Zhi Hao, Author at Goody Feed

It's one thing to walk through a common area. It's quite another to have to walk around the common area because it is being overly cluttered. And though majority of us would never have to contend with the displeasing latter notion, it appears that residents over at Block 464 and Block 468 at Tampines Street 44 have been doing so for ages. Or to be exact, "years". Tampines Resident Frustrated At How Common Areas Are Being Treated Like 'Storeroom' According to Stomper DQ, a serial cluttering issue has seemingly dogged the folks at B64 and Block 468 at Tampines Street 44 for years. It has also caused evident distress, considering potential repercussions the issue may bring. "This poses a fire hazard and is causing obstruction to residents. It is also likely to cause mosquitoes to breed," said the Stomper. In photos that were taken of the scene, various bulky items – including the likes of tables, chairs, poles and buckets – could be spotted lying around in a heap. They are allegedly still there as of yesterday (16 March 2021). The relevant authorities have yet to respond. It should be noted that this is not the first time that the issue was reported to Stomp. And for the record, it was Stomper DQ at it for the past two years as well. 2019 In March 2019, the Stomper decided to highlight a rampant cluttering issue that was going on at Blocks 452, 464 and 468 at Tampines Street 44. The Tampines Town Council swiftly responded, stating that as long as there is no inconvenience caused to neighbours and there is no safety risk involved, item-filled corridors will not be a problem. "With reference to the photos, we would like to inform that there is a 1.2m clearance and no obstruction to the walkways. Notwithstanding, the mentioned areas are situated at the ground floor." However, the Council did state that it would continue subsequent checks at the affiliated blocks. "We would like to assure residents that Town Council will not hesitate to enforce on non-compliance should there be a safety concern," it added. It should be noted that Tampines had faced a particularly prevalent 'obstruction in common corridor' problem in 2019. Tampines reportedly scored the worst in a performance report that year, with the obstruction of common areas pulling their grade down massively in the Estate Maintenance sector. 2020 And in July 2020, the issue was raised up once again – this time pertaining to the clutter on the ground floor at Block 464. "The resident has turned the passageway into a storeroom," stated Stomper DQ. "The whole passageway is obstructed by a cabinet, a sewing machine and all kinds of bulky items." He also pointed out how the clutter was (and is) technically a fire hazard. Following the concerns, a spokesman for Tampines Town Council stated that the affiliated resident has been given time to shift the items. "We have been engaging with the resident and have given them some time to sort and clear their items," the spokesman said. "We have also provided assistance to the resident with the removal of bulky items. "We will continue to work closely with the resident and will monitor the situation." According to a Shin Min Daily News report in August 2020, the clutter at Block 464 is the handiwork of one Mr Wu, a 76-year-old man. Apparently, he assists his neighbours by fixing wooden furniture for free. As there is no space in his residence, however, he situates the items outside and brings them back after repairs. He also clarified that some tools and planks are necessary materials to conduct repair works, though he did admit that several others should be discarded. He stated that he intended to dispose of all the rubbish in one fell swoop, as his legs weren't in their best condition. Cluttering Incidents It should be noted that such cluttering issues are not exactly unperceivably rare. Back in 2019, it was reported that the common corridors and staircase at Block 151 Woodlands Street 13 have been clogged with various items such as bicycles, e-bike and even a gate. Apparently, it had been going on for "years". And in another instance, a corridor at Block 693D Woodlands Avenue 6 was cluttered with unused stuff in 2020. The resident has since proved cooperative. Featured Image: Chris Wanders / Shutterstock.com