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Housing plan at site within Maju Forest not final: HDB chief town planner
The chief town planner also said that brownfield sites were considered prior to the current proposal.
July 18, 2026, 01:01 PM
Photo by Suze Ng via Google Maps
A closed door session regarding the proposed residential development at Sunset Way was held at Bukit Timah Community Club on Jul. 17.
It was attended by at least 100 residents, along with Members of Parliament for Bukit Timah GRC Christopher De Souza and Sim Ann, and representatives from the Housing & Development Board (HDB).
Concerns raised at the session included deforestation, traffic congestion and overdevelopment, CNA reported.
Some residents were also quoted as saying, following the session, that they remained unsettled by the development plans and hoped that HDB would take their feedback into consideration.
HDB had announced earlier on Jul. 10 that Sunset Way, together with Gillman Barracks, would be developed for housing.
After an environment impact assessment was conducted and engaging nature groups, HDB has proposed retaining about eight hectares of the 23-hectare site within Maju Forest at Sunset Way to provide refuge for wildlife and facilitate fauna movement.
Why not brownfield sites?
Ahead of the closed door session, HDB's chief town planner Chong Fook Long told CNA that the housing plan for Sunset Way at the moment is "not final" and that HDB hopes to work further with residents and stakeholders.
Explaining the current decision, Chong shared that the recent Clementi Build-to-Order (BTO) exercise was more than four times oversubscribed indicates a "great need" for more housing supply in that area.
Chong said that their priority is to target brownfield sites.
However, within Clementi and the region, there are very few of such sites. This led to them looking at developing the site within Maju Forest, which has been largely zoned for residential use since 1980, to increase housing supply.
Brownfield sites refer to land that has been previously developed while greenfield sites refer to land that has been mostly untouched.
Chong said, "We have to make trade-offs. We have to understand how to balance housing and nature to bring about the best plan, as we always do wherever we go."
Members of the public can submit feedback on the plans until Aug. 6, 2026.
