SINGAPORE – About 10,000 new homes could be built on a large tract of land in Fernvale North in Sengkang, based on proposed plans for a new residential estate next to the Tampines Expressway (TPE).

The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is preparing an 18.9ha site bounded by Jalan Kayu, Fernvale Street, the TPE and the upcoming Sengkang West Drive for housing.

Proposed amendments to the URA master plan released on April 29 show that the site, which property analysts say could house a mix of public and private projects, will have parks, a place of worship and a health and medical facility.

URA said the proposed development will support the demand for housing in the area, and provide current and future residents with “commercial and recreational amenities, as well as social and community facilities, greater accessibility to parks and improved road connectivity”.

The site – about the size of 35 football fields – is located near the Seletar Aerospace Park and an industrial area in Seletar West that will be developed.

Nearby amenities include two LRT stations, Thanggam and Kupang, as well as Sengkang Riverside Park.

The proposed amendments include adjusting the plot ratio of land parcels to 3.9 to 4.2. The plot ratio determines the intensity of development permitted for a piece of land.

Property analysts estimate that the site could yield 8,000 to 12,000 units.

Ms Christine Sun, chief researcher and strategist at property firm OrangeTee Group, said a mix of Build-To-Order (BTO) flats, condominiums and executive condos could be built on the site.

She said there could be pent-up demand for BTO flats in Sengkang as the last public housing project launched there was in 2019.

“Some residents have lived there for about 10 to 20 years and may be looking to upgrade to private housing. Some parents may also want to downgrade and live near their children who are already living in these areas,” she added, noting that the large land parcel could meet such demand.

ERA Singapore key executive officer Eugene Lim said the site’s location is “strategically positioned” to support the workforce for the nearby Punggol Digital District and Seletar Aerospace Park.

He noted that an undeveloped industrial enclave in Seletar West Road is situated about 2km from the Fernvale site.

“The site could draw population to support the future development of the industrial and commercial enclave in the vicinity,” he said.

The Seletar Link Flyover, near the Fernvale plot, opened in January. It connects Seletar Link and TPE to cater to the anticipated rise in traffic due to new developments in Punggol.

When completed, the new Sengkang West Drive will provide motorists with another road connection within Sengkang town.

Ang Mo Kio GRC MP Gan Thiam Poh, who oversees the Fernvale area in Sengkang, said the large residential plot can help to meet the demand for housing in the area.

“I have consistently been getting requests from Sengkang residents – some told me they were getting married and wanted to live near their parents, others said they want to upgrade to a bigger home as their children are growing up,” he said.

“I have spoken to the relevant authorities about these requests, and I am glad this plot is being developed.”

He noted that the two LRT stations nearby will connect future residents to other amenities in Sengkang.

In Bukit Panjang, new homes could be built on the former site of Greenridge Secondary School.

The school, which had been at the Bukit Panjang Ring Road site since 1992, merged with Fajar Secondary School in 2023 and moved to the latter’s site in Gangsa Road.

URA had proposed to rezone the 33,195 sq m plot from an educational institution to a residential development to support the demand for housing in the area and give more residents easier access to amenities and public transport.

Ms Sun said the plot could yield about 700 flats, or 1,000 private apartments. She added that it is more likely to be a BTO project due to the limited supply of new flats in the estate.

The last BTO project launched in Bukit Panjang was Petir Park Edge in December 2023, which consisted of 143 two-room flexi flats and 191 four-room units. The last launch before this project was in 2016.

Mr Lim said 550 to 650 units of four- and five-room flats could be built on the plot as there has been a lack of larger units launched in the estate.