The Housing and Development Board’s (HDB) Lift (LUP) has remained popular with home owners for its benefits but to some residents, the lift landing designs at some HDB blocks may cause potential problems.
For Ms Sophie Fernando, a resident in a five-room flat in Block 258, Jurong East Street 24, she is concerned that the new lift landing next to her balcony could be a springboard for burglars to break-in.
Ms Fernando said that she had asked the HDB to install full-height metal bars at the lift landing to ensure that any possible access to her unit by burglars would be sealed off but the request was turned down.
In response to media queries, the HDB said it had looked into the request and that “a full metal grille is not necessary … as the distance between the lift lobby and balcony is sufficiently set back and complies with the building guidelines”.
When MediaCorp visited the block, a resident on the second floor highlighted that the canopies, meant to minimise rainwater from splashing into the ground floor lift lobby, is another easy access point for burglars.
But the HDB explained that the sloped, 600mm-wide canopy is a difficult foothold and that anyone who wanted to jump into the window must leap at least 1.5m to the nearest window ledge to get to the next foothold, making “the risk of falling off the block with such a move being very high”.
For another HDB resident, who wanted to be only known as Mrs Lee, the new lift lobby allows strangers to look from the balcony straight to her kitchen. She plans to line her side of the lift lobby with potted plants in order to block the view into her flat.
Mrs Lee said she now regrets agreeing to the LUP in her flat. “I’m living on the second floor and I’m healthy enough to walk up on my own, I don’t really need lift upgrading,” said the 51-year-old.
Mrs Lee said that, despite having seen the floor plan and designs during the consultation stage, she was still struck by another unpleasant surprise – the lift shaft seemed to have blocked light to the staircase landings. In response, the HDB said that residents can approach the Town Council for assistance on common area lighting.
The HDB adds that lift upgrading in the block was given the go-ahead after more than 80 per cent of the units voted “yes” during the polling in March last year.
Yuhua constituency Zone 1 Residents’ Committee chairman P Rajoolingam said that any further complaints on lift upgrading can be made to the grassroots leaders, who will take further action should more residents made their concerns known.
By Lynda Hong
Source – Todayonline – 24 Apr 2011
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