Residents, nature advocates seek study amid bus depot works at Serangoon River forest
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The construction site of the bus depot in Serangoon River forest, pictured from Kingsford Waterbay condominium on Jan 5.
ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
- The Lorong Halus Bus Depot construction in Serangoon River forest has sparked concern among residents and some nature advocates, who are calling for an ecological study.
- Residents fear habitat loss and advocate preserving the "Serangoon River forest".
- The eastern bank of the Serangoon River has been a rare, green refuge for Singapore’s north-eastern towns.
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SINGAPORE - For years, the eastern bank of the Serangoon River has been a rare, green refuge for Singapore’s north-eastern towns, as large tracts of woodland reclaimed abandoned villages and a landfill.
So several residents in the area were taken aback in late 2025 when construction vehicles rolled in to start work on the Lorong Halus bus depot
Now, a coalition of residents and some nature advocates are calling for the works to pause until the vegetated site’s ecological value is properly studied.
Nature Society Singapore (NSS) estimates the plot to span about 105ha – slightly bigger than Coney Island Park.
On Dec 23, NSS conducted its own rapid survey of the plot and logged 138 species of common and exotic plants, which included noteworthy species such as native fig trees and fishtail palms that are prolific food producers for fauna.
Past NSS surveys of the area along Serangoon River, also known as Sungei Serangoon, had shown the presence of 92 species of birds, of which 25 were of concern for conservation.
The grey-headed fish eagle and rufous woodpecker are among 10 of these species that are known to rely on forests.
The authorities have previously said that the area for the bus depot did not warrant a study, as the brownfield site primarily contained non-native vegetation and was not near any sensitive nature areas.
Brownfield sites generally refer to land that has once been developed or are vacant parcels amid existing developments, according to a previous reply by the Ministry of National Development.
In comparison, greenfield sites refer to undeveloped land.
The Government typically requires environmental studies for proposed projects that are near sensitive areas like nature reserves and areas with significant biodiversity, or for works that could affect other countries and regions.
Singapore does not mandate such studies for all developments and, unlike most jurisdictions, lacks a law for environmental impact assessments.
For Singapore’s planners, the forested land and its wildlife were always meant to be temporary, with the area earmarked for future industrial use since the 2003 Master Plan.
The bus depot was proposed to be incorporated into the masterplan in September 2023, and approved in November that year.
The Land Transport Authority called a tender to build the depot in December 2023.
When completed, the four-storey facility by developer Koh Brothers Eco Engineering is expected to house at least 550 buses.
Hougang resident Tan Choon Ming is campaigning to save the vegetation, which is informally dubbed Serangoon River forest.
ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
Since September, Hougang resident Tan Choon Ming has canvassed HDB blocks in the area with fliers detailing the forest’s value, urging fellow residents to ask the authorities to revisit the usage of the woodland.
He hopes to preserve not just the bus depot site, but also all the tracts of green – informally dubbed Serangoon River forest – that extend from Tampines Road to Serangoon East Dam.
“If you look at the satellite imagery, the development will remove one of the last forests in the east of Singapore,” said Mr Tan, a 49-year-old trainer of persons with disabilities, whose flat is within a seven-minute walk of the forest.
“While the villagers who vacated the kampungs (Malay for village) of the site could move to new towns, the animals inside the forest have nowhere to go.”
He questioned the decision to build the depot without an environmental study.
Speaking on behalf of NSS, Mr Tony O’Dempsey noted that while the society appreciates the need to develop the area, “significant habitat” had re-established on the bus depot site after the land was left vacant for over a decade.
The regeneration featured grasses with scattered trees, clusters of woodland, and water bodies important for bird life.
He said an environmental study should have been done.
According to his estimates, the bus depot and access road cover about 7 per cent of the southernmost patch of vegetation spanning 105ha, most of which is slated for industrial use.
“Labelling a development site as ‘brownfield’ does not excuse the need for environmental investigation,” Mr O’Dempsey said, adding that these sites still play an ecological role for native fauna.
Conducting a rapid biodiversity study in support of an Environmental Management and Monitoring Plan would have documented the impact on biodiversity and set out mitigation measures, he said, citing how it would have specified a strategy for wild pigs to avoid roadkill incidents on the new access road.
An Environmental Management and Monitoring Plan sets out the ways to manage and minimise the impacts of a development project.
Homemaker Winnie Wong pointing to show how close the construction site of the bus depot in Serangoon River forest is to her home.
ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
Meanwhile, residents of Kingsford Waterbay condominium, which faces the bus depot site, started a Change.org petition in October to preserve as much of the remaining green spaces as possible and to relocate the bus depot to the nearby Defu Industrial Estate. It has more than 1,100 signees so far.
Homemaker Winnie Wong, whose 14th-floor flat overlooks the construction, learnt about the depot when she saw trees being felled in September.
“The temperature will definitely go up in the absence of the forest,” she said. “The noise and light pollution will also be significant for residents living next to the bus depot.”
The 56-year-old recounted seeing flocks of birds, including parakeets, flying to and from the forest.
Resident Larry Tan, 50, said many believed the land would remain untouched until the Paya Lebar Air Base relocation
He added that residents collectively agreed that it would be helpful for the authorities to look into rezoning the bus depot site as a nature reserve, as part of Singapore’s ongoing nature preservation efforts.
Hougang MP Dennis Tan said his constituents first contacted him in the last quarter of 2025 to raise their concerns, after which he wrote to the authorities and convened a dialogue with residents.
Mr Tan has raised concerns about the redevelopment of the site in Parliament since 2023.
He added that he has filed parliamentary questions for the upcoming sitting, and a related adjournment motion on rethinking redevelopment and green preservation.
Meanwhile, Mr Marshall Lim, the PAP grassroots adviser for Hougang, said he has held two engagement sessions with residents and visited the site.
He added that he continues to call for “all practicable measures to be implemented to minimise disamenities and protect the surrounding environment”.
Mr Tan Choon Ming said he plans to continue campaigning for the Serangoon River forest, as the prospect of redevelopment for industrial use looms closer.
He recounted how he had written to the ST Forum in 1996 when he witnessed the flattening of Punggol’s forests. “This time round, I think I can do a bit more to help preserve this forest.”
