Sengkang New Town

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Coordinates: 1°23′30″N, 103°53′40″E

Sengkang New Town
Sengkang is highlighted on this map
English: Sengkang
Chinese: 盛港 (Min Nan: Sēng-káng)
Pinyin: Shèng Gǎng
Malay: Sengkang
Tamil: செங்காங
Demographics
Region: North-East Region
Total area: 10.55 km²
Residential area: 5.07 km²
Dwelling units: 39,982[1]
Projected ultimate: 95,000
Population: 138,500 (31 March 2006)[1]

Sengkang New Town (simplified Chinese: 盛港新镇; pinyin: Shènggǎng Xīnzhèn) is a relatively young satellite residential town in the city-state of Singapore. Originally a fishing village, the area is presently undergoing rapid development under the ambition of the Housing and Development Board (HDB) to transform it into a "21st century township".[2] The town now comprises four large neighbourhoods. It is located within Sengkang, one of the 55 urban planning areas outlined by the Urban Redevelopment Authority for long-term land use planning purposes.

Contents

[edit] Location

Sungei Punggol with the Sengkang Light Rail Transit line viaduct
Sungei Punggol with the Sengkang Light Rail Transit line viaduct

Sengkang New Town is situated to the north of Hougang New Town, in the north-eastern part of Singapore, under the North-East Region as defined by Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA).

The town is bounded by the Tampines Expressway (TPE) to the north, Sungei Serangoon (Serangoon River) to the east, Buangkok Drive to the south and Jalan Kayu to the west. Sungei Punggol (Punggol River) cuts through the new town, and divides the town into Sengkang East and Sengkang West. The Sengkang Town Centre is located in Sengkang East.

[edit] Etymology and history

A typical apartment block in Anchorvale Gardens, showing the characteristic pilotis effect on the column façade.
A typical apartment block in Anchorvale Gardens, showing the characteristic pilotis effect on the column façade.

Sengkang means "prosperous harbour" in Chinese. The name comes from a road called Lorong Sengkang, off Lorong Buangkok. The area was formerly known as Kangkar (Gang Jiao 港脚) or "foot of the port" as there was once a fishing port located along Sungei Serangoon. Fishing villages and rubber, pepper and pineapple plantations flourished in the area in the old days.[3][4]

Before the town was developed into a modern housing estate, the area was home to vegetable and pig farms, and tropical forests. The only public housing estate then was the Punggol Rural Centre, comprising a few low-rise residential blocks accommodating resettled farmers, located along Punggol Road. These blocks at the rural centre have since been demolished in 2005, to make way for future high-rise residential apartment blocks.

In 1994, an urban design team of 10 from HDB started conceptualisation for a new town in Sengkang. Sengkang was carved up into six neighbourhoods that will eventually house a total of 95,000 public and private housing units in the long term.[2][4]

Sengkang's rich history became the theme for its future — Town of the Seafarer.[3] Three neighbourhoods carry a marine sub-theme, while the other three will reflect the past when sprawling plantations covered parts of the area. The six neighbourhoods are planned to have names and colour schemes to go with their respective themes. Its past is today reflected in the design of its housing, seen in the three-storey pilotis or stilt effect that all the housing blocks have, reminiscent of the stilts of fishing villages and trunks of the various plantations of bygone years.[4]

The town's first apartment blocks (known locally as flats) at Rivervale were completed in 1997.[2][5] By August 2001, about 33,700 dwelling units have been completed. As at 31 March 2006, there are 384 HDB apartment blocks with 39,982 units in Sengkang New Town, comprising 16,017 four-roomers, 19,477 five-roomers and 4,488 executive flats.[1]

In October 1999, a steering committee chaired by Dr Michael Lim, Member of Parliament for Cheng San Group Representation Constituency, was formed to look into providing sufficient amenities in Sengkang New Town, in view of feedback from residents. The Sengkang Town Development Steering Committee comprises grassroots leaders and the representatives of government agencies, and has four sub-committees taking care of town development, transportation, education, and social aspects. It coordinated and sped up the provision of town amenities, and completed its report on the need for facilities and services in the new town in July 2000.[2][5][6][7][8]

