logo
From Scotts Road to Monk's Hill: More homes planned for city centre under Draft Master Plan 2025, Singapore News

From Scotts Road to Monk's Hill: More homes planned for city centre under Draft Master Plan 2025, Singapore News

AsiaOne25-06-2025
Those seeking homes near the city centre will have greater opportunities to do so under the Draft Master Plan 2025 unveiled by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) on Wednesday (June 25).
A new neighbourhood comprising three clusters at Newton Circus, Scotts Road and Monk's Hill, for example, has been planned next to Newton MRT station.
This neighbourhood, said URA, will be a "vibrant, mixed-use precinct" framed by greenery.
Over at Orchard Road, the Paterson area will be transformed into a mixed-use hub with residential developments, shops and public spaces above Orchard MRT station.
The neighbourhood is planned to be walking- and cycling-friendly, with cycling paths connecting it to the Inner Ring Corridor and beyond.
Launching the Draft Master Plan exhibition at the URA Centre on Wednesday morning, Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat said public outreach efforts for the Draft Master Plan 2025 started two years ago.
And the authority has engaged close to 220,000 people through surveys, exhibitions, dialogues and workshops so far.
"This is the most extensive engagement that URA has conducted to date," said Chee.
"I'll like to thank the participants, Singaporeans who have shared with us a wide range of ideas. The exhibition you see today brings these ideas together into a shared vision for the next 10 to 15 years."
The draft master plan maps out Singapore's detailed land plans for the next 10 to 15 years.
Plans are also in place for Monk's Hill Road to be transformed into a linear park linking Newton MRT station to Emerald Hill.
Chee also said that more homes will also be built at the former Singapore Racecourse site in Kranji, and the Dover-Medway area near one-north.
He added that authorities are studying more areas to meet future housing needs, including developing new towns at where the Paya Lebar Air Base and Sembawang Shipyard are currently located.
"When the Paya Lebar Air Base relocates from the 2030s, it will also free up height restrictions in the surrounding towns, which will allow for more land intensification to meet demand for different land uses," the minister elaborated.
The relocation of the air base will free up about 800ha of land - bigger than Bishan or Ang Mo Kio - for a car-lite town, which will be connected with neighbouring areas including the future Defu neighbourhood in Hougang.
Historical elements such as the old airport structures and a section of the runway will be adaptively reused and integrated into the neighbourhood, and redevelopment will be done in phases — starting with Defu — which is located next to the air base.
At Sembawang Shipyard, the area will be progressively transformed into a new mixed-use waterfront district after the shipyard ceases operations in 2028.
Waterfront public spaces could be created along the berths, and key heritage buildings and structures potentially adapted for community, sports and cultural activities.
[[nid:656232]]
In addition, the authority is also looking to roll out more active ageing centres and senior housing options such as private and public assisted living facilities.
For example, one private assisted living development at Parry Avenue in Kovan, which was awarded the tender in June 2023, is expected to be completed by 2026.
It will feature 200 assisted living apartments, a 100-bed nursing home, a geriatric care centre and a wellness clubhouse.
Said Minister Chee: "MND will work closely with MOH and other agencies to flesh out the plans for this important area of work."
The Draft Master Plan 2025 also proposes three new integrated community hubs in Woodlands, Yio Chu Kang and Sengkang, to be developed in the next 10 to 15 years.
Located near public transport nodes, these hubs will bring together sports facilities, healthcare, and community spaces in a convenient location, said Chee.
Noting that integrated community hubs benefit residents and is a "productive use of our limited land", he added that the authorities are studying other locations for such hubs to be developed.
The exibition at URA Centre will be held till Nov 29, and will also be displayed at several heartland neighbourhoods between August and early November.
[[nid:718021]]
lim.kewei@asiaone.com
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

More Singapore residents met CPF Required Retirement Sum when they turned 55 in 2024
More Singapore residents met CPF Required Retirement Sum when they turned 55 in 2024

Straits Times

timean hour ago

  • Straits Times

More Singapore residents met CPF Required Retirement Sum when they turned 55 in 2024

