Town council dismantles and removes 'sauna' structure outside Serangoon flat

The Marine Parade Town Council has removed the 'sauna' structure outside a flat in Serangoon on Thursday (July 11). 

A photo of the sauna structure first surfaced online on Tuesday, with a netizen questioning if there was an "onsen spa" at the HDB block. 

The post quickly received comments from some netizens who wondered if it was illegal, while others expressed concern about the structure encroaching on the common corridor. 

At about 2pm on Thursday, workers from the town council were seen dismantling the structure outside the flat, reported Shin Min Daily News.

According to the Chinese daily, the sauna was not connected to a power source, and was used as a storage room for household items such as laundry detergent.

There were also over 30 potted plants lining the corridor. 

The owner of the 'sauna' is a Chinese woman in her 50s, reported Shin Min on Wednesday. 

After the sauna was removed, two Singapore Civil Defence Force personnel arrived at the flat to take measurements of the corridor's width. They also took some photos of the area, CNA reported.

Seah Kian Peng, MP of Braddell Heights in Marine Parade GRC, told Shin Min on Wednesday that the town council has asked the resident to reduce the amount of items outside her home for years. 

"We will keep in touch with the homeowner to remove the installations and reduce the clutter outside the unit," said Seah. 

Owner requested to remove sauna: Town council 

In a statement given to CNA, the Marine Parade Town Council said on Thursday that the sauna was removed at the request of the owner. 

"The owner has approached us yesterday to arrange for the removal of the sauna fixture, and with our assistance, the fixture was removed from the common area earlier today." 

They added that they have been engaging the owner to reduce the clutter outside her unit over the years, and acknowledged the owner's efforts in doing so. 

"The owner has made another appointment with the town council to further declutter the area. We will work closely with her to do so," said the town council.

READ ALSO: Serangoon HDB flat's 'sauna' structure raises eyebrows, town council to ask homeowner to remove

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