HDB flats upset with BBQ smoke from condo's BBQ pits; condo says smell is nice, bear with it
All Singapore Stuff
Submitted by farhan
25 July 2017
Residents at a condominium in Punggol, A Treasure Trove, have been
locked in a dispute with their neighboring Housing & Development
Board (HDB) flat residents for over 3 years, all because of the smells
and smoke that get emitted from their BBQ pits which are just 15 meters
away from the nearest HDB flats.
walls to be coated with black carbon residue and grease
According to news reports, residents at the neighboring HDB flats have
resorted to shutting themselves in the room, using fans and air
conditioning and cleaning their windows and furniture more often.
Reporters who visited the scene found that the smoke and the grease
floating from the neighboring BBQ had caused several HDB residents'
furniture and walls to be coated with black carbon residue and grease.
When asked what measures had been taken, they said that they had
complained several times to the authorities but no action has been
taken.
When speaking to the A Treasure Trove's management, the condominium's
management said that the issue was not a big one and commented that the
residents were just making a fuss over freely moving BBQ smells.
The management's spokesperson pointed out that the relevant authorities
had visited the condominium before over such complaints, and found that
there was no breach in the laws or regulations.
"We use electronic BBQ pits. We completely do not use the charcoal
style pits, which reduces the BBQ fumes to their lowest level. The
(HDB) residents get to smell the pleasant scent of cooked meat, not the
smell of rubbish or other pungent odours, I don't feel there is any
problem," said the condominium's spokesperson.
When asked why the condominium had located over 10 BBQ pits in the same
location facing the HDBs, the spokesperson said that the pits were to
cater to the 882 units in the condominium.
Reporter spoke to lawyers, who confirmed that there was no breach in
any regulations on the part of the condominium, with a caveat. If the
residents of the nearby HDB flats can prove that the condominium's
BBQing had caused long term health problems or illnesses, these
residents can sue the condominium for compensation under the laws
governing Tort of Negligence.
This matter has not escaped the attention of politicians like Member of
Parliament Sun Xueling. She says that she has been working with
residents to reach an amicable solution to the problem.
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