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The retirement sum is used to join CPF Life, which provides members with monthly payouts for life starting any time from age 65 to 70. SINGAPORE – Singaporeans are putting funds aside to beef up their retirement safety nets, noted the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board's 2024 annual report. It found that more members who turned 55 in 2024 had set aside their Required Retirement Sum than in 2023. Meanwhile, retirement payouts crept above $4 billion in 2024, while the amount of excess savings withdrawn by those 55 and above rose but remained below the 2022 high. There were 39,000 active members who turned 55 in 2024. Around 70 per cent of this cohort set aside the Required Retirement Sum, up from 67.6 per cent in 2023. These members either had the Full Retirement Sum (FRS) in CPF savings, or had at least the Basic Retirement Sum (BRS) and owned a property. Mr Bryan Chan, solutions lead at advisory firm Providend, said the data is encouraging as it shows the proportion has been increasing consistently from 63.6 per cent in 2020 to 70.5 per cent in 2024. Mr Alfred Chia, chief executive of advisory firm SingCapital, said that fewer than half of CPF members met the FRS a decade ago, so these numbers have shown a lot of improvement. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 193ha of land off Changi to be reclaimed for aviation park; area reduced to save seagrass meadow Singapore PAP questions Pritam's interview with Malaysian podcast, WP says PAP opposing for the sake of opposing Singapore 1 in 4 appeals to waive HDB wait-out period for private home owners approved since Sept 2022 World Liverpool's Portuguese forward Diogo Jota dies in car crash in Spain Singapore Healthcare facility planned for site of Ang Mo Kio Public Library after it moves to AMK Hub Singapore $500 in Child LifeSG credits, Edusave, Post-Sec Education Account top-ups to be disbursed in July Business 60 S'pore firms to get AI boost from Tata Consultancy as it launches new innovation centre here The retirement sum is used to join CPF Life, which provides members with monthly payouts for life starting any time from age 65 to 70. The report also noted that $4.4 billion was disbursed to CPF members as retirement payouts, up 29.4 per cent from $3.4 billion in 2023. This worked out to a simple average of about $624 a month for each of the 588,000 members eligible for payouts, up from $552 in 2023 and $532 in 2022. Mr Chan noted that the CPF system is designed to cater to the basic needs of households in the second expenditure quintile. This refers to the group of households with the second-lowest spending in the population. He added that while CPF payouts provide a solid foundation for retirement, CPF savings could be supplemented with other streams of income for a complete retirement provision. Some CPF members might have topped up only to the BRS because they owned a property, so their payouts will be lower, but they have a roof over their heads, Mr Chan said, adding that there are other forms of financial assistance for those in tougher financial positions. Medical expenses are either subsidised or covered by schemes such as MediShield Life and MediFund. The Government has also provided help with general living expenses, such as through ComCare and CDC vouchers. While it aims to help Singaporeans and permanent residents build up their retirement nest eggs, the CPF system is flexible enough so that those aged 55 and above can make withdrawals for immediate cash needs. Members who have met their cohort's FRS can withdraw excess savings in their Ordinary Account (OA), while those who cannot set aside the FRS, or the BRS with a property, can still withdraw up to $5,000. The first group can make as many withdrawals as they like so there is no need to take out all the money at one go. There was $8.4 billion in such withdrawals in 2024, up 3.7 per cent from the $8.1 billion taken out in 2023, but below the high of $8.8 billion in 2022. Mr Chan said such withdrawals should not pose too much concern since these members have already set aside the required amount for retirement, and especially as they remain below 2022's record level. While the CPF is primarily for retirement, it is also designed to serve people's housing and healthcare needs. Members used $25.8 billion from their OA for homes in 2024, up 0.8 per cent from $25.6 billion in 2023. SingCapital's Mr Chia said CPF savings are for retirement, so members should consider using less of this money for their homes. Interest rates have come down, and home owners can borrow at fixed rates of as low as 2.2 per cent, he noted. A home buyer taking a housing loan at 2.2 per cent, while leaving savings in the OA to earn 2.5 per cent interest, has a 0.3 percentage point gain. And those CPF savings compound over time, Mr Chia added, noting: 'When people draw their CPF in and out, they lose the compounding effect.' There were 4.2 million CPF members as at Dec 31, 2024, with total balances of $609.5 billion. They earned $22.4 billion in interest on their savings, up 6.7 per cent from $21 billion in 2023.

