Revised Maju Forest and Gillman Barracks plans increase greenery, reduce housing by 1,200 units
HDB has revised housing plans for Maju Forest and Gillman Barracks to retain more greenery after public feedback, increasing conserved areas to 10ha and 12ha respectively. Nature groups welcome the changes but call for continued environmental safeguards, noting that while 1,200 fewer homes will be b
SINGAPORE: Nature groups have welcomed the revised housing plans for Maju Forest and Gillman Barracks announced by the Housing and Development Board (HDB) on 28 Oct 2026, though they stressed the need for ongoing environmental safeguards. Under the updated plans, the area retained as greenery at Maju Forest will increase from about 8ha to roughly 10ha, representing about 45 per cent of the 23ha site, up from about 35 per cent under the original plans. At Gillman Barracks, the area set aside for greenery will rise from around 8ha to about 12ha, amounting to about 60 per cent of the 20ha of existing greenery, up from about 40 per cent previously.
The revisions mean 1,200 fewer homes than initially planned, with about 11,000 units now slated for both sites combined. Nature Society Singapore’s (NSS) Lester Tan described the additional retained areas as a “compromise,” as development stress is contained within the same zones and not shifted to another forest patch. The enlarged green spaces will be safeguarded as new nature parks, offering community opportunities for habitat enhancement. “Nature park means there will be trails. Residents can also go in and join the nature spaces. So basically, creating more green spaces for the residents around as well, on top of enhancing the connectivity that's already existing,” said Mr Tan.
NSS president Leong Kwok Peng had previously proposed conserving two-thirds of Maju Forest and leaving one-third for housing. Dr Shawn Lum, a lecturer at Nanyang Technological University’s Asian School of the Environment and an NSS member, said he was “pleasantly surprised” and “greatly heartened” by the revised plans. “There is still a considerable clearance, but by retaining roughly half, in theory, most of the diversity that was present in the original space can still be maintained in the slightly reduced space,” said Dr Lum.
However, nature experts cautioned that the impact on the environment remains significant. Dr Lum warned that the reduced forested area might increase competition for food and shelter, as “a smaller space, but the same number of animals, so there might be individual animals that won't compete as well.” He added that many animals are active in the evenings and early mornings, requiring limits on noise and light during construction to minimise disturbances.
Mr Ho Xiang Tian, co-founder of LepakInSG, said the additional area is “good enough as a connectivity corridor” but not as a habitat. “Essentially because there's less space for (animals) to live, so it's like survival of the fittest. Whoever can fight and survive in the remaining 10ha is what will live. Then the rest will die or be forced out into the adjacent blocks,” he said.
