5,000 HDB flats to be built in new estate in Mount Pleasant area

Around 5,000 new Housing Board flats will be built at the Old Police Academy site in the Mount Pleasant area, with the first Build-To-Order (BTO) project there to be launched within the next five years.

Residential blocks will come with sky and roof gardens, along with lush greenery and pedestrian routes woven into the estate to allow for better connectivity, HDB told The Straits Times yesterday.

The estate's design will take inspiration from the nature and heritage of the area, which was developed in the 1920s, said National Development Minister Desmond Lee.

Four existing buildings that were part of the Old Police Academy, along with part of the parade square, will be retained and adapted into community spaces to serve future residents.

The estate will have a low-rise neighbourhood centre, which is typically the heart of an estate where amenities such as retail shops are located.

The 33ha estate, around one-third the size of Bidadari, is bounded by Thomson Road and the Pan-Island Expressway. It is located close to the mature town of Toa Payoh.

Residents will be served by the upcoming Mount Pleasant MRT station on the Thomson-East Coast Line, which will open in tandem with the completion of the BTO projects.

HDB said it is assessing the site attributes, when asked if the flats will fall under the new prime location public housing (PLH) model, which imposes stricter ownership conditions.

There are currently no plans for private housing at the site, HDB told ST.

The new housing estate is on a "brownfield" site, has been earmarked for residential use in the Urban Redevelopment Authority's Master Plan since 1998, and will require minimal clearance of existing vegetation.

Brownfield sites are land which had developments on them.

There are a number of existing pre-war black-and-white bungalows, which are not conserved, in nearby Mount Pleasant Road.

The Old Police Academy was opened in 1929 as the Police Depot and was used as police training and education grounds for the next eight decades before its functions were relocated to the Home Team Academy in Choa Chu Kang.

An environment impact study was conducted and heritage groups were consulted on the proposed development plans, said Mr Lee.

Some 3,000 sq m - or 3.3 per cent of the total land area of the Singapore Polo Club - will be acquired to become part of the housing estate.

A stable, a storage shed and a sand pit will be affected, but not the clubhouse, field and main horse stables, said the Singapore Land Authority.

The announcement of the new estate comes as demand for public housing remains high among Singaporeans, with applications for BTO flats jumping by 70 per cent last year.

Ms Christine Sun, senior vice-president of research and analytics at OrangeTee & Tie, said the future HDB flats in the Mount Pleasant area are unlikely to fall under the PLH model as the site "does not fit the criteria".

"PLH sites are near the city centre or downtown core and properties in the area should command a price premium. This location is not that near to the city centre," she said.

However, Huttons Asia's senior director of research Lee Sze Teck reckons the site has potential to be considered a prime area under the PLH model as it sits within District 11, covering the Novena, Newton and Thomson areas.

But both agreed that BTO projects in Mount Pleasant will see strong demand at their launch.

Clarification note: An earlier version of this report stated that the parade square will be retained. URA has clarified that only part of the parade square will be retained.