Punggol - Historical Background

Kampong Punggol, which was located in the vicinity of the Punggol Jetty, was believed to have existed 200 years ago, even before Sir Stamford Raffles founded Singapore. It was one of the oldest settlements in Singapore. The original settlers were predominantly Malays. Fishing was then the main activity. Villagers also planted fruits and vegetables.

In Malay, Punggol (also spelled Ponggol), means hurling sticks at the branches of fruit trees to bring the fruits down to the ground. It also refers to a place where fruits and forest produce are offered for wholesale.

The early Chinese immigrants, who settled in Punggol from the mid 19th century onwards, were engaged in plantation work (mainly rubber). As more and more Chinese immigrants settled in Punggol, poultry farming and pig rearing activities flourished. Trading on farm produce, fruits and vegetables was carried out in the marketplace at the former eighth milestone of Punggol Road. The Serangoon River mouth became the docking point for fishing boats where fishermen gathered to sell their catch.

In the 1960s, basic amenities like piped water, electricity, paved roads, and drainage systems were introduced through government and self-help programmes. It was also at this time that television became popular and antennas could be seen installed on many kampong rooftops.

Poultry and pig farms were gradually phased out when redevelopment commenced in the 1970s. Land vacated by resettled farmers were then tendered out on short term leases for non-pollutive agricultural activities (eg. vegetable farming). Punggol was also known for its sumptuous seafood and boatels that provided services like docking and renting of boats for boating, water-skiing and skin-diving lessons. These seafood restaurants and boatels have since been relocated to facilitate reclamation works.

Location of Punggol New Town

The Punggol Planning Area is located in the North-Eastern Region of Singapore. It is bounded by Sungei Serangoon to the east, Tampines Expressway to the south, Sungei Punggol to the west, Selat Johor and Serangoon Harbour to the north. It covers an area of approximately 957 ha.

Existing Conditions of Punggol New Town

Punggol New Town Subzones Planning

The Tampines Planning Area is made up of 4 sub-zones. The land area of each sub-zone is shown below. The sub-zone boundaries are shown in the Boundaries & Sub-Zone Plan.

Punggol New Town Planning Proposal

Punggol will be a residential town, with residential use taking up 50% of land area. Residential developments are planned and integrated with the transport facilities. Punggol's attractiveness as a residential town will be enhanced, with 14% of the land set aside for open space and recreational use and 12% retained as waterbody. The overall breakdown of the land use provisions is listed below and illustrated in the Zoning and Plot Ratio Plan.

Punggol New Town - Residential

A total of 85,800 dwelling units are proposed for Punggol, the majority of which will be high-density housing. The housing types will be varied, comprising a higher proportion of quality design HDB flats, executive condominiums and private housing. The breakdown of housing units is listed below and illustrated in the Residential Plan.

Punggol New Town - Commercial

The Punggol Planning Area will be served by one town centre, one commercial centre and two seaside village centres. In addition, there will be convenience shops located at certain LRT stations. The commercial quantum is listed in the table and the locations of these commercial centres are illustrated in the plan below.

Punggol New Town - Recreational

Coney Island (50 ha) will be the regional park serving the north-eastern region. The existing beach along its northern coast will be kept as part of the regional park. A pedestrian bridge across the river from Punggol provides easy access to the regional park. A 15m wide linear coastal promenade is proposed along the 3 rivers - Sungei Serangoon, Sungei Punggol and the new river created between Punggol and Coney Island. Along this coastal promenade will be riverine park to add variety and create activity. In addition, pockets of green, known as common greens, which can house a playground or other play facilities, will be provided within each HDB estate. They will be linked by a network of park connectors to provide easy access to residents. The overall provision of parks and garden are listed in the table and illustrated in the Green and Blue Plan.

Punggol New Town - Facilities

Community facilities such as schools, places of worship, recreational and social facilities have been planned to serve the residents at Punggol. These are provided in accordance with the planning provision standards. These facilities will be clustered together to serve as focal points for community activities and bonding, as illustrated in the Facilities Plan. 18 primary and 12 secondary schools are planned for in the Punggol Planning Area, as listed below and illustrated in the School Plan.

Punggol - Vision & Objectives

"A waterfront town of the 21st century"

PLANNING OBJECTIVES

• To meet the Concept Plan's provision of land uses and quantum for the planning area
• To create a high-quality residential town which will serve as a model town in the 21st Century
• To create an environment which fosters a sense of community bonding
• To plan for a good transport network and public transport system to serve the developments in the town
• To provide a wide range of recreational facilities for the residents
• To capitalise on the area's natural attributes of riverine and coastal features