Ground sensors on roadside parking spaces could make payments automatic under new URA pilot project
Ground sensors on roadside parking spaces could make payments automatic under new URA pilot project

New Paper

time2 hours ago

  • New Paper

Ground sensors on roadside parking spaces could make payments automatic under new URA pilot project

Paying for roadside parking might become automatic in the future, if a planned trial to install sensors on the ground goes well. These sensors embedded in the ground would be able to detect when a car drives into or leaves a roadside parking space, and communicate with the vehicle's on-board unit (OBU) via Bluetooth technology. The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) called a tender on May 6 for proposals to study the effectiveness of such a system. The agency told The Straits Times on May 29 that the study aims to test the viability of using Bluetooth communications to facilitate automated payment for roadside parking to make it more convenient for motorists. These sensors would be flat and easily driven over by vehicles. Currently, motorists pay for roadside parking either with paper parking coupons, or through the app. This URA study is separate from other plans by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to also use the OBU for payments for roadside parking. This feature, which the LTA intends to roll out when most vehicles have OBUs fitted, will require motorists to use the OBU's touchscreen display to start the parking session. The parking session ends automatically when the vehicle is driven out of the parking space. LTA said that it will "work with URA to review the outcome of this study in assessing any future deployment plans". Across the island, URA manages approximately 13,000 roadside parking spaces. For this trial, URA intends to select a contractor and conduct a reliability test at Changi Beach Car Park 5 from October 2025 to July 2026. It also intends to carry out an operational pilot at carparks in Chinatown, Keong Saik and Bukit Timah from August 2026 to July 2027. According to tender documents published on government procurement portal GeBiz, the 10-month reliability test will need to be conducted on four vehicle types: passenger sedans, light goods vehicles such as lorries, heavy vehicles such as prime movers, as well as buses with 23 or more seats. URA did not comment on why it excluded motorcycles from the trial. For the 12-month operational pilot, the authority noted that the three carpark locations were chosen because it is possible to put in the sensors at these places for the trial while having them remain accessible to motorists. "We do not expect any disruptions to parking operations," said the URA spokesperson. ST understands that there will be no automated payments triggered in the study. The tender closes at 4pm on Aug 21, and the contract will be awarded by October 2025. Asked about when it hopes to roll out these parking sensors on a wider scale, URA said it will review the outcome of the study and other parallel initiatives in assessing future deployment plans. Motorists and operators whom ST spoke to mostly welcomed this new initiative, although some raised concerns. Mr Davidson Chua, 25, said that such a system could "remove the hassle" of manually starting a carpark session when he is in a rush. The business co-founder also hopes that the system would be able to inform motorists of the availability of parking spaces in the area. But Mr Chua noted that some motorists may be unhappy with this new initiative, as they can no longer "game the system" by avoiding payments whenever they can. Mr Lim Kian Chin, the managing director of Allied Container Group, a firm with a fleet of more than 80 lorries and prime movers, said that data collected from these sensors may improve land resource planning as the agency will know how well used parking spaces are and decide how best to use the available space. But Mr Lim, who is also chairman of the Singapore Transport Association, said that it may be troublesome for truck and lorry drivers who often temporarily park their vehicles at roadside parking spaces to run quick errands, such as delivering goods to the service counter of a building. As at June, over 500,000 vehicles have been fitted with new OBU, which is part of the new satellite-based Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system known as ERP 2.0. These OBUs are capable of determining a vehicle's location and processing ERP charges. They can provide motorists with more information like real-time traffic alerts of road closures and accidents. The installation of the new OBUs in Singapore-registered vehicles is targeted to be completed by 2026.

1 in 4 appeals to waive 15-month wait-out period for private home owners approved since Sept 2022
1 in 4 appeals to waive 15-month wait-out period for private home owners approved since Sept 2022

Straits Times

time3 hours ago

  • Straits Times

1 in 4 appeals to waive 15-month wait-out period for private home owners approved since Sept 2022

