New residential estate in Sengkang could contain 10,000 homes

According to proposed plans for a residential estate located near the Tampines expressway (TPE) Singapore is able to construct 10,000 houses on a huge piece of land in Fernvale North, Sengkang.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is preparing an 18.9ha site bounded by Jalan Kayu, Fernvale Street, the TPE and the planned Sengkang West Drive for housing.

The proposed changes to URA’s master plan, announced on April 29th, show the presence of parks, a religion facility, and the medical and health center. Property experts believe that the site will be able to accommodate a mixture of public and privately funded projects.

URA said that the project would support housing demand in the region and offer residents “commercial, recreational, social and communal amenities, as well as better access to parks, and more roads connectivity”.

The park, which is approximately 35 football fields, is close to Seletar West and the Seletar West Aerospace Park.

Nearby amenities include two LRT stations: Thanggam and Kupang, and Sengkang Riverside Park.

The amendments proposed change the plot ratios for parcels of land from 3.9 to 4. The plot ratio determines the amount of development that can be completed on a particular parcel of land.

Analysts from the property industry believe that the property could yield between 8,000 and 12,000 units.

Ms Christine Sun is the chief researcher and strategist for OrangeTee Group. She said that a mix of Build-To Order (BTO) condos, and executive condos can be built.

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She suggested there might be a demand that is not fully realized for BTO flats in Sengkang as the last public housing project that was launched in the year 2019.

“Some residents have lived in the area for between 10 and 20 years, and are seeking to move to private housing. “Some parents may want to move down to be close to their children who live in these regions,” added she.

Eugene Lim, ERA Singapore’s principal executive officer, explained that the the location is “strategically placed” in order to support those working located nearby at Punggol District Digital and Seletar Aerospace Park.

He noted that an undeveloped industrial enclave in Seletar West Road is situated about 2km from the Fernvale site.

“The site could draw population to help support the development of the commercial and industrial enclave in the vicinity,” he said.

The Seletar Link Flyover near the Fernvale plot was opened in January. It connects Seletar Link to TPE in order to accommodate the expected growth in traffic due to the new developments happening in Punggol.

Once completed, the newly constructed Sengkang West Drive will provide motorists with another road connection to Sengkang town.

Ang Mo Kio GRC MP Gan Thiam Poh, who supervises the Fernvale area in Sengkang, said the large residential lot could help satisfy the need for housing in the area.

“I have been receiving inquiries from Sengkang residents. Some of them told me they were getting married and would like to live close to their parents, and others mentioned they want to upgrade to a larger house as their children get older,” he said.

“I’ve talked to the authorities in charge about the requests, and I’m happy that this plot is advancing.”

The two LRT stations that are located nearby will allow future residents in Sengkang to access other amenities.

In Bukit Panjang, new houses could be built on the site that was previously Greenridge Secondary School.

In 2023 , the school that was located on Bukit Panjang’s Ring Road since 1992, will join with Fajar Secondary Schools and move to Gangsa Road.

URA had suggested rezone the 33,195 sq m area from an educational institution to a residential development to help meet the need for housing in the area and give more residents easier access to amenities and public transport.

Ms Sun stated that the plot could yield about 700 flats, or 1,000 private apartment units. She added that it is more likely to be the result of a BTO project due to the limited supply of new apartments within the estate.

Petir Park Edge, a project that consists of 191 two-room apartments, was officially launched by BTO in Bukit Pantjang in the month of December 2023. This project was launched in 2016and was the last time before.

Mr. Lim said that 550 to 650 flats that have five and four rooms are possible to be built on the site, since the estate hasn’t yet unveiled larger units.