[edit] Highlights

Sengkang Sculpture Park
Sengkang Sculpture Park

Sengkang's two main rivers, Sungei Punggol and Sungei Serangoon, bring life through the town with a network of green connectors along their banks, linking housing precincts to neighbourhood parks, and in the future, to the town park and sports complex as well. Eventually, these park connectors will be linked to the future Coney Island Park in Punggol New Town and the existing Punggol Park in the south, to better serve the recreational needs of the residents of Sengkang. Sengkang Sculpture Park, located in Compassvale, is an elongated green space created below the Sengkang Light Rail Transit (LRT) viaducts.[9]

Besides the pilotis located at the foot of all apartment blocks, point blocks are designed with a unique C-shape that provide greater privacy. Other common features include perforated balcony screens, and mesh or net-like parapets at the multi-storey carparks.[4]

Sengkang is also the first satellite new town in Singapore to have its major public transport amenities built in tandem with the main public housing development. The main heavy rail tunnels through Sengkang and the elevated track infrastructure of the intra-town Sengkang LRT system were developed as the existing public housing blocks were being built in the late 1990s.[3][5] An integrated approach to transport, housing and commercial uses was also adopted in the planning of the town centre of Sengkang. Commuters alighting at Sengkang MRT Station have direct access to the Sengkang Bus Interchange, the shopping mall at Compass Point and the residential development at Compass Heights in a contiguous building complex.[2][10][11]

[edit] Neighbourhoods

Wall tile mural at Compassvale
Wall tile mural at Compassvale

Sengkang New Town is currently divided into four major neighbourhoods, arranged from east to west:

[edit] Transportation facilities

City planners plan for public transport to eventually become the preferred mode of transport in the future. The government of Singapore ideally desires environmental towns, using public transport to reduce pollution caused by heavy road traffic. Sengkang is part of the Urban Redevelopment Authority's focus for realising this urban planning model. As Sengkang is relatively distant from the city centre at the Central Area, an efficient, high-volume and high-speed public transport system is also preferred to using road networks.

The Sengkang MRT Station, Sengkang LRT Station and Sengkang Bus Interchange are fully integrated within a single building complex to allow seamless travel for the residents of Sengkang New Town across the different available modes of public transport.

[edit] Public transport

[edit] North East Line

Sengkang New Town is linked to the Central Area and the SMRT lines (to the North-South Line at Dhoby Ghaut Station, and the East-West Line at Outram Park Station) through the North East Line (NEL) at Sengkang Station (NE16) located at Sengkang Town Centre. The NEL system is a fully automated heavy rail mass rapid transit system, and started operations on 20 June 2003.[12][13] It is currently operated by SBS Transit.

Buangkok NEL Station (NE15), the other station along NEL in Sengkang New Town, serves the housing developments in Buangkok, at Compassvale, and the northern part of Hougang New Town. The station started operations on 15 January 2006.[14]

[edit] Sengkang LRT Line

Sengkang Light Rail Transit
Sengkang Light Rail Transit

The intra-town Sengkang Light Rail Transit (LRT) system is a 10.7 km light rail line that serves to link residents to the town centre. It is a fully automated system, and its rolling stock is supplied by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The system is currently operated by SBS Transit. The Sengkang LRT line forms 2 loops, East Loop and West Loop, that skirt the perimeter of the new town.

