Singapore has agreed to a land swap with Tunku Ismail, the Regent of Johor, say URA and the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) in a June 10 announcement. The swap involves a 13ha plot located at Tyersall Park, next to the Singapore Botanic Gardens.
The Johor regent currently owns 21.1ha of land across two plots located in Tyersall Park. These comprise the 13ha plot, which is bound by Holland Road and Tyersall Avenue, and an adjacent plot measuring 8.1ha. The Johor royal family have privately owned the land for generations. URA and SLA add that Tunku Ismail intends to develop the land.
The 13ha plot will be swapped with another Holland Road land parcel that borders Tunku Ismail’s 8.1ha plot. The government-owned parcel spans 8.5ha and is “of comparable value” to the 13ha parcel, according to URA and SLA.
The swap ensures that the Johor regent’s planned developments “will be further away from the Singapore Botanic Gardens Unesco World Heritage Site”, say the agencies. Together with the 8.1ha plot that remains under Tunku Ismail’s ownership, he will have 16.6ha of land that could potentially be developed.
URA and SLA note that the Johor regent’s land is suitable for low-rise and low-density residential uses. “URA and agencies will assess any development applications and ensure that the proposed development is sensitive to the surrounding site context,” the agencies add. The development will also be subject to environmental studies to mitigate any potential impact on the environment.
The government will keep the 13ha of land received from Tunku Ismail “undeveloped for now, while keeping open our future plans for the area,” according to URA and SLA.
