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25-11-13, 14:46
http://www.straitstimes.com/archive/thursday/premium/top-the-news/story/six-golf-clubs-land-slated-other-use-20131121
Six golf clubs on land slated for other use
Published on Nov 21, 2013
http://www.straitstimes.com/archive/thursday/sites/straitstimes.com/files/imagecache/story-gallery-featured/20131121/ST_20131121_GOLF21_3930646e.jpg
In the latest Draft Master Plan 2013, Keppel Club’s greens (right) have been zoned for residential purposes and are ''subject to detailed planning'', while part or all of the land occupied by five other clubs have been labelled ''reserve sites'' - meaning it has not been determined what the specific uses will be. -- ST FILE PHOTO
By Rachel Scully
THE future of some golf courses is in doubt after being earmarked for possible residential development and other uses in the Draft Master Plan 2013 released yesterday.
The six affected clubs are Keppel Club, Tanah Merah Country Club, Orchid Country Club, Warren Golf and Country Club, Jurong Country Club and the National Service Resort and Country Club (NSRCC) in Changi.
Some have leases that expire in 10 years or less, while others still have many years to go, but that may not save them from the axe eventually.
Golf courses typically occupy land zoned for sports and recreation, but this can change.
The master plan, which provides a guide on land use for the next 10 to 15 years, is revised every five years.
In the 2008 plan, the six clubs were on land designated for sports and recreation, but this was changed in the latest draft released yesterday.
The Keppel Club's greens have now been zoned for residential purposes and are "subject to detailed planning".
Part or all of the land occupied by the five other clubs have been labelled "reserve sites" - meaning the specific uses have yet to be determined.
The authorities can allow interim use of the land for purposes that are "compatible with the uses in the locality", according to the Urban Redevelopment Authority zoning interpretation.
The Garden Course at Tanah Merah Country Club, which is bound by the East Coast Parkway and Changi Coast Road, is on land marked as a reserve site. The land used by its other course remains zoned for sports and recreation.
Parts of the NSRCC's nearby Changi course have also been designated as a reserve site.
The other three clubs slated for redevelopment - Warren, Jurong and Orchid - are near housing estates.
The change in land use comes as golf club members await more details of lease extensions early next year. Many tip the clubs with the shortest leases as the ones likely to lose their land, but it seems that those with longer leases may not be spared the axe once their tenure is up.
For example, Jurong Country Club's lease will run out in 22 years, while Warren Golf and Country Club has 15 years left on its lease, with the option to renew it for a further 30 years.
The new Draft Master Plan affirms the Government's move to ensure that land is better utilised.
Law Minister K. Shanmugam noted on his Facebook page last Friday: "In the past, many golf courses were built over land which could not be developed for high-intensity use. We are now able to make better use of some of this land... (and) in the coming years, some golf course land will be redeveloped, to (be) put to higher-intensity use, to meet Singapore's land use needs."
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Six golf clubs on land slated for other use
Published on Nov 21, 2013
http://www.straitstimes.com/archive/thursday/sites/straitstimes.com/files/imagecache/story-gallery-featured/20131121/ST_20131121_GOLF21_3930646e.jpg
In the latest Draft Master Plan 2013, Keppel Club’s greens (right) have been zoned for residential purposes and are ''subject to detailed planning'', while part or all of the land occupied by five other clubs have been labelled ''reserve sites'' - meaning it has not been determined what the specific uses will be. -- ST FILE PHOTO
By Rachel Scully
THE future of some golf courses is in doubt after being earmarked for possible residential development and other uses in the Draft Master Plan 2013 released yesterday.
The six affected clubs are Keppel Club, Tanah Merah Country Club, Orchid Country Club, Warren Golf and Country Club, Jurong Country Club and the National Service Resort and Country Club (NSRCC) in Changi.
Some have leases that expire in 10 years or less, while others still have many years to go, but that may not save them from the axe eventually.
Golf courses typically occupy land zoned for sports and recreation, but this can change.
The master plan, which provides a guide on land use for the next 10 to 15 years, is revised every five years.
In the 2008 plan, the six clubs were on land designated for sports and recreation, but this was changed in the latest draft released yesterday.
The Keppel Club's greens have now been zoned for residential purposes and are "subject to detailed planning".
Part or all of the land occupied by the five other clubs have been labelled "reserve sites" - meaning the specific uses have yet to be determined.
The authorities can allow interim use of the land for purposes that are "compatible with the uses in the locality", according to the Urban Redevelopment Authority zoning interpretation.
The Garden Course at Tanah Merah Country Club, which is bound by the East Coast Parkway and Changi Coast Road, is on land marked as a reserve site. The land used by its other course remains zoned for sports and recreation.
Parts of the NSRCC's nearby Changi course have also been designated as a reserve site.
The other three clubs slated for redevelopment - Warren, Jurong and Orchid - are near housing estates.
The change in land use comes as golf club members await more details of lease extensions early next year. Many tip the clubs with the shortest leases as the ones likely to lose their land, but it seems that those with longer leases may not be spared the axe once their tenure is up.
For example, Jurong Country Club's lease will run out in 22 years, while Warren Golf and Country Club has 15 years left on its lease, with the option to renew it for a further 30 years.
The new Draft Master Plan affirms the Government's move to ensure that land is better utilised.
Law Minister K. Shanmugam noted on his Facebook page last Friday: "In the past, many golf courses were built over land which could not be developed for high-intensity use. We are now able to make better use of some of this land... (and) in the coming years, some golf course land will be redeveloped, to (be) put to higher-intensity use, to meet Singapore's land use needs."
[email protected]