neighbourhood makeover launched in Bukit Panjang
Singapore Bukit Panjang will be among the first few places to kick off the Neighbourhood Renewal Programme aimed at upgrading older HDB estates.
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; E: t4 n/ X# g1 ~, K; QS$6 million has been set aside to rejuvenate the Cashew division in the area.
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Nearly 1,700 homes in the Cashew division will benefit from the Neighbourhood Renewal Programme.
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In the pipeline are more cycling and jogging tracks, covered linkways and residents' corners. ; |8 x1 h, k% s1 q/ [
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Thusara Dharmapala, chairman of Cashew Residents' Committee Zone, Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, said: "A lot of people wanted more car parks and that is something that we are looking at right now. Some other issues included more facilities like barbeque pits." ( e/ q' ` G# K2 Y8 R
$ R. q* K. ]1 w ?$ ], A ~3 x( _Although the Neighbourhood Renewal Programme is free, residents will still have to cast their vote for it. And the constituency will not proceed with the programme unless it gets a 75 per cent approval from the residents. ; C8 H0 I2 G3 [
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The government also wants residents to take ownership and responsibility of the programme. ; u' K: |2 Z# _* k, P7 Z0 D! \
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Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Community Development, Youth and Sports Minister and MP for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, said: "Some of the problems are really to do with the fact that after the facility is being built, it was abused and misused and actually ended up making residents unhappy. ; [; B$ H9 s% v5 }4 f, @7 I8 s
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"So this is something we are trying to avoid in the future by making sure that it is not just an architect's grand idea or ideas from the residents committee. & p f" K. ^' k
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"These are ideas which bubble up from the ground. The last thing I want is to create a white elephant or worse create something that unwittingly inconveniences or creates disamenities." 4 k& l3 Y1 ]7 B
' P# O0 }2 w6 b4 T0 WIdeas gathered from house visits and dialogue sessions will be incorporated into the plans before they are presented to residents for their final vote. CNA/ir
