More greenery, 11,000 homes in revised plans for Maju Forest and Gillman Barracks

More greenery will be retained at Maju Forest and Gillman Barracks under revised plans for the two sites, which are expected to yield about 11,000 homes over the next decade.

The HDB said on Wednesday (Oct 28) that the revisions followed environmental studies, public feedback and broader planning considerations, including housing needs and the availability of alternative sites.

About 10ha, or 45 per cent of the 23ha Maju Forest area, will be retained as greenery, up from 8ha, or about 35 per cent, under the original plan.

At Gillman Barracks, about 12ha of greenery will be set aside, up from 8ha, increasing the proportion of existing greenery to be retained from about 40 per cent to 60 per cent.

Under the revised plan, Maju Forest, also known as Sunset Way, is expected to yield about 4,000 units, while Gillman Barracks will provide about 7,000 homes, including around 5,500 public housing units.

Significant portions of the greenery at both sites will be safeguarded as nature parks by the National Parks Board.

Expanded green spaces

At Maju Forest, the additional greenery will be retained in the southern part of the site, creating a wider and more continuous green area to strengthen ecological connectivity within the site and along the Clementi Nature Corridor.

The expanded green area will provide a wider pathway for wildlife, including the straw-headed bulbul, Sunda pangolin, while helping to conserve plant species of conservation significance.

The retained area will be safeguarded as a new nature park, with opportunities for the community to participate in habitat enhancement efforts.

At Gillman Barracks, more of the existing forest around a hillock will be retained, creating a greener frontage along Telok Blangah Street 31.

The north-south ecological corridor along Lock Road and Malan Road will also be widened.

The changes are intended to strengthen ecological connections within the Southern Ridges and towards Berlayar Creek and Labrador Nature Reserve.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Minister of State for National Development Alvin Tan said the revised plans sought to balance housing needs with nature conservation.

"We will develop both sites progressively over the next decade into homes and neighbourhood where families can enjoy green spaces, community facilities and amenities."

Tan added that retaining more greenery could result in about 400 fewer dwelling units at Maju Forest and 800 fewer at Gillman Barracks.

Acknowledging the differing views raised during consultations, he said it was not easy to find common ground and strike the right balance.

"But where possible, we have taken in the many diverse views when revising our plans, which we believe will achieve a better outcome for current as well as future generations."

Over 9,000 feedback submissions

During the public consultation from July 10 to Aug 6, HDB received about 7,200 submissions on Maju Forest and 2,300 on Gillman Barracks.

About 1,000 stakeholders were also engaged through consultations involving nature groups, youths, academics, built-environment professionals and members of the public.

Feedback included concerns about habitat loss, biodiversity and ecological connectivity, as well as calls to explore alternative sites or reduce the proposed development footprints.

HDB said agencies had reviewed vacant and brownfield sites in the surrounding areas, including locations suggested by residents and members of the public.

These were assessed based on their current and planned uses, when they could become available for redevelopment and whether they could meet housing needs within the required timeframe.

To accommodate housing needs while retaining more greenery at both sites, HDB said the remaining development areas would be used efficiently, including through the construction of taller blocks.

Work to begin from 2027

Site works at Gillman Barracks are expected to begin in the second half of 2027, starting with the demolition of buildings.

Land preparation works are expected to begin in 2029.

At Maju Forest, land preparation works are expected to commence in the first half of 2028. Public access to the site will be restricted once works begin.

Before development works start in vegetated areas at both sites, an environmental management and monitoring plan will be put in place to minimise environmental impacts and protect greenery and ecological features identified for retention.

Environmental mitigation and monitoring measures will continue throughout the development process to safeguard the retained greenery and ecological features, said HDB.

xingying.koh@asiaone.com

根据对马朱森林和吉尔曼兵营两地的修订计划，将保留更多绿地，预计未来十年将建成约 11,000 套住房。

建屋发展局周三（10月28日）表示，此次修订是在进行环境研究、听取公众意见和更广泛的规划考虑后做出的，包括住房需求和替代地点的可用性。

根据原计划，马朱森林23公顷的面积中，将保留约10公顷（占45%）作为绿地，而原计划的保留面积为8公顷（占35%）。

在吉尔曼军营，将划出约 12 公顷的绿地，比之前的 8 公顷有所增加，现有绿地的保留比例从约 40% 增加到 60%。

根据修订后的计划，马朱森林（又名日落大道）预计将提供约 4,000 套住房，而吉尔曼兵营将提供约 7,000 套住房，其中包括约 5,500 套公共住房。

国家公园管理局将把这两个地点的大部分绿地划为自然公园加以保护。

扩大的绿地

在马朱森林，场地南部将保留额外的绿化，从而形成更广阔、更连续的绿地，以加强场地内部以及金文泰自然走廊沿线的生态连通性。

扩大的绿地将为野生动物（包括黄头鹎、马来穿山甲）提供更宽阔的通道，同时有助于保护具有重要保护意义的植物物种。

保留下来的区域将作为新的自然公园加以保护，并为社区提供参与栖息地改善工作的机会。

在吉尔曼军营，小山周围更多的现有森林将被保留，从而在直落布兰雅街 31 号沿线打造更加绿意盎然的临街面。

沿洛克路和马兰路的南北生态走廊也将拓宽。

这些改变旨在加强南部山脊内部以及与贝拉亚溪和拉布拉多自然保护区之间的生态联系。

国家发展部政务部长陈志远周三在接受媒体采访时表示，修订后的计划旨在平衡住房需求与自然保护。

“我们将在未来十年内逐步开发这两个地块，使其成为住宅和社区，让家庭可以享受绿地、社区设施和便利设施。”

Tan补充说，保留更多绿地可能会导致Maju Forest减少约400套住宅单元，Gillman Barracks减少约800套住宅单元。

他承认在磋商过程中提出了不同的观点，并表示很难找到共同点并取得适当的平衡。

“但是，在修改计划时，我们尽可能地考虑了各种不同的意见，我们相信这将为当代和后代带来更好的结果。”

超过9000条反馈意见

在 7 月 10 日至 8 月 6 日的公众咨询期间，建屋发展局收到了约 7,200 份关于马朱森林的意见书和 2,300 份关于吉尔曼军营的意见书。

通过与自然保护团体、青年、学者、建筑环境专业人士和公众的磋商，还吸纳了约 1000 名利益相关者参与。

反馈意见包括对栖息地丧失、生物多样性和生态连通性的担忧，以及探索替代地点或减少拟议开发占地面积的呼吁。

建屋发展局表示，各机构已审查了周边地区的空置地块和棕地，包括居民和公众建议的地点。

对这些地块的评估依据是它们目前的用途和计划用途，以及它们何时可以进行重建，以及它们是否能在规定的时间内满足住房需求。

为了满足住房需求，同时在两个地块保留更多绿地，建屋发展局表示，剩余的开发区域将得到有效利用，包括建造更高的楼房。

工程将于2027年开始。

吉尔曼军营的场地工程预计将于 2027 年下半年开始，首先是拆除建筑物。

土地准备工作预计将于2029年开始。

马朱森林的土地准备工作预计将于 2028 年上半年开始。一旦工程开始，公众进入该地点的通道将受到限制。

在两个地点的植被区域开始开发工作之前，将制定环境管理和监测计划，以最大限度地减少对环境的影响，并保护已确定保留的绿化和生态特征。

建屋发展局表示，在整个开发过程中，将持续采取环境缓解和监测措施，以保护保留的绿化和生态特征。

邢莹.koh@asiaone.com