A resident of Toa Payoh will get to keep the Christmas decorations he installed outside his ground floor HDB flat thanks to the help from his Member of Parliament (MP), according to media reports.
Over the past three years, Martin Silva has set up a makeshift patio lined with Christmas lighting. The structure has become a popular spot to take pictures and a meeting point for residents during the yuletide season. But because of it, Bishan-Toa Payoh’s Town Council fined him several times for unauthorised use of public space and warned him that the patio might be removed due to safety concerns.
The town council’s CEO, Ling Ming Chuan, said the structure posed a danger to the elderly and young children as the wooden plank flooring was warped and uneven. It was also a potential mosquito breeding site.
“The Town Council is happy to support all projects which promote community bonding. Indeed, this is part of our overall mission. However, these projects must benefit not specific individuals, and must not endanger the residents’ health or safety,” he added.
Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC’s MP Zainudin Nordin intervened to resolve the issue.
Following a meeting with the Residents’ Committee and Citizens Consultative Committee, Zainudin announced on his Facebook page yesterday that the Christmas patio will not be taken down as long as it is open for public use. But some planks would have to be replaced for safety reasons.
“The RC members informed neighbours that they would adopt this as a community project for all residents to use. With these changes for common use and to ensure safety, the town council can now approve its use on common property,” he added.
Image: File photo of Christmas tree (Photo by Aurevilly; Wikimedia Commons)
Muneerah Bee, Senior Journalist at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact her about this or other stories email muneerah@propertyguru.com.sg
