Forest preservation, early say in Gillman Barracks redevelopment among issues raised at dialogue

SINGAPORE – Preserving the forest near Gillman Barracks and having an early say in the decision-making process were among the topics raised by Telok Blangah residents at a dialogue on July 30, said MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC Rachel Ong.

About 430 people attended dialogues on July 26 and 30 with Ong, who oversees the constituency’s Telok Blangah division, and others to discuss the redevelopment of Gillman Barracks and part of its forest.

The area will make way for homes.

This comes amid public feedback over development plans for Gillman Barracks and Maju Forest in Clementi, prompting dialogues initiated by the community. MPs from both sides of the aisle have also filed questions about this for the next sitting of Parliament.

Speaking to The Straits Times after the July 30 dialogue, attended by about 300 residents, Ong said some residents cited sentimental value as one of the reasons why they want the forest preserved, while others brought up the limited recreational spaces in Singapore.

“They want to be… engaged while decisions are still ongoing and still being shaped,” she said.

Ong said the public will still be able to submit their feedback on the environment and heritage studies for the area until Aug 6. The next steps will include a summary report from the relevant agencies based on the feedback received, she added.

Residents living near Gillman Barracks and Maju Forest who spoke to ST noted the cooling benefits of the forest as temperatures rise in Singapore, and called for more transparency over the planning of areas rich in greenery, heritage, and culture.

Brand consultant Simon Lee said concerns were raised at the July 30 session about the planning process. The 52-year-old permanent resident said it can be quite alarming to see the rate of development. For people who have lived in the area their whole lives, it feels like “a part of them is going to be knocked down”, he said.

His wife Shirley Chia, 53, said she and other residents intend to gather more feedback in the coming days about the development plans.

“Young people need third spaces. What is going to happen when so much development comes into the area?” she asked after the session, which ran for about 3½ hours.

Plans for a new residential estate at Gillman Barracks were announced in 2024, and 86 buildings were assessed in a heritage study ahead of the redevelopment of the former military site.

Also assessed were various features at the site, such as key roads and an old school’s open courtyard, said the Housing Board on July 10, when it published reports on the studies carried out in the area.

Gillman Barracks is now mostly occupied by creative lifestyle, arts, and food and beverage establishments.

About a fifth of the 40ha estate – which will feature a mix of public and private housing – will be dedicated to green spaces, blending existing vegetation with newly planted greenery.

On July 26, a dialogue initiated by the community was attended by about 120 people, including Ong, Workers’ Party MPs Dennis Tan and He Ting Ru, as well as Progress Singapore Party secretary-general Leong Mun Wai.

Among the attendees was resident Yasser Amin, 30, who had chosen his new home with his partner because of its location just metres from the forest.

Yasser, who has lived in the Telok Blangah housing estate since birth, said: “I have come to appreciate what Telok Blangah Hill Park and the Gillman forest quietly do for all of us in these blocks because they are remarkable natural buffers.

“There have been recent periods when the heat has been punishing even after dark, and yet I can still feel how much these two forests cool the air around us.”

Telok Blangah resident Melissa Low, who helped organise the first dialogue, said such discussions with agencies could complement the current system that invites the public to give written feedback, as it allows residents to better understand the evidence.

The National University of Singapore research fellow added: “Ultimately, meaningful engagement is not about the Government agreeing with every suggestion.

“It is about helping people understand how decisions are made, why certain trade-offs are necessary and how public feedback has been considered.

“Even when a proposal proceeds largely as planned, that transparency can strengthen trust and public confidence in the planning process.”

Another resident who attended the July 30 session was Edward Teoh. The 46-year-old deep tech entrepreneur brought a large banner he prepared with an infographic, featuring a map of the Gillman Barracks area.

He told ST that he intended to ask at the dialogue why some endangered trees were excluded from the proposed protected area in the environmental impact assessment.

As at 12.15pm on July 31, online petitions against the development of both sites have collectively gained more than 46,090 signatures.

In an Instagram post on July 30, Ong, the MP, said she has filed a series of parliamentary questions for the Parliament sitting that begins on Aug 4.

Her questions included whether alternative sites or options with less environmental impact were considered; the basis for proceeding despite the assessment identifying significant residual impact; whether engagement with residents, heritage and nature groups will continue after the public consultation; and how environmental monitoring will inform future phases of development.

Plans are not final

Addressing concerns about the development of Maju Forest, Second Minister for Foreign Affairs and Home Affairs and MP for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC Sim Ann said in a Facebook post on July 31 that HDB has said the plans made known thus far are not final.

About two-thirds of the 23ha forest in Clementi’s Sunset Way area will make way for new public housing developments in the coming years, according to plans announced by HDB on July 10.

Sim, who held a dialogue about the site involving 131 residents with fellow Holland-Bukit Timah GRC MP Christopher de Souza, acknowledged that many in the community are deeply concerned about the potential loss of greenery, and want to see as much of it retained as possible.

To date, 65 residents from their wards have also submitted additional feedback to HDB.

Among those who had written to de Souza was long-time Sunset Way resident Wykidd Song, who also signed the online petition, as he does not think that it is too late to take action.

Said the 62-year-old: “For two decades, it has been my sanity, and for our estate, its lungs. During school holidays, every morning, there would be hiking groups of children as young as four walking through the forest, learning to experience nature and life, instead of staring at a screen. It is a lesson for every generation, not just the young.”

Nature enthusiasts and concerned residents have also organised a walk to Maju Forest and an online townhall to discuss the fate of the forest on Aug 2.

Sim said she believes that the residents’ views will be considered thoroughly and seriously, and that these will help shape the eventual outcome.

In a separate Facebook post, de Souza said he has filed parliamentary questions on whether the concerns flagged will be addressed and what lessons from Dover Forest will be applied to preserve ecological connectivity and biodiversity.

In 2021, the authorities revised their plan for the 33ha Dover Forest, after public feedback and the findings of two separate scientific studies.

Meanwhile, Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC MP David Hoe and the WP MPs have also filed questions on the proposed redevelopment for the next sitting.

The opposition party said on social media that it has filed questions for the next Parliament sitting on topics including how public consultations are carried out, the projected housing demand for the proposed sites, and how the redevelopments inform the Government’s climate adaptation plans.