THE Urban Redevelopment Authority, acting on public complaints, has taken enforcement action against Grangeford Apartments on Leonie Hill, for unauthorised use of the premises.

URA's investigations revealed that the flats were sub-divided from the original 141 units to 600, and individually leased to many sub-tenants on an en-bloc basis, as a boarding house or hostel use.

This is an infringement of the Planning Act, said URA in a statement on Wednesday night.

'Apartment units with unauthorised uses cause disturbances and inconveniences to residents, and pose public safety concerns to those living within the premises,' said URA.

The Authority has served enforcement notices on the owner of Grangeford, Cove Development Pte Ltd, and the master tenant, Ideal Accommodation (Singapore) Pte Ltd on April 29 for the unauthorised use of the premises.

Ideal Accommodation was given a one-month notice till May 30 to remove all partitions and cease the unauthorised sub-letting. The firm appealed and the deadline was subsequently extended to Wednesday.

'However, during this period, apart from removing the partitions from 141 studio units, Ideal Accommodation had not taken any remedial action on the remaining 459 room units and most of the room units are still being operated independently on an en-bloc basis as an unauthorised boarding house or hostel use,' said URA.

Ideal Accommodation made a subsequent appeal on Monday to the Ministry of National Development (MND) for an additional two to three months to comply with the enforcement notice and cease the unauthorised use.

Cove Development, on its part, had informed the MND and URA that it would be terminating its tenancy agreement with Ideal Accommodation, and would take actions to cease the unauthorised use, remove the unauthorised partitions and reinstate the units to the approved layouts.

Given this, MND will not be considering Ideal Accommodation's appeal for an extension of the grace period.

Cove Development has informed the URA that it will take action to rectify the breaches quickly and that it will also make arrangements to address the interests of the sub-tenants of the premises.

As such, URA has granted the company an extension of the grace period till July 27 to comply with the enforcement notice to remove all partitions and reinstate the apartment units to the approved layouts.

This will also allow Cove Development time to make arrangements and address the needs of the current sub-tenants.

'URA will be keeping a close watch on the situation at Grangeford from the perspective of unauthorised use. Nevertheless, URA will bear in mind the interests of the residents and sub-tenants of Grangeford in the process,' said the statement.