Impact on new town a worry

The view as seen from 17 Murai Farmway, with 19 and 21 Murai Farmway in the background.
ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG

The westward expansion of Tengah Air Base has raised some concerns about how it might affect future residents of a new town on its eastern side, observers said yesterday.

The new residential area located between Jurong, Choa Chu Kang and Bukit Batok, currently a forest mass, will become a new town called Tengah, providing 30,000 public housing units and 12,000 private ones when completed.

The first batch of flats on the 700ha plot - equivalent to Bishan in size - will be launched next year.

Property consultancy Chris International director Chris Koh said there may be some noise issues, similar to those faced by people living near Paya Lebar Air Base.

But he also noted that Tengah town will boast a 100m-wide and 5km-long forest corridor, adding: "It has been known that greens absorb noise, so it won't be too bad.

"Also, the town will be on the other side of the air base, farther away from the runways."

Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC MP Alex Yam, whose Yew Tee ward is close to the affected area, said he has filed a parliamentary question on how the Defence Ministry will mitigate noise issues and assure residents that increased air traffic and training exercises in the area will not affect their safety.

Tengah is the first Housing Board town to be developed since Punggol two decades ago.

Rachel Au-Yong

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on July 19, 2017, with the headline Impact on new town a worry. Subscribe