Station names are:

[edit] Sengkang Bus Interchange

Sengkang Bus Interchange
Sengkang Bus Interchange

The Sengkang Bus Interchange is located at the ground level of Compass Heights condominium, next to Compass Point Shopping Centre. It was opened in 18 January 2003[17], and is the second air-conditioned bus interchange in Singapore, after Toa Payoh Bus Interchange.[18] There are numerous trunk services departing from Sengkang Bus Interchange, with routes as follows:

Service Destination Via Notes
SBS Transit Trunk Services
80 HarbourFront Bus Interchange Hougang, Paya Lebar, Geylang, City Wheelchair Accessible Bus Service
83 Punggol Bus Interchange Compassvale, Punggol
86 Ang Mo Kio Bus Interchange Tampines Expressway, Jalan Kayu, Yio Chu Kang
87 Bedok Bus Interchange Hougang, Eunos, Kaki Bukit
119 Hougang Street 21 (loop) Rivervale, Hougang, Upper Serangoon Service created to serve the many schools along its route after another bus service, 85, was taken out of service.[19]
156 Clementi Bus Interchange Buangkok, Yio Chu Kang, Bishan, Whitley, Bukit Timah, Sixth Avenue
159 Toa Payoh Bus Interchange Buangkok, Ang Mo Kio, Ang Mo Kio MRT Station, Lorong Chuan
163 Toa Payoh Bus Interchange Sengkang, Jalan Kayu, Yio Chu Kang, Upper Thomson, Braddell
163M Fernvale Lane (loop) Punggol Road, Sengkang East Ave, Sengkang West Ave, Fernvale Lane Operates during peak hours to serve Fernvale Lane and replaces withdrawn feeder service 371
SBS Transit Feeder Services
372 Anchorvale Road (loop)
SMRT Buses Trunk Services
965 Woodlands Regional Bus Interchange TPE, Yishun, Woodlands

[edit] Buses through Sengkang New Town

Sengkang Light Rail Transit viaduct
Sengkang Light Rail Transit viaduct

There are other bus trunk services passing through Sengkang New Town:

Bus services which have been removed or re-routed due to the operation of the North East Line or Sengkang LRT:

[edit] Road network

Sengkang East Way
Sengkang East Way

The Tampines Expressway (TPE) links Sengkang New Town up with Singapore's expressway network. The Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway, which provides a direct route to the city area via TPE, will be completed by 2008.[20] New roads were also built to ease traffic congestion on Punggol Road.[21][22][23][24][25]

The major roads that currently link Sengkang New Town to Punggol New Town and TPE to the North, and Hougang New Town to the south are:

  • Punggol Road
  • Sengkang East Road (opened in January 2001)[22]
  • Sengkang East Drive (bypasses TPE to Punggol)[25]
  • Jalan Kayu

The arterial roads that run in the east-west direction within Sengkang New Town are:

  • Sengkang East Avenue and Sengkang West Avenue
  • Compassvale Drive and Anchorvale Drive
  • Sengkang East Way
  • Compassvale Bow
  • Buangkok Drive (opened in 1999)[21]

[edit] Educational institutions

There are currently six primary schools (with two more opening in 2008) and six secondary schools in Sengkang New Town. Land provision has also been made for a junior college in the town to meet future educational demand in the North-East Region.[26]

Nan Chiau Primary School
Nan Chiau Primary School
North Vista Secondary School
North Vista Secondary School

[edit] Primary schools

[edit] Secondary schools

[edit] Places of worship

Sengkang Methodist Church
Sengkang Methodist Church

[edit] Sengkang Town Centre

Sengkang Town Centre. The building complexes are, from left to right, Sengkang Community Hub, Compass Point Shopping Centre, Sengkang MRT, LRT and Bus Interchange, and Compass Heights Condominium.
Sengkang Town Centre. The building complexes are, from left to right, Sengkang Community Hub, Compass Point Shopping Centre, Sengkang MRT, LRT and Bus Interchange, and Compass Heights Condominium.

There are currently four major building complexes within the Sengkang Town Centre.

