A new 10-hectare Bidadari Park will be developed to form a “green lung” in the upcoming estate.

The Housing and Development Board (HDB) made this announcement on Sunday, May 5.

It will feature a lake, a heritage walk, experiential trails and a play area for children.

Inspired by Pooh

HDB said its team drew inspiration from the fictional Hundred Acre Wood in the Winnie-the-Pooh series in designing the park.

It said: “The team behind the planning and design of the park saw the opportunity to retain the wooded and rustic nature of Bidadari and to create a unique park experience for visitors.”

A playground called Adventure Playwoods will be built.

It will feature a 5m-tall treehouse with slides and climbing nets.

The treehouse will be built around an existing Banyan tree.

2,000 extra trees

Some 2,000 new trees will be added to the park -- on top of the 350 mature trees retained in the area.

Wetland and marsh habitats will be introduced to increase the diversity of habitats and wildlife in the park.

Trails spanning 6km and a 80m-long boardwalk across the marshland will be developed.

“At strategic locations, observation decks, viewing sheds, and pavilions will serve as tranquil rest spots for visitors, offering different views of nature in a rustic and naturalised setting,” HDB said.

Natural sanctuary

Bidadari is a natural sanctuary for wildlife, as it is connected to five nature ways, including Kallang Nature Way and Braddell Nature Way.

HDB has taken note of suggestions from the Nature Society (Singapore) on how to enrich biodiversity.

A 19m-wide eco-link will be built between Bidadari Park and Hillock Park, to form a safe passage for visitors and wildlife across Bidadari Park Drive.

Heritage reminders

A 700m heritage walk will also be introduced in the estate as a reminder of the history of Bidadari.

The area was once home to the Alkaff Lake Garden built in 1929 by the Alkaff family.

The tree-lined heritage walk will directly link Woodleigh MRT station to a new Memorial Garden, which will recount the history and stories of Bidadari’s past through a series of storyboards, HDB said.

Bidadari, which means "angel" or "fairy" in Malay used to be a cemetery.

It had sections for Muslims, Hindus, Singhalese and Christians, but burials ended there in 1972.

Bodies were exhumed to make way for the new housing development.

2022 completion

Bidadari Park is expected to be completed progressively by 2022.

The new fully developed estate will have about 10,000 housing units.

The first batch of Built-to-Order flats in Bidadari was launched in 2015 to super high demand.

The first flats are expected to be completed in 2019.