Parts of Springleaf area to be developed as mixed-use site

Portions of Springleaf, a largely forested area, will be developed as a mixed-use site, with some of its natural and built heritage elements to be retained.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) said yesterday that housing will be built in the area to meet demand and make use of Springleaf MRT station on the Thomson-East Coast Line, which opened last year.

At more than 30ha, the site is bounded by Seletar Expressway, Mandai Road and Upper Thomson Road.

About half of it is currently zoned for residential, as well as mixed commercial and residential use, while 8.5ha is zoned as park land. The rest of the plot is a reserve site.

URA commissioned an environmental impact assessment (EIA) in 2020 to understand how its development plans would affect the site, which includes two zones that studies identified as significant conservation areas for biodiversity.

A URA spokesman said that based on the EIA's recommendations, it is now planning to expand the park area to 10ha to 15ha - about half the Springleaf site. The planned residences in the area will be private housing, he added.

The National Parks Board said the new park in Springleaf, Nee Soon Nature Park, was identified as a buffer for the Central Catchment Nature Reserve, and also an ecological link to the upcoming Khatib Bongsu Nature Park.

Based on URA's diagrams, Sungei Seletar, which runs through the site, will be retained as part of the park, while the authority said the immediate surroundings around significant biodiversity areas will also be kept.

URA said upcoming buildings in the area will have small footprints to minimise habitat loss, and come with greener facades to avoid being hit by birds.

Buildings will also be built on "disturbed ground" - referring to land previously affected by development - and less sensitive areas, URA said, adding that development works will be phased to minimise environmental impact.

Besides natural heritage considerations, the new developments will also incorporate built heritage of the area.

Heritage landmarks such as the former Seletar Institute, which was originally Upper Thomson Secondary School's campus, and the former Nee Soon Post Office will be conserved and integrated into future developments.

A white and orange post box, once a common sight in Singapore, is still found at the former post office.

Nature Society (Singapore) president Shawn Lum said the plans for Springleaf are grounded in the place's history and culture, and were "the result of over a decade of careful thinking, planning and consulting".

"In a purely ecological sense, not building anything on the site might have given nature the best long-term chances of recovery," he said, but noted that the proposed plans by MKPL Architects achieves a good balance between nature-sensitive development, habitat conservation and enhancement.

The full EIA report for Springleaf is available on URA's website for public feedback until July 4.

Following this, URA will decide the exact size of the park and other land parcels. The masterplan zoning for the site will also be updated if necessary.