A year since Sengkang Town Council started managing Anchorvale, what do residents say about estate cleanliness?

SINGAPORE: Some 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 Anchorvale 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. 

Anchorvale resident Ricky Yeo, who was among several residents CNA spoke to, 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," said Mr Yeo.

"It could be that they are clearing it faster or people aren’t dumping their things all over the place anymore," he added. 

Another resident, who only wanted to be known as Mr Raymund, said it used to take days for rubbish to be cleared from the bin centre, resulting in a build-up of refuse items and foul smells.

"It's better now, the garbage is collected much more promptly," he said. "I also see a lot of maintenance (workers) especially in the morning, roaming around so I think compared to last time, it's better." 

One resident, who moved into his flat at Block 321B Anchorvale Drive about three years ago, said he noticed that the estate's cleanliness fell in the initial period after the Workers' Party took over Sengkang GRC following the 2020 General Election. 

"The transition period was a bit bad when the opposition party first took over from the (People's Action Party)," said the resident, who only wanted to be known as Mr Faizal. 

"But after a few months, things stabilised and everything was okay. Now, I see workers every morning around 5am or 6am, already downstairs and starting their work or cleaning." 

When CNA visited several blocks at Anchorvale Drive including blocks 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.

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.

Another resident, Mr Rizal, who has lived in his flat at Rivervale Drive for around 15 years, said he felt that the cleanliness and maintenance of his estate was "acceptable", with cleaners regularly tidying up common areas. 

Sengkang Town Council is chaired by Ms He Ting Ru, a Member of Parliament for Sengkang GRC. Her fellow MP Louis Chua is vice chairman while Associate Professor Jamus Lim is an elected member of the town council.

CNA has contacted SKTC for comment.

Editor's note: This article has been updated to better reflect the views of the residents interviewed.