With no more room for delays, not six or nine months, the HDB will work hard not to extend delays but to focus more on reducing it as much as possible as construction activities started specifically around 89 Build-To-Order or BTO areas this Monday, said Desmond Lee, the Minister for National Development.
Among 90 BTO areas, only one has pending approval from the office of Building and Construction Authority (BCA). The Housing Board stressed that it’s negotiating with the builder to safely get back to the construction project.
The HDB refrains from mentioning the exact site.
Construction slowly resumed way back on June 2, during which circuit breaker measures were relaxed provided companies would observe the safety policies imposed on their working areas amid the pandemic surge.
The HDB previously announced for the maximum delayed of nine months, contrary to the original time frame completion due to shortage of the workforce and material construction slow delivery.
The estimated delay time frame was set as is, and no further changes through the HDB will stop it from finding ways to lower the number of days delayed as work resumes, HDB and Ministry of National Development (MND) announced via a joint statement the previous day.
Some of BTO 89 sites where construction has started again include Bukit Panjang, the Senja Valley Project, launched last 2016 of May.
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It anchors 789 units which come in a Flexi two-room, spacious three-room, high-end four and five-room flats plus 202 public rental units.
Sim Lian Construction, the lead developer of the project, acquired BCA’s approval just 4th of July and July 17th the construction resumed seamlessly.
Phay Morgan, 49, the director of Sim Lian Construction and in charge of the whole development said, ” the development, Senja Valley, was originally set four months earlier than its schedule, prior to the kicked period of circuit breaker which was April 07.
Continous delay simply means that the homeowners could no longer have the chance to hold their keys ahead as originally expected. Rather, it’s on track for its anticipated completion date, which falls in the fourth quarter of 2021.
At present, there are more or less 220 workers, which is 80% of the required working force that was back on the development site.
The previous day, Mr Lee jumped over Senja Valley area to check if safety measures were implemented to prevent COVID-19 surged in the development sites.
These incorporate the boundaries of the site with dedicated rest space and bath facilities, divided work teams along with wobbled reporting, eating and resting times.
In Mr Lee’s Facebook post, he expressed gratitude to contractors for the extra effort in consulting significant agencies regularly and ensuring complete manpower planning and perfect site preparation.
” Strict observance of the said safety measures yields unexpected delays, but is highly needed for everybody’s safety and health,” he said.
“I wish to guarantee to the homeowners that the Housing Development Board promised to do all its best to reduce delays specifically for BTOs projects and back to back working with the contractors to secure Covid-19 safe compliance.”
The HDB announced that flat buyers will be kept posted over the completion date of their BTO project via letters from their account in My HDBPage as the construction progresses.
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