SINGAPORE – More than a thousand new homes are expected to be built in Toa Payoh East on a site that had housed the first golf driving range to be built in a Housing Board estate.
On Jan 24, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) published a proposed amendment to the Master Plan 2019, in which a site measuring about 3.6ha – equivalent in size to about five football fields – was set aside for housing use and given a plot ratio of 4.1.
“The proposed residential development will support the demand for housing in the area and allow future residents to tap on the site’s proximity to existing amenities within Toa Payoh Town,” said the agency on its website.
The nearby amenities include Toa Payoh Polyclinic, Kim Keat Palm Market and Food Centre, as well as St Andrew’s secondary school and junior college.
Ms Christine Sun, chief researcher and strategist at OrangeTee Group, said that site will likely be used for public housing, as it is surrounded by HDB flats such as the recently completed Kim Keat Ripples Build-To-Order (BTO) project.
Noting that it is close to the Central Expressway, she said that developers may not find the site attractive for condominium use due to the potential buyers’ concerns over noise. Its proximity to public housing projects also means a lack of exclusivity for potential residents.
As the site is not close to an MRT station but on the city fringe, flats built on the site could be Standard or Plus flats under HDB’s classification system for BTO projects, Ms Sun added.
The driving range, which was built on part of the 3.6ha site, opened in late 1993 and closed in 2018. It has since been demolished.
A 2001 photo of the already-demolished driving range in Toa Payoh East. PHOTO: THE BUSINESS TIMES
Mr Lioe said that the home is aiming to be licensed by the second half of 2026, which will allow it to care for elderly residents with higher needs, such as those who use wheelchairs or are bedridden.
“The transition to a nursing home will also allow us to continue providing a continuum of care for our existing residents, rather than to transfer them to a nursing home if we were to remain as a sheltered home,” he said, adding that the move is aligned with national healthcare needs.
Public feedback on the four proposed amendments may be sent to the Ministry of National Development by Feb 22, 2025.
