Relocation of Paya Lebar Airbase: Impact on Lorong Chuan
Relocation of Paya Lebar Airbase - BENEFITS TO PROPERTY AROUND Lorong Chuan AREA
An estimated 150,000 new public and private homes - roughly the number in Punggol and Sengkang combined - can be built in the future town in Paya Lebar after the Paya Lebar Air Base relocates in the 2030s.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong gave details of the area's redevelopment in his National Day Rally speech on Sunday (21 Aug 2022).
The military airbase's move to Changi will also have an impact on neighbouring towns like Hougang, Marine Parade and Punggol, as building height restrictions in those areas can be lifted, said PM Lee.
Paya Lebar Air Base Prepares to Close
In the meantime, there is a big upheaval pending in the RSAF’s real estate. In 2011, the Singapore government began planning the closure of Paya Lebar Air Base (PLAB), which served as Singapore’s international airport until Changi opened in 1980.
The RSAF and Singapore Technologies (ST) Engineering took over this 800 hectare site that would house 160,000 new dwellings, plus industrial units and parkland. Officials confirmed the plan 2 years later, around the same time that Changi East won approval.
Airpower observers expressed surprise by the decision since PLAB hosts the RSAF’s two F-15SG Strike Eagle squadrons and its C-130 Hercules squadron. The F-15s sit in hardened aircraft shelters built into a hillside.
Tengah now is the only other air base that can house the RSAF’s four F-16 fighter squadrons. The RSAF has attempted to mitigate the risk of attack on Singapore's airfields by creating emergency runways on straight stretches of road near Changi and Tengah.
Lifting of current height restrictions once the base closes
On the other hand, Paya Lebar is surrounded by housing and industrial buildings. Because the usual approach crosses the Marina Bay and part of the central business district, no structure can be more than 800 feet high. That restriction will lift when the base closes.
Meanwhile, a big expansion at Tengah is underway. It lies on the relatively unpopulated western side of Singapore, adjacent to the largest military training area on the island.
Construction of a second runway along Lim Chu Kang & reshaping the landscape of the area
The construction of a second runway is expected to take place along Lim Chu Kang Road, which already functions partially as an emergency runway. However, this development will affect the surrounding area, which includes large Chinese and Muslim cemeteries covering 318 hectares.
As part of the project, the cemeteries (covering 318 hectares) will be reduced by one-third, leading to the exhumation of 80,000 graves.
Additionally, 6 farms in the vicinity will be demolished to make way for the new runway, reshaping the landscape of the area.
New Airframe Maintenance Facility at Changi
The other key occupant of PLAB is ST Engineering, who does Boeing 767 overhauls and freighter conversions there.
It is also where ST Engineering performs maintenance on most RSAF aircraft, and where the RSAF’s F-16s undergo upgrades to the F-16V configuration. ST Engineering is also overhauling foreign military aircraft here, mostly C-130s.
To offset its loss of hangarage at PLAB, the company broke ground on a new $125 million airframe maintenance facility at Changi last September.
It is located at Changi Creek, not far from the threshold of Runway 20R. The 904,000 sq ft structure will include four bays for widebody aircraft servicing.
Paya Lebar Airport Relocation Plans in 2030 from URA
The relocation of Paya Lebar Airbase will free up around 800 ha – much bigger than Bishan and Toa Payoh – for these new homes, offices and maybe even factories. This means that the towns can make better use of their space and be redeveloped to have more amenities.
2030. The year 2030 will be the year when the current Paya Lebar Airport will be relocated. Paya Lebar Airport Relocation Plans Source: URA.
In June this year, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) said the site would comprise housing and recreational facilities, provide space for businesses, which would offer employment opportunities and tap the area's aviation history.