DONATION FOR CONSTRUCTION OF SENNETT COMMUNITY CENTRE

Mr Chiam See Tong asked the Acting Minister for Community Development what was the total amount of money donated by members of the public towards the construction of the Sennett Community Centre, situated in Jalan Wangi, Sennett Estate.

Mr Wong Kan Seng: The former Sennett Community Centre was built in 1976 at a construction cost of $490,000. The Government provided the land and $150,000 for the project. The remaining $340,000 were raised by community leaders and the public. The running cost of the Centre was borne by the Government.

The Government has recently completed a larger modern community centre which is situated a short distance from the former Sennett Community Centre. The modern Potong Pasir Community Centre has been built to replace the smaller Sennett Community Centre and the Lorong 8 Toa Payoh Community Centre which is very near the Kim Keat Community Centre.

The new centre provides better facilities for residents living in the vicinity including those at Sennett Estate. It was built at a construction cost of $2,414,000. The Government provided the land and $1,707,000 for the building. The remaining $707,000 were raised by community leaders and the public.

The Sennett and the Lorong 8 Toa Payoh Community Centres are two out of the 26 community centres which were closed last year as part of the programme to upgrade the community facilities with the construction of more modern centres in the vicinity.

With the completion of the modern Potong Pasir Community Centre, the public interest is best served by consolidating public resources in the modern centre which is within easy access to more residents than the old centre at Sennett Estate.