New nature park, better connectivity for wildlife in updated plans for Maju Forest, Gillman Barracks

SINGAPORE - Wildlife in the areas surrounding Maju Forest and Gillman Barracks will be better connected and more green spaces retained under revised development plans for both sites, said the Housing Board on Oct 28.

Additional greenery at both locations will also be protected as nature parks.

These changes were guided by feedback from the public following HDB’s July release of initial plans for Maju Forest and Gilman Barracks, said the agency in a statement.

They were also shaped by environmental studies undertaken for the two sites as part of efforts to strike a balance between developing them as sensitively as possible and meeting national housing needs, HDB added.

Wider pathway for wildlife

At Maju Forest, more greenery has been set aside at the southern part of the site to create a wider and more contiguous green area.

HDB said this will strengthen ecological connectivity within Maju Forest and along the Clementi Nature Corridor.

The aim is to create a wider pathway to facilitate the movement of wildlife between the eastern and western parts of the retained area. Wildlife recorded in these parts include those of conservation significance like the straw-headed bulbul and Sunda pangolin.

This is part of a larger 10ha area of retained greenery at Maju Forest under the new plans, up from 8ha under initial plans. In total, greenery will take up about 45% of the 23ha site.

The enlarged 10ha area of retained greenery – up from 8ha under initial plans – will take up about 45% of the 23ha Maju Forest site.

The retained area will also be designated as a new nature park, where the community will have opportunities to contribute to habitat restoration, said HDB.

There are also plans for a new nature way along Brookvale Drive. HDB said it will feature multi-tiered planting that mimics the natural forest structure. Nature ways are routes planted with specific trees and shrubs that replicate the natural structure of forests.

The agency added that the nature way will complement the nature-oriented landscaping to be incorporated into the future housing estate, which is expected to yield 4,000 flats.

Ecological corridor

At Gillman Barracks, revised plans also seek to strengthen ecological connectivity.

More of the existing forest around a hillock in the eastern part of the site towards Telok Blangah Street 31 will be retained, said HDB.

Revised plans have designated about 12ha of the site for greenery, up from 8ha under original plans. This amounts to about 60% of the site’s existing green space.

Under revised plans for the site, an ecological corridor along Lock Road and Malan Road will also be widened, said HDB.

It added that these changes will create a wider buffer around the area’s existing forest and better connect wildlife along the Southern Ridges, as well as towards Berlayer Creek and Labrador Nature Reserve.

The green spaces in Gillman Barracks are set to be part of the upcoming Alexandra Nature Park, which was announced in 2022. HDB said this will widen the greenery within the Labrador Nature Park Network.

North-south connectivity between the Labrador Nature Park Network and the Rail Corridor will also be improved under the revised plans, with the enhancement of the Round Island Route park connector along Alexandra Road.

HDB said there will also be a new nature way along Telok Blangah Street 31, as well as improved nature ways along Alexandra Road and Telok Blangah Road.

The new route will incorporate multi-tiered greenery to facilitate the movement of animals like butterflies and birds, it added.

In its statement, HDB also provided an update on plans to retain 25 buildings in the upcoming Gillman Barracks estate.

Besides retaining the buildings, the authorities are also studying the possibility of keeping non-building artefacts in the area, like the military insignias of the Middlesex and Loyal Regiments.

With the greenery and heritage buildings retained, Gillman Barracks’ distinctive character and history can be carried to the future estate, added HDB.

Alternative sites were considered for housing

On Oct 28, HDB also provided further details on sites that were considered for housing as alternatives to Maju Forest and Gillman Barracks.

Some of these locations had been raised earlier, including by MPs speaking on development plans for both sites in August’s Parliamentary sitting.

Vacant and brownfield sites in the areas surrounding both Maju Forest and Gillman Barracks, including those suggested by the public and residents, were reviewed by the authorities, HDB said.

It added that some of these sites are already earmarked for homes, still needed for other purposes or will not be ready within the timeframe that homes are needed.

Several alternative sites near Maju Forest are already slated for residential use. They are the former campus of Raffles Junior College in Mount Sinai, the Dover-Medway area, a site at Albert Winsemius Lane, and the Singapore Police Force’s Protective Security Command site.

Sites near Gillman Barracks, like the Depot Lane Industrial Estate and Outram Hill, are also already slated for housing.

There are also sites that are currently occupied but safeguarded for residential use.

These include locations near Maju Forest like a site at Albert Winsemius Lane and the Singapore Police Force’s Protective Security Command site, and sites near Gillman Barracks like Outram Hill.

There are also other sites that are still required and safeguarded for other uses. Near Maju Forest, these include Maju Camp and the Singapore Institute of Management and Singapore University of Social Sciences.

Around Gillman Barracks, such sites include Alexandra Village Industrial Estate and the former Central Manpower Base.