  • Compass Heights, a private residential condominium development.
  • Sengkang Interchange, comprising the bus interchange, and the NEL and LRT stations.
Compass Point Shopping Centre
Compass Point Shopping Centre
Sengkang Community Hub
Sengkang Community Hub
Sengkang Fire Station
Sengkang Fire Station

[edit] Other amenities

  • Fire stations
    • Sengkang Fire Station is Singapore's largest fire station, opened on 19 May 2001. The S$14 million fire station covers 7,000 square metres, and has state-of-the-art facilities for the Singapore Civil Defence Force. It has Singapore's first Immediate Response Centre, which houses a medical company and a rescue battalion, with their specialised equipment. Sengkang Fire Station has a capacity for 700 fire fighters and rescue personnel, and is equipped with HAZMAT capability to handle incidents involving hazardous materials. It is also the first station to employ a water conservation system where water used during drills are diverted to a pump well for recycling purposes.[46]

[edit] Politics of Sengkang New Town

The Anchorvale and Fernvale neighbourhoods of Sengkang New Town belong to the Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency.
The Anchorvale and Fernvale neighbourhoods of Sengkang New Town belong to the Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency.

The neighbourhoods Anchorvale and Fernvale of Sengkang New Town fall under Sengkang West division of the Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency. Its Member of Parliament (MP) is Lam Pin Min. The two neighbourhoods were under the Jalan Kayu division, under Wee Siew Kim, before the general election in 2006.[47]

Compassvale, that includes Buangkok, and Rivervale come under the Pasir Ris-Punggol Group Representation Constituency. The current MP for Punggol South division of Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, which covers a part of Hougang, Buangkok and the southern part of Rivervale, is Teo Ser Luck. He took over Charles Chong, who is the current MP for Punggol Central division that covers Compassvale and the western part of Punggol. Michael Lim, who was the MP for Punggol Central, retired from politics in 2006 and did not take part in the election that year.[48] Penny Low is the current MP for Punggol North division, comprising a part of Rivervale and the eastern part of Punggol. In the latest 2006 general election, Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC was expanded from five to six MPs as the population in Sengkang and Punggol new towns has grown since 2001.[49] Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC had 178,393 voters, which exceeded the limit of 170,000 for a five-MP GRC.[50]

Before 2001, the entire Sengkang New Town and Punggol New Town were part of Cheng San Group Representation Constituency, which was hotly contested in 1997 general election.[51][52]

