Another bid to develop unstable plot
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Soil erosion territory: The bungalow at the end of Jalan Pakat, which is a narrow road, slightly more than three metres wide.
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LANDSLIDES are the main concern of residents living in Ukay Heights, Ampang, especially when they hear of a proposed development on a plot of land in the area that has a history of soil instability.
The plot concerned is Lot 1866, Jalan Pakat.
According to a resident, who wished to remain anonymous, three development proposals for the lot had been submitted to the local council in 2006, 2008 and, the most recent, this year.
The first two, according to the resident, was cancelled due to strong objections from people living in the area.
“The plan in 2006 was to build a two-storey bungalow with a basement and swimming pool. In 2008, under a new owner, the application was to build three four-unit apartment blocks called family houses,” the resident said.
He also said in 2008, only he had got the notice regarding the time period to submit complaints against the development project.
“According to the Town and Country Planning Act, 27 landowners within a 200m radius from the plot of land where the proposed development is to take place should have been informed about it. This is because the road leading to the land is a dead end,” the resident said.
Recently, the same thing happened again when only one resident in the area received the notice about the deadline for submitting complaints.
“The only one who received the notice does not live in the area and rents his bungalow out. Two years ago, I, too, was living in Damansara, not here and I was the only one to get the notice,” the resident said.
He added that the first soil erosion happened eight years ago.
“It was so bad that the then owner who lived in the bungalow had to move out in the middle of the night for fear that the whole house would collapse,” the resident said, adding that the soil started to sink rapidly and left a gap underneath the back portion of the bungalow.
The neighbouring house owners also had to shore up their property as they found the soil in the area was starting to slip.
The residents, in objecting against the current proposed project, said the soil was unstable and they feared that a project bigger than a bungalow might cause landslides.
“Also the road leading to the lot is very narrow, slightly more than three metres wide. If any emergency were to occur, the ambulance or fire truck will have difficulty accessing the place. That area should not be made into a high density residence,” he said.
Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) public relations officer Norhayati Ahmad said the council was abiding by the planning approval procedure by giving the residents time to submit their complaints as well as to hold a public hearing.
“The hearing is part of the procedure where we will listen to the protests of the residents in the area. We sent a total of 18 notices to the area’s landowners,” she said.
She added that the application plans was in accordance with the guidelines.
The hearing on April 26 had to be cancelled as only six residents turned up. A new date has not been set.
MPAJ president Datuk Mohammad Yacob, said they would not simply approve the application.
“We will send officers from the appropriate departments to check the place before approving anything.
“If there are soil erosion issues, we will get the Public Works Institute (Ikram) to inspect as well,” Mohammad said.
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