New town council restructuring plan reshapes how residents access services in heartland estates

A significant restructuring of Singapore's town council system is set to reshape how residents in the eastern heartland access municipal services, with the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment announcing plans to merge three town councils into two larger administrative entities by end of 2027.

The proposal, unveiled during last week's parliamentary session, would combine the Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council with Sengkang Town Council, affecting over 380,000 residents across Punggol Road, Sengkang East Road, and the sprawling HDB blocks in both estates. A separate merger would consolidate Tampines and East Coast GRCs under one town council management.

For residents, the implications are immediate and practical. Under the new structure, constituency officers will operate from centralised service centres rather than neighbourhood-level offices, meaning Punggol residents currently served at the Punggol Plaza office may need to travel further for routine matters like maintenance requests or town council membership applications.

"We're concerned about accessibility," said one Sengkang resident who attended a grassroots dialogue session at Sengkang CC last Tuesday. "My elderly parents visit the town council office monthly. If it's now in Punggol, that's a longer journey for them."

The government maintains efficiency gains justify the restructuring. Larger town councils can consolidate procurement, reduce administrative overhead, and improve financial sustainability—a critical consideration as maintenance costs for aging HDB blocks in Pasir Ris and Sengkang escalate. The Sengkang estate, with blocks built from the early 2000s, faces rising lift maintenance and external facade work costs exceeding $15 million annually.

Yet community advocates warn against sacrificing localised decision-making. Pasir Ris and Sengkang have distinct demographics and priorities: Pasir Ris residents have consistently raised concerns about connector road flooding during monsoon seasons, while Sengkang estate faces different challenges around parking availability in newly completed developments.

The town councils will implement a digital-first approach, with a new app launching in Q3 2027 allowing residents to submit maintenance requests, pay conservancy charges, and access service schedules without visiting physical offices. Whether this adequately addresses accessibility concerns for older residents remains unclear.

Grassroots leaders from both constituencies are now consulting residents on implementation details. The government has committed to a phased transition with temporary office hours maintained until at least mid-2027, though further details on service standards and response times remain pending.

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