As part of its overall mission to provide residents with a quality living environment, the Jurong-Clementi Town Council (JRTC) has completed many upgrading programmes and improvement works in Bukit Batok East over the past five years. With an aim to continuously improve and add more new facilities to the estate, the JRTC has mapped out a five-year masterplan for the estate for 2021 to 2025.
Some of the enhancement programmes for the neighbourhood include the construction of drop-off points at Blocks 250 and 253 in Bukit Batok East Avenue 5, a roof over the existing ramp at Block 254 Bukit Batok East Ave 4, and the construction of covered linkway from Block 201 Jurong East St 21 to existing covered linkway along Boon Lay Way. In addition to the construction of a new high link between Blocks 279 and 281, Bukit Batok East Ave 3, the high link roof between Blocks 289A and 289H in Bukit Batok Street 25 will also be enlarged. Playgrounds at Block 260 Bukit Batok East Avenue 4 and Block 247 Bukit Batok East Ave 5 will be upgraded.
Through the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s efforts to bring more quality jobs, amenities and recreational options closer to homes, the ongoing development of the Jurong Lake District will soon become a place that residents in the west are proud to live and work in. With the completion of Jurong Lake Gardens West (beside Taman Jurong) on 27 April 2019, the second phase of the completion of Jurong Lake Gardens East and Jurong Lake Gardens Central will take place progressively from 2021 onwards.
To provide better transportation connectivity in the west, the new Jurong Region Line will be built and Bukit Batok East will house a new train station: Toh Guan. The Town Council is also working on expanding the cycling network, which will see the redevelopment of the Ulu Pandan park connector from the Pan Island Expressway to Bukit Batok East Avenue 2, as well as a new park connector along Ulu Pandan.
The JRTC has also installed more digital notice boards in high human traffic areas for better communication with residents. To improve safety and security, police cameras, as well as CCTVs, have also been installed inside all lift cars.
Taking the lead in sustainability projects, the JRTC has achieved significant energy savings from LED projects since 2010. In 2019, former LED lights were replaced with more energy-efficient ones. The Town Council also worked with the Housing & Development Board (HDB) to install solar panels to harness solar energy. Introduced back in 2007, the Town Council’s Cash for Trash programme to encourage residents to reuse and recycle old items has steadily been gaining ground. The Cash for Trash stations are at Block 205 Jurong East Street 21, Block 270 Toh Guan Road and Block 267 Bukit Batok East Ave 3.
As part of the HDB’s efforts to rejuvenate neighbourhoods islandwide, a series of refurbishment programmes, including the Home Improvement Programme and Remaking Our Heartland (ROH). were implemented. Among the estates that have completed the ROH programme are Blocks 271 to 284 Bukit Batok East Avenue 3 and 4.
Among other improvement initiatives, the JRTC has also completed the Lift Upgrading Programme to provide direct access to all floors. New lifts have also been installed at Block 271 Bukit Batok East Avenue 4. These come with enhanced features to prevent over-speeding. The refurbishment programmes will be progressively carried out over a span of eight years and are scheduled for completion by 2027.
Since 2015, the JRTC has spent $6.9 million in repair and redecoration, including replacement works such as water pipes and booster pumps. An additional $20.5 million will be spent in the next five years, with six more repair and redecoration projects in the pipeline.
Over the last five years, the Town Council has spent around $3 million in Bukit Batok East on various town improvement projects, including the construction of covered linkways, jogging tracks and directional signages. Going forward, $3.1 million more will be spent to provide improvement works for better facilities for residents.
To strengthen social resilience in the community, social service facilities are being offered to residents by organisations such as the Singapore Association for Mental Health and Thye Hua Kwan Moral Charities in Bukit Batok East.
For more details of the Jurong-Clementi Town Council Five-year Master Plan, please click here.