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b c Sarah Ng and Nur Dianah Suhaimi. "Posh Punggol v 'Ulu' Sengkang", The Sunday Times, 26 November 2006. 
  2. ^ a b c d e Tee Hun Ching. "Life behind the vales", The Straits Times, 24 September 2000. 
  3. ^ a b c Jose Raymond. "Sengkang takes shape", The Straits Times, 8 February 2000, p. 28. 
  4. ^ a b c d "Fancy living in an ocean park?", The Straits Times, 24 September 2000. 
  5. ^ a b c Cindy Lim. "Slow start in Sengkang", The Straits Times, 11 April 2000, p. 40. 
  6. ^ Natalie Soh and Kenneth Lim. "Few amenities in Sengkang", The Straits Times, 18 June 1999, p. 56. 
  7. ^ "More amenities for Sengkang", The Straits Times, 12 June 2000, p. 34. 
  8. ^ "Task force became model for meeting people's needs", The Sunday Times, 19 March 2006. 
  9. ^ On 4 February 1997, the Urban Redevelopment Authority released the Development Guide Plan or blueprint for the long-term land use for Sengkang: Stephanie Yeo. "Riverfront housing for Sengkang", The Straits Times, 5 February 1997, p. 2. 
  10. ^ Geraldine Yeo. "Travel to be seamless in Sengkang", The Straits Times, 20 April 1999, p. 4. 
  11. ^ Khaw Boon Wan. "The ticket to seamless travel", The Straits Times, 26 November 2002. 
  12. ^ Goh Chin Lian. "It's a smooth ride on NEL - mostly", The Straits Times, 21 June 2003. 
  13. ^ Leonard Lim. "NEL gets off to a promising start", The Business Times, 21 June 2003. 
  14. ^ Christopher Tan. "Buangkok station opens on Jan 15", The Straits Times, 31 December 2005. 
  15. ^ Karamjit Kaur. "Smooth start for Sengkang LRT", The Sunday Times, 19 January 2003. 
  16. ^ The Punggol LRT Line opened on the same day: Christopher Tan. "Punggol LRT set to roll", The Straits Times, 11 January 2005. 
  17. ^ The opening of the Sengkang LRT Line coincides with the opening of the new Sengkang Bus Interchange on 18 January 2003: Karamjit Kaur. "Free rides for LRT opening tomorrow", The Straits Times, 17 January 2003. 
  18. ^ "First air-conditioned bus interchange opens on Sunday", The Straits Times, 17 May 2002. 
  19. ^ Responding to complaints, SBS Transit launched the new service for students to replace those it pulled out in July 2003 as part of an exercise to trim services that duplicated the routes served by the North-East Line. Service 119 began running on 14 September 2003: Goh Chin Lian. "Buses to serve 12 schools along N-E Line again", The Straits Times, 5 September 2003. 
  20. ^ "Coming your way - Expressway: Longest underground road", The Straits Times, 29 April 2001, p. 1. 
  21. ^ a b Buangkok Green and Buangkok Drive were completed in the second half of 1999. They shorten the drive from the Central Expressway near Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5 to Punggol Road: Karamjit Kaur. "New roads cut down travel time", The Straits Times, 21 December 1999, p. 40. 
  22. ^ a b "Traffic woes in Sengkang will be a thing of the past", The Straits Times, 21 May 2001, p. H5. 
  23. ^ The first part of a S$23 million project to make Sengkang town safer and less congested was opened on 7 April 2001. The completed work involved an extension to Sengkang East Road, which runs from Compassvale Street to Tampines Expressway (TPE), and a slip road to the TPE in the direction of the Seletar and Central Expressways. The second part of the project involved the completion of the Sengkang East Road and Sengkang East Drive Flyovers: "Road extension to ease Sengkang's traffic woes", The Straits Times, 8 April 2002, p. H5. 
  24. ^ The one-kilometre-long Sengkang Central Road, which joins Buangkok Drive and Compassvale Drive in Sengkang New Town, was opened on 15 June 2002: "New road links Hougang to Sengkang", The Straits Times, 15 June 2002. 
  25. ^ a b The Sengkang East Road and Sengkang East Drive Flyovers were officially opened on 16 May 2004, making it easier for residents of Sengkang and Punggol new towns in the north-east to travel to other parts of Singapore: "New flyovers ease traffic woes of residents", The Straits Times, 17 May 2004. 
  26. ^ North East Region Set to Get More Exciting. Urban Redevelopment Authority (2003-04-24). Retrieved on 2007-09-29.
  27. ^ a b Anchor Green and North Vista Primary Schools were two of the six new primary schools built in new housing estates and towns so as to cater to smaller class size: Sarah Ng. "Plan for six new primary schools by 2008", The Straits Times, 17 April 2005. 
  28. ^ a b 王珏琪 (2007-08-01). 家长对“未来学校”有信心, 明年才开班, 崇辉受欢迎 (in Mandarin). Lianhe Zaobao. Retrieved on 2007-09-29.
