Singapore’s urban planners are looking to build new homes and amenities in Newton to meet demand for more diverse housing options in central locations.
The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) said in an ongoing exhibition that “there are plans to introduce new housing and amenities, more delightful public spaces, and improved connectivity within a neighbourhood rich in heritage charm”.
The exhibition, which is about current and future recreational facilities and amenities in the central region, is part of URA’s public engagement for its upcoming Recreation Master Plan, which will be incorporated into the next Draft Master Plan, to be launched in 2025.
According to URA’s current 2019 Master Plan, about 29ha of land – equivalent in size to about 40 football fields – near Newton MRT station has been zoned as reserve sites, indicating that their specific use has yet to be determined. In the interim, the sites can be used for other purposes.
This means they could be rezoned and used for housing and amenities when the masterplan is reviewed, which happens once every five years.
Many of the current reserve sites in the area house developments that date back to pre-independence Singapore.
They include the Goodwood Hill estate, which was established in the early 1900s and spans about 18ha, and staff quarters in Monk’s Hill built by the colonial authorities in the late 1940s.
According to the 2019 masterplan, the existing Clemenceau Avenue North should run through the site now occupied by Newton Food Centre. But a URA spokesperson said there are currently no plans to relocate the food centre, and added that future plans for the area are being studied.
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