1. Serangoon Gardens
2. Thomson Garden
3. Tai Keng Gardens
4. Hoover Park
5. Woodlands Park

About 4,600 households will benefit from the programme upon completion.

In March 2000, the Government announced that it would implement a programme to make physical improvements to public land and facilities within private residential estates. Details of the Estate Upgrading Programme (EUP) are at Annex A.

Following the announcement, the Estate Upgrading Programme Committee (EUPC), chaired by A/P Koo Tsai Kee, Senior Parliamentary Secretary (National Development), invited Advisors to the Citizens’ Consultative Committee (CCC) to suggest the estates to be considered for the programme. A total of 31 proposals were received.

Of the 31 proposals received, the Committee selected the 5 estates based on the following factors :

• The age and physical condition of the estate.
• The level of community bonding and support for the programme.
• Whether there is scope to make significant estate improvement, and if there are other improvement projects planned by public agencies, which can coincide with the improvement works.
• How well residents maintain their own property.
• Location of estates to ensure a good geographical spread.

The respective CCC will administer the implementation of the EUP. The upgrading works for the 5 selected estates are expected to be completed by end 2002 or earlier, depending on the extent of works.

The Government will give the CCC an EUP grant of $4,000 per dwelling unit. In addition to the grant, Government agencies (National Parks Board, Land Transport Authority and the Ministry of the Environment) will tie in their routine improvement works and budgets for these estates with the upgrading programme where possible.

In total, the 5 estates will receive an upgrading funding of up to $20.5 million, of which $18.4 million are from the EUP grant and the remaining $2.1 million are from the Government agencies.

The Government has set aside an EUP budget of $40 million for up to Yr 2005 (this includes the $18.4 million for the batch 1). This will allow about 3-5 estates to be selected for the programme each year. The Government will review the total budget and the number of estates to be chosen, depending on the experience gained from this batch, support for the programme and the budget surplus generated every year.

The next selection exercise will start in the 2^nd quarter of 2001.

Issued by : Ministry of National Development

Date : 17 October 2000

ESTATE UPGRADING PROGRAMME (EUP)

The EUP aims to enhance the living environment of private estate dwellers just as HDB residents have benefited from the HDB upgrading programmes. It provides physical upgrades to the public areas within the private residential estates.

Upgrading will be carried out on the public land and facilities within the private residential estates. It will not cover works on private land and facilities, including common areas and properties of condominiums and private apartments, as we cannot justify the use of public funds on private lands. Items being considered for the upgrading works include landscaping, play equipment, park furniture, widening of footpaths and drainage improvements. A list of the possible works under EUP is attached in Appendix.

Other improvement works can be considered as long as they fall within the scope, i.e. they are works on public land and facilities, and are supported by the residents.

Each year, CCC Advisors will be asked to nominate estates for the programme. The selection of the estates will be based on the following factors :

• The age and physical condition of the estate.
• The level of community bonding and support for the programme.
• Whether there is scope to make significant improvement, and if there are other improvement projects planned by public agencies, which can coincide with the improvement works.
• How well residents maintain their own property.
• Location of estates to ensure a good geographical spread.

The allocated budget for each estate will be capped at $4,000 per dwelling unit, similar to the amount for the Interim Upgrading Programme (IUP).

The EUP is fully funded by the Government. Private estate residents do not have to co-pay for the upgrading works.

Like IUP and MUP, the EUP will be contingent on budget surplus.

The CCC will administer the implementation of the upgrading works. Upon completion, the works will be handed over to the relevant public agencies for maintenance.

1. Upgrade railings eg using stainless steel

2 Footpaths/pavements

1. lamp-post on footpath
2. use concrete pavers or tile finish instead of precast slab
3. coloured surface footpath

3 Specially-designed bus shelters

5 Dedicated planting strip along sidetable, separate from walkway

6 Street lighting of selected themes (instead of standard PUB fixtures)

7 Drains

1. Provision of drop-inlet chambers
2. Construction of closed scupper drains
3. Covering up of drains
4. Covering of open drains at rear of the development, or if the drain is no longer necessary, to fill it up

9 Provide BBQ pits within parks

11 Handicap friendly entrances to parks and playgrounds

12 Pebbled footpaths for foot exercise in parks and playgrounds

13 Sand pits for play equipment

14 Fitness equipment in parks

15 Add plaza areas in parks

16 Upgrade park benches/lighting/shelters/footpaths

17 Install modern composite play equipment

18 Replace chain link fencing in playgrounds with railings

20 Relandscaping and returfing

22 Improve tree aeration areas

23 Provide more recycling bins within estate

24. Provide kerbside parking in areas where illegal parking , especially along the sidetable, is common
25. Specially designed signs for estate names