumping of bulky items or refuse.
This was the case for all town councils except for Tampines, which had a higher percentage of cobweb sightings than refuse or dumped bulky items.
Speaking to CNA, Anchorvale resident Ricky Yeo said he was pleased with the level of cleanliness in his estate, adding that common areas are usually cleaned about three to four times a week.
“We used to see a lot of rubbish being dumped at the bin centre or at the rubbish bins downstairs but now, you don’t really see that. It could be that they are clearing it faster or people aren’t dumping their things all over the place anymore,” said Mr Yeo.
When CNA visited several blocks at Anchorvale Drive including 319, 320 and 321B on Feb 8, the estate looked well-maintained and generally clean.
In other neighbourhoods such as Compassvale and Rivervale, moss and scaling, which refers to the flaking or peeling of hardened concrete surface, could be seen on exterior walls and the floor.
Void deck of Block 320B Anchorvale Drive. (Photo: CNA/Vanessa Lim)
Moss-stained floor near a playground at Block 123E Rivervale Drive. (Photo: CNA/Vanessa Lim)
Concrete scaling along a low wall at Block 123 Rivervale Drive. (Photo: CNA/Vanessa Lim)
A lift lobby at Block 320B Anchorvale Drive. (Photo: CNA/Vanessa Lim)
Bin centre at Block 201B Compassvale Drive. (Photo: CNA/Vanessa Lim)
Residents CNA spoke to had mixed reactions, with some happy with the level of cleanliness and others saying that there is room for improvement.
“The cleaners come, but not very often,” said a Compassvale resident who only wanted to be known as Madam Tan.
“I don’t see a point in complaining to the town council, so I just wash and sweep the area outside my flat every week,” she said, in Mandarin.
CNA has contacted SKTC for comment.
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It comes more than a year after Sengkang Town Council (SKTC) took over the direct management of the neighbourhood in November 2021, with day-to-day operations handled by staff directly hired by the town council.
The town council, which is run by the Workers’ Party, had decided to directly manage Anchorvale after its tender for a managing agent drew only one bid from a company that had no experience in managing a town council.
Following this, it failed to receive any bids in its 2022 tender for a managing agent for its three other neighbourhoods - Compassvale, Buangkok, and Rivervale - after a contract with EM services expired in January this year.
As a result, SKTC has been directly managing the entire Sengkang town since Feb 1.
Recruitment for the direct management team started in the second half of last year, according to the town council. It added that it has hired experienced and suitable individuals including employees from both CPG Facilities Management and EM Services, for its town management works.
According to a report published by the Ministry of National Development in June last year, all town councils - including Sengkang - achieved a "Green" banding for estate cleanliness, estate maintenance and lift performance.
Assessments are given using three colour bands - green, amber and red - with green being the best possible score.
The Town Council Management Report for FY2021, which runs from April 2021 to March 2022, showed that stains and litter were the biggest cleanliness issue in Sengkang, followed by the dumping of bulky items or refuse.
This was the case for all town councils except for Tampines, which had a higher percentage of cobweb sightings than refuse or dumped bulky items.
Speaking to CNA, Anchorvale resident Ricky Yeo said he was pleased with the level of cleanliness in his estate, adding that common areas are usually cleaned about three to four times a week.
“We used to see a lot of rubbish being dumped at the bin centre or at the rubbish bins downstairs but now, you don’t really see that. It could be that they are clearing it faster or people aren’t dumping their things all over the place anymore,” said Mr Yeo.
When CNA visited several blocks at Anchorvale Drive including 319, 320 and 321B on Feb 8, the estate looked well-maintained and generally clean.
In other neighbourhoods such as Compassvale and Rivervale, moss and scaling, which refers to the flaking or peeling of hardened concrete surface, could be seen on exterior walls and the floor.
Void deck of Block 320B Anchorvale Drive. (Photo: CNA/Vanessa Lim)
Moss-stained floor near a playground at Block 123E Rivervale Drive. (Photo: CNA/Vanessa Lim)
Concrete scaling along a low wall at Block 123 Rivervale Drive. (Photo: CNA/Vanessa Lim)
A lift lobby at Block 320B Anchorvale Drive. (Photo: CNA/Vanessa Lim)
Bin centre at Block 201B Compassvale Drive. (Photo: CNA/Vanessa Lim)
Residents CNA spoke to had mixed reactions, with some happy with the level of cleanliness and others saying that there is room for improvement.
“The cleaners come, but not very often,” said a Compassvale resident who only wanted to be known as Madam Tan.
“I don’t see a point in complaining to the town council, so I just wash and sweep the area outside my flat every week,” she said, in Mandarin.
CNA has contacted SKTC for comment.
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