HOUGANG AVENUE 3 IN OLD PUNGGOL ESTATE (Redevelopment)

Mr Low Thia Khiang asked the Minister for National Development whether his Ministry has plans to redevelop the area at Hougang Avenue 3 in the Old Punggol Estate.

The Minister for National Development (Mr Lim Hng Kiang): Mr Speaker, Sir, there are currently no plans to redevelop the area at Hougang Avenue 3 in the Old Punggol Estate.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: Sir, is the Minister aware that there is an existing industrial area in the site in question? Is he further aware that in the URA's planning report 1995 for Hougang, the industrial area seems to be rezoned as a residential area?

Mr Lim Hng Kiang: Sir, the Development Guide Plan designates the land use that we want to earmark for different locations and sites in the medium and long term. So it is a planning intention that the industrial workshops that the Member mentioned will eventually be redeveloped for residential use. But, as I said, right now, we do not have immediate plans to redevelop the area. But if the Member raises it and wants them to be demolished, I am quite prepared to demolish them.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: My query is what is the time-frame, since the Minister says it is a guide plan. But I am sure there is some time-frame as to when it will be developed.

Mr Lim Hng Kiang: We have to understand the overall planning process. The URA, as the planning authority, looks at Singapore and tries to fit the various land uses in the various areas. On the Development Guide Plan for this area, for example, looking at the physical attributes of the area, they feel that the land presently occupied by the terrace workshops should be better optimised for residential use. This is the planning intention.

HDB, as the landlord of the terrace workshops, knows the planning intention. As the landlord, whether it redevelops in accordance with the planning intention or it continues with its present land use which is also approved by URA, is something for HDB to decide. As he knows, some time last year, I announced that the Government is looking at the overall provision of industrial premises by HDB. We are looking at how some of these industrial premises can be sold to the tenants. At the same time, those industrial premises which are not optimising the land properly would be redeveloped. HDB is still studying the overall redevelopment plans of these industrial premises. Essentially, those which are in high density premises make good use of the land. Industrial shops in multi-storey premises would be retained. As for single-storey terrace workshops, some would be retained because we need terrace workshops to repair cars, etc, and some would be redeveloped. So HDB has not decided whether the particular terrace workshops he is referring to will be redeveloped or not.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: The Minister mentioned about the future of terrace workshops. Would he clarify further what would be the guidelines in terms of HDB deciding whether or not a particular terrace workshop would be redeveloped or sold to the sitting tenants?

Mr Lim Hng Kiang: As I have explained, the key consideration is optimal use of the land. So industrial premises that are in high density premises, such as multi-storey industrial shops and which are relevant to present day needs in terms of floor loading, car parking requirements, electrical loads, etc., HDB will retain them. Then HDB will decide whether or not it would continue renting them or sell them to sitting tenants along the same line as the sale of shops to sitting tenants. This is the policy which the Government announced last year.

On the other hand, there are industrial workshops now which are not optimising the use of the land, particularly the single storey terrace workshops. We cannot completely dismantle all of them because some of them do serve an important purpose. For example, they provide car maintenance and servicing and we want to make sure that these are geographically spread throughout the island to provide the service until alternative premises can be built. So HDB has not decided right now whether or not these particular terrace workshops will be relocated or will continue for some time. But since the Member has raised it, I will ask HDB to take a look. We can always relocate the tenants if they so wish.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: The Minister in his answer mentioned about the optimal use of land. I will come back to the site in question. I also note from the same planning report that for the existing area, which is a low-rise commercial and residential area, the plot ratio was increased to 2.8. So I would like to know from the Minister whether there is any plan to redevelop or sell the shophouses to the sitting tenants.

Mr Lim Hng Kiang: This is the same approach. The URA, looking at the attributes of the land, feels that in this particular location, the neighbourhood centre ought to be put to better use with a higher plot ratio. As Mr Low Thia Khiang knows, the current neighbourhood centre consists of low-rise shops which are very poor utilisation of the land. So when land is poorly utilised, we are not likely to sell the shops to the shopkeepers because it would perpetuate the poor use of the land. HDB has not decided what to do with the neighbourhood centre. But since Mr Low has raised it, I would ask HDB to take a look. If really there is no real need for a neighbourhood centre, we might as well relocate the shops.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: Since the Minister says that they might as well relocate the shops, is he saying that the URA has intention to rezone the area into a completely residential area without shops?

Mr Lim Hng Kiang: I am not familiar with the zoning. He is the one who raised the question of zoning. But the DGP for the area is as published by the URA. Whether it is a commercial or residential area with a higher plot ratio, that is left to URA as professional planners to determine. I am just responding to his point about putting the land to higher intensive use in the DGP. My point is, yes, from the planning point of view, URA wants to put this land to better use, both the terrace workshops as well as the neighbourhood centre. These are in the DGP. It is public information. HDB, as the landlord, has to respond to these planning intentions and they have to determine whether they continue operating as they are or they relocate everybody and make better use of the land. Very frankly, we have not put our minds to it. But since the Member has raised it, I would ask HDB to take a look. If the case warrants, we will relocate the terrace workshops and the shopkeepers in line with the DGP intentions.