Yishun condo residents cry foul over new HDB block's bin centre, sign petition to have it moved

When the blueprints for a Yishun BTO project were released last November, it ruffled the feathers of residents of a nearby condo Skies Miltonia. 

Their concern? The BTO project's bin centre was too near their residence. 

Some 66 disgruntled condo residents signed a petition to move the pneumatic waste conveyance system (PWCS) bin centre of adjacent BTO project Miltonia Breeze @ Yishun, reported Shin Min Daily News on Thursday (May 11).

The petition was submitted to the Housing Development Board (HDB) as well as Nee Soon MP Derrick Goh on March 21, reported The Straits Times. 

In the petition, the residents also shared another pain point — the possible traffic noise and pollution from the service driveway leading to the bin centre and multi-storey carpark (MSCP).

According to the blueprints from HDB, the bin centre at Miltonia Breeze would directly face Skies Miltonia, with a proposed nature park separating the two developments. 

Miltonia Breeze @ Yishun was launched during the November 2022 BTO exercise and is slated to be completed in 2029. 

Skies Miltonia is a 99-year leasehold project with 410 units that was completed in 2016. 

A resident at Skies Miltonia, surnamed Lai, told Shin Min she hopes that the authorities would consider her fellow residents' concerns about the bin centre, as it she felt it was a reasonable request. 

Another resident who declined to be named echoed similar sentiments, saying that it should not be facing their condominium.

These residents might have their gripes, but there are also others who decided against signing the petition.

One such resident, who only wanted to be known as Mr Tan, 64, told The Straits Times he refrained from signing the petition as he felt it was premature to do so without waiting for HDB's response.

"HDB has done what it can do, and it's more than I thought they would do," said the director of a logistics firm.

Responding to AsiaOne's queries, HDB said that it has been working with Goh and grassroot leaders there to engage the Miltonia Residents' Network and residents of Skies Miltonia condominium on their concerns. 

The resident’s network comprises residents of the three nearby condominiums: Skies Miltonia, The Shaughnessy and The Miltonia Residences.

In light of the residents' concerns, HDB said it would re-orientate the facing of the bin centre. 

An additional new access road to the bin centre will also be provided via Yishun Ave 1, to divert refuse trucks away from the service driveway fronting Skies Miltonia. 

In addition, the exhaust duct of the bin centre will be extended so that the discharge point is further away from Skies Miltonia.

More landscaping such as dense and layered tree planting will also be added to screen off the bin centre and service road from Skies Miltonia, and to add as an acoustic buffer, said the Board. 

Lastly, HDB will also improve the aesthetics of the bin centre by providing a green roof and trellis to "soften the visual impact" for Skies Miltonia residents living on higher storeys. 

Little choice in land-scarce Singapore: Goh 

Last Saturday, Goh posted on Facebook addressing the issue, after having a meeting with the Miltonia Residents' Network and HDB. 

In his post, he said that HDB would continue to study the residents' requests further, "especially relating to the Miltonia close road to access the new BTOs". 

"While I empathise with the condominium residents and am sorry to see the forest removed, I know we have little choice in land-scarce Singapore so that we can build more flats that Singaporeans want.

"I sincerely hope that through this process we can find ways to give and take so that our community as a whole is better off," he wrote. 

ALSO READ: More than 100 sign online petition over defects in new Sengkang estate; HDB says most issues resolved

claudiatan@asiaone.com