  29. ^ Compassvale Primary School started in January 1999, and was operating from Seng Kang Primary School. On the morning of 15 June 1999, seven construction workers were hurt when the tiled roof of a multi-purpose hall in the uncompleted Compassvale Primary School collapsed suddenly: Chua Chin Hon and Yiak Tsi Jack. "7 hurt after unfinished school's roof collapses", The Straits Times, 16 June 1999, p. 1. 
  30. ^ Compassvale Primary School moved into its current new building on 13 November 2000: Jane Lee. "Accident-delayed school opens", The Straits Times, 14 November 2000, p. H6. 
  31. ^ Fernvale Primary School opened in January 2005: Lynn Lee. "Fewer pupils per class at 70 schools", The Straits Times, 12 June 2004. 
  32. ^ a b Nan Chiau School moved from Kim Yam Road to Sengkang New Town as Nan Chiau Primary School and Nan Chiau High School in January 2001: "Nan Chiau to move to Sengkang", The Straits Times, 15 April 2000, p. 4. 
  33. ^ North Spring Primary School was one of the seven new primary schools in Singapore which started in January 2000: Ho Ka Wei. "Kids will learn "to think global'", The Straits Times, 4 January 2000, p. 26, 27. 
  34. ^ Rivervale Primary School was one of the ten new primary schools in Singapore which opened in January 1999: Wong Chee Meng. "63 schools to hold Phase 2C balloting", The Straits Times, 1 August 1998, p. H41. 
  35. ^ Seng Kang Primary School was one of the four new primary schools in Singapore which opened in January 1997. It was housed at the former Hai Sing Girls' High School building along Upper Serangoon Road for the whole of 1997: "Four new schools for Phase 2C registration", The Straits Times, 30 July 1996, p. H16. 
  36. ^ CHIJ Saint Joseph's Convent moved from Hillside Drive to Sengkang New Town in 2000: Dorothy Ho. "Convent school given new site", The Straits Times, 21 January 1999, p. H31. 
  37. ^ Compassvale Secondary School was one of the 13 new secondary schools in Singapore which started in January 2000: "13 secondary schools to open in Jan", The Straits Times, 26 August 1999, p. 3. 
  38. ^ After Thomson Secondary vacated its old site in Thomson Road in 2000, it moved to Sengkang New Town and was renamed North Vista: Yvonne Koh. "It's back to school for these old boys and girls", The Straits Times, 17 May 2004. 
  39. ^ Pei Hwa Secondary School opened in January 2005: Ho Ai Li, Liaw Wy-Cin. "13 schools moving into new premises: Some of them have unique features", The Straits Times, 13 December 2004. 
  40. ^ Seng Kang Secondary School opened in January 1999: "'Kampung school' does well in O levels", The Straits Times, 10 March 2003. 
  41. ^ "Buddhist group raises $1.4m for building of Hindu temple", The Straits Times, 14 February 2006. 
  42. ^ The S$8 million mosque in Sengkang, which had its groundbreaking ceremony on 30 June 2007, has a capacity of 4,000, and will be ready by the end of 2008: Zakir Hussain. "Public input on mosque's look", The Straits Times, 30 June 2007. 
  43. ^ The Compass Point Shopping Centre was constructed at a cost of S$230 million: Koh Boon Pin. "It's not just a mall, it's a learning centre", The Straits Times, 26 July 2000, p. 49. 
  44. ^ The shopping mall started operations in August 2002: "2,000 flock to Sengkang mall job fair", The Straits Times, 8 July 2002. 
  45. ^ Sengkang Community Hub, and its community club and neighbourhood police centre, were officially opened by Teo Chee Hean, Minister for Defence and Member of Parliament for Pasir Ris-Punggol Group Representation Constituency, on 10 December 2005: Community Club Housed at Community Hub Provides All Encompassing Community and Commercial Services for Residents (pdf). People's Association (2005-12-09). Retrieved on 2007-08-02.
  46. ^ "$14m state-of-the-art facility can house 700", The Straits Times, 20 May 2001, p. 31. 
  47. ^ Li Xueying, Laurel Teo, Sim Chi Yin, Goh Chin Lian, Tee Hun Ching, Lynn Kan and Sonia Tan. "The road ahead", The Straits Times, 20 May 2006, p. S8. 
  48. ^ Tee Hun Ching. "Michael Lim is last of 24 PAP MPs to announce exit", The Straits Times, 17 April 2006. 
  49. ^ Leslie Koh. "Oversized GRC to take on 6th MP", The Straits Times, 4 March 2006. 
  50. ^ Chua Mui Hoong. "Few major changes to electoral boundaries", The Straits Times, 4 March 2006. 
  51. ^ Laurel Teo. "MPs, not the Elections Department, draw up wards", The Straits Times, 27 January 2001, p. H10. 
  52. ^ "No big changes to electoral map", The Straits Times, 11 March 2006. 

[edit] References

[edit] Further reading

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Neighbourhoods of Sengkang New Town    
Sengkang
v • d • e
New Towns and estates in Singapore
New towns
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