HDB says Sunset Way plans not final as it weighs Maju Forest concerns against housing

The Housing and Development Board (HDB) has said its proposed public housing development at Sunset Way is not final, as the agency works to balance resident concerns over Maju Forest against Singapore's housing needs.

HDB chief town planner Dr Chong Fook Loong, who is also group director of the agency's urban planning division, set out the agency's position in comments to CNA on Friday, 17 July 2026, ahead of a resident engagement session.

"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," Dr Chong said.

Housing need

Dr Chong pointed to the recent Clementi Build-to-Order (BTO) exercise, which was more than four times oversubscribed, as evidence of what he described as a great need for more housing supply.

He said HDB's first priority was to develop brownfield sites, which are land that has previously been developed, but that very few such sites remained within Clementi and the surrounding region.

"So, we have to now focus on Sunset Way site to see how that can help to enhance the supply," he said.

By contrast, greenfield sites such as Sunset Way are largely undeveloped land, often containing existing greenery or ecosystems.

Environmental study

Dr Chong said the development of Sunset Way was guided by an Environmental Impact Assessment that helps HDB understand the site's ecological features and significance.

"Now again, that plan is not final. We are working on it. And through these plans and through these trade-offs, we hope to work further with residents and stakeholders," he said.

He added that HDB was seeking feedback following the publication of the environmental study.

Under current proposals, about eight hectares of the 23-hectare study area would be retained, mostly along the forest's periphery.

Residents air concerns

Senior Minister of State Sim Ann, who is also a Member of Parliament for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, said the session gave residents a chance to air their views and concerns directly to the agencies involved.

"Some residents have expressed a sense of loss for the greenery. Some residents have also expressed concern about the possible impact on future traffic," Sim said.

She said other residents were concerned about what construction might mean, including interim disamenities such as noise, while some were curious about what amenities would be added to the neighbourhood.

The engagement session, held at Bukit Timah Community Club, ran for more than two and a half hours, with representatives from HDB and the MPs addressing residents before the floor was opened to questions, according to residents who attended.

Concerns raised included overdevelopment, deforestation and traffic congestion. Some residents told CNA after the session that they remained unsettled about the plans, though they hoped the agencies would take their feedback into account.

Sim, who also serves as Senior Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs, attended the closed-door session alongside fellow Holland-Bukit Timah GRC MP Christopher de Souza.

Background

HDB announced on Friday, 10 July 2026, that Sunset Way, along with Gillman Barracks, would be developed for housing. Much of the Sunset Way site within Maju Forest has been zoned for residential use since the 1980 master plan.

The proposals have drawn sustained public opposition, with two online petitions calling for the forests to be preserved attracting close to 22,000 signatures.

Public feedback on the plans remains open until 6 August 2026.