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SINGAPORE: Residents will have another month to share their thoughts on the future of Dover Forest as the public consultation period, which ended last month, will be extended for four weeks, National Development Minister Desmond Lee said Monday ( February 1st).
Dover Forest is part of the Ulu Pandan estate that has been zoned for residential development. The Housing and Development Board (HDB) plans to offer 17,000 built-to-order (BTO) floors this year at various properties, including Ulu Pandan.
The area was also the subject of an environmental baseline study by HDB, which found that Dover Forest is home to at least 158 species of animals, including those that are critically endangered, and 120 species of plants.
In response to questions posed by Members of Parliament on both sides of the House, Mr. Lee said that the land, now covered in non-native trees since the rubber plantations and fruit orchards in the area were abandoned, it had been zoned as “Residential (subject to detailed planning)” since the 2003 master plan.
“HDB hired an external consultant to conduct an environmental baseline study (EBS) for Ulu Pandan, to guide HDB development plans and identify native flora and fauna and their habitats,” he said.
“HDB then consulted with nature groups to refine their plans for Ulu Pandan, incorporating the EBS findings,” he added, noting that the report was posted online for public comment.
READ: The Dover Forest Debate: Can Nature and Development Coexist in Urbanized Singapore?
READ: Comment: Saving the Dover Forest and the plight of Singapore’s urban planner
The Housing Board continues to receive comments and suggestions from residents who live in the area, as well as members of the public, Lee said.
The “wide range of views” includes those that suggest that the site is fully conserved for vegetation and recreation and designated as a nature park, while others suggested that other sites in the area, such as older housing blocks or Existing school fields and running tracks, to be redeveloped instead.
“Several have suggested that new housing and nature should coexist on the site. For example, develop parts that have less vegetation or more non-native species,” said Mr. Lee.
“Many of those who have written appreciate the tension between the need for development and the conservation of nature,” he said.
“We are studying the feedback in detail and welcome more Singaporeans for their views and input … as we consider our plans for the Ulu Pandan site,” he said.
“We will carefully consider all comments received and share our plans when we are ready.”
Mr. Lee noted that Singapore had adopted a number of different development options, such as building taller and denser, as well as co-locating various facilities.
Abandoned land such as golf courses, old school sites and industrial areas are also being rebuilt as their leases expire, he said, noting that by 2030, around 400ha of golf course land will be reclaimed for redevelopment. .
In the meantime, some ecologically important sites have been preserved as green spaces despite having been initially used for other purposes.
These include Mandai Mangrove and Mudflat, which was initially designated for industrial use but was later retained as a nature park after biodiversity and ecological modeling studies were conducted.
The authorities are committed to “managing and protecting our green spaces,” said Mr Lee, noting that 7,800ha of Singapore’s land has been safeguarded as nature reserves, wilderness areas and nature parks, as well as green spaces such as parks and connectors of parks. .
However, some entirely new land would have to be developed, given Singapore’s physical limitations and small land area, he said.
Any decision to proceed is made only after a detailed study of trade-offs and alternatives, Lee said, adding that authorities would “proceed with caution” when development is unavoidable.
READ: The big read: As the clamor for preservation grows in Singapore, where land is scarce, something has to give
Mr Lee said that the Government is encouraged by the great interest in the plans for Singapore and nature conservation, noting that “integrating awareness of nature” among people was a key part of the strategy. of the country to become a “City in nature”.
He added that the Urban Redevelopment Authority would engage people later this year to gather ideas as part of efforts to formulate long-term plans for a livable and sustainable future.
“We invite everyone to join in these talks,” he said, adding that the government will continue to periodically review its plans as “the consensus on the balance between environmental conservation and development evolves.”
NATURE LOOP AROUND ULU PANDAN
In a motion to adjourn, Rep. Christopher de Souza (PAP-Holland-Bukit Timah) described the Dover Forest as a “shared and extended green landscape that residents have long admired and grown accustomed to.”
Mr. de Souza, who works in the Ulu Pandan neighborhood where the forest is located, pointed to a now vacant lot next to the Ulu Pandan Community Club on Ghim Moh Road as an alternative site.
He said the land, which previously housed now demolished HDB blocks, could be used for both build-to-order (BTO) and replacement flooring for older block residents, whose homes can go through the Selective Block Redevelopment Plan (SERS). .
Mr. de Souza also suggested two other underused parcels of land: an unused field on the premises of the Ministry of Education’s Language Center, which was the former and now defunct Ghim Moh Primary School, as well as the former Raffles Junior campus. College at Mount Sinai The road.
Retaining the Dover Forest would preserve a “nature loop” around the constituency, he said, pointing to nearby green areas such as the Ulu Pandan Park connector and Clementi Forest.
Their suggestions relate to their “long-term aspiration to develop and rejuvenate Ulu Pandan while preserving vegetation,” he said.
The Dover Forest ecosystem has been embraced to become part of the larger shared landscape for Ulu Pandan residents, Mr. de Souza noted.
“What I’m trying to convey to planners today is the need to think carefully before making irreversible decisions,” he said.