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The 15-month wait-out period was part of a series of measures introduced to help cool the HDB resale market. SINGAPORE - About one in four appeals from private property owners seeking to bypass the 15-month wait-out period to buy a Housing Board resale flat has been successful, the Housing Board said. From the time the rule was introduced on Sept 30, 2022 until March 31, 2025, HDB received and processed about 5,500 appeals for a waiver. Around 25 per cent of these were approved, after careful assessment of each case. Extenuating circumstances of the flat buyers and their families are taken into account 'to ensure that applicants and families with genuine needs are given fair consideration', a spokeswoman for HDB told The Straits Times. When asked, the agency did not specify the typical reasons cited in appeals and the criteria used to assess them. The 15-month wait-out period was part of a series of measures introduced to help cool the HDB resale market , which was heating up partly due to demand from private property downgraders flush with capital. It also helps to prioritise public housing for Singaporeans with more urgent housing needs, HDB said. The rule applies to private property owners and ex-owners looking to buy a non-subsidised HDB resale flat. It does not apply to those aged 55 and over who are buying a four-room or smaller resale flat. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore $500 in Child LifeSG credits, Edusave, Post-Sec Education Account top-ups to be disbursed in July Singapore PAP questions Pritam's interview with Malaysian podcast, WP says PAP opposing for the sake of opposing World Liverpool's Portuguese forward Diogo Jota dies in car crash in Spain Business 60 S'pore firms to get AI boost from Tata Consultancy as it launches a new innovation centre here Asia US tariff deal provides relief for Vietnam, and a sting in the tail for China Singapore Scoot launches flights to Da Nang, Kota Bharu and Nha Trang; boosts frequency to other destinations Singapore Electrician who bit off part of coworker's ear during fight gets 6 months' jail National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat said recently that the rule may be relaxed before 2027, due to an expected rise in supply of new and resale flats . The HDB spokeswoman said there are early signs of moderation in resale price growth. 'We expect the market to further stabilise as more flats reach the Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) and enter the resale market over the next few years starting from 2026,' she said. 'We will also maintain a strong supply of Build-To-Order (BTO) flats to meet housing demand.' Shift in demand patterns Since the rule took effect, analysts have noted a marked impact on the resale market, particularly on the larger flats. Mr Mohan Sandrasegeran, head of research and data analytics at real estate firm Singapore Realtors Inc (SRI), noted that the number of five-room flats resold dropped by 22.5 per cent to 1,482 units between January and March 2025, compared with 1,913 units resold from July to September 2022, just before the 15-month wait-out period kicked in. Executive flats saw a steeper dip of 32.1 per cent in transactions between the two periods. The figures suggest that the wait-out rule has helped dampen demand from private property downgraders to some extent, said Mr Mohan. He added that the latest flash estimates for April to June 2025 released by HDB on July 1 showed resale flat prices continue to moderate, rising by 2.5 per cent in the first half of 2025 compared with 4.2 per cent in the same period in 2024. While the rule has helped cool demand, some private home owners facing unexpected life changes – such as job loss or financial strain – could benefit from more flexibility, said property analysts. Mr Eugene Lim, key executive officer at real estate agency ERA Singapore, said the HDB resale price index (RPI) slowed after the 15-month wait-out rule took effect on Sept 30, 2022, but picked up once eligible private home sellers re-entered the market in the first quarter of 2024. Resale transactions rose to 7,068 units from January to March 2024, with the RPI climbing 1.8 per cent quarter-on-quarter. The index rose another 2.3 per cent in the second quarter of 2024, which was close to the 2.6 per cent gain seen in July to September 2022, before the rule was introduced. Growth eased to 1.6 per cent in the first three months of 2025 , likely due to the February 2025 Sales of Balance Flats (SBF) exercise absorbing some demand, said Mr Lim. He has also observed that price growth in the HDB resale market has been increasingly driven by buyers favouring newer flats with longer remaining leases. This preference, especially among home owners looking to move to a flat that better suits their needs, has led to a divergence in price trends between 'younger' and 'older' flats. The agency's analysis showed that unit prices of newer flats – typically, those under 25 years old – have seen stronger appreciation compared with older flats. Mr Lim said lease decay concerns among home buyers have contributed to the faster appreciation for newer units, which are often priced at a premium. Lease decay is the erosion of a flat's value as the end of its 99-year lease approaches. He added that such buyer behaviour is independent of any possible revision to the 15-month wait-out policy and he expects it to remain a key driver of overall price trends. Between 2025 and 2027, more than 50,000 flats will be launched by HDB, including a growing number of Shorter Waiting Time flats and SBF, which will help to absorb demand that might otherwise flow into the resale market, said Mr Mohan. More flats will also hit the market as they complete their minimum occupation period (MOP) – a mandatory stay period (typically five years) before owners are allowed to sell them on the resale market. About 13,500 flats will reach their MOP in 2026, up from 8,000 in 2025. In 2028, this will rise to 19,500 flats. Mr Chee said he expects that the effect of a strong continued supply of new BTO flats and resale units would moderate resale prices, making it timely for the authorities to consider if the 15-month cooling measure should be partially or entirely removed.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store