Andrew Loh
Have you heard of Watercove Ville? You probably have not. Watercove Ville is a new housing development by Bukit Sembawang Estates Limited (BSEL). BSEL was in the rubber plantations business before it turned to property development. The company is reported to be the largest house builder in Singapore now. Its developments are very popular, going by the sales figures. According to its website, it has “fully sold” Luxus Hill, Verdure, Parc Mondrian and Mimosa Terrace. The website also promises to launch at least another four new developments, including Watercove Ville.
What is it about Watercove Ville that makes it special and different from the rest? The site for the development is located beside Sembawang Park in the northern part of Singapore – right by the beach, actually. It is beachfront living for those who can afford it, and work it seems has already started. “Another prestigious freehold development…” a signboard at the site declares.
The plan is for 80 freehold, “exclusive strata houses with basement carpark, swimming pool and clubhouse facilities” to be built there. “Daily conveniences, good food and country clubs,” describes the company’s website, “are just a short drive away.”
All is well – until you consider the implications of having such exclusive housing in an area which is known for its serenity and its wonderful spread of natural environment, together with its historical past. According to the NParks website, “Sembawang Park is a tranquil park with distinct blue dice design, situated in the north of Singapore facing [the] Johore straits.” The park is “one of the few remaining natural beaches of Singapore.” Its historical links to colonial times include the Beaulieu House, the Sembawang jetty and the remains of the 1920s Seletar Pier. “The Sembawang Shipyard to the west of the park was a British Naval Base from 1938 to 1968,” says NParks. “The park is also surrounded by other places of historical interest like the Admiralty House, Kampong Wak Hassan, Masjid Petempatan Melayu Sembawang and Sembawang memorial.”
Indeed, Sembawang Park is one of the last vestiges of our past which is accessible to everyone. Its lush greenery and natural tranquility attract those who seek solace and refuge from the relentless humdrum of city life. Now, this is being threatened by the development of beachfront housing. Work on the site has not gone full-scale yet but undoubtedly will soon. As it is, the nearby Sembawang Shipyard already disturbs the quiet of the park with its machinery and engines humming 24-hours everyday. The new Watercove Ville is located at the eastern part of the area. Sembawang Park, it seems, will soon be sandwiched between two sources of noise – from the shipyard in the west and from construction work at the Watercove site in the east.
Those who wish to get away from the hustle and bustle of the rat race will soon have one less sanctuary to turn to.
In our quest to provide dream homes and housing, let us be mindful that we should consider the needs of the wider population, and not just the few who can afford to pay for such “luxurious” homes. This is especially so in land-scarce Singapore where natural environment is disappearing fast under the assault of “housing development”. It makes one wonder how bad the situation will further deteriorate as we head towards a 6.5 million people population.
I truly dread the day when Watercove Ville is finally completed. It will mean that even our limited space of silence, solitude and tranquility can be sold to the highest bidder, or are only for those who can pay for it.
According to this report, “More than half the buyers of some recent luxury property projects have been foreigners, helping to drive property prices in the city-state to their highest level in six years.”
Will Watercove Ville also see the same fate in that foreigners will end up buying most of the units? But that would be beside the point. I would rather we left these rustic, natural environment as they are – and not be seduced by “luxury homes” which come at the expense of sanctuaries which provide much needed respite from the hectic life we lead in this city.
For now, 80 “prestigious” houses threaten to deprive Singaporeans of the sanctuary that is Sembawang Park.
Is Watercove Ville the first of many “prestigious” housing developments which will spring up along that coast in the north?
—–
Some pictures and a slideshow of Sembawang Park:
HELP keep the voice of TOC alive!
If you like this article, please consider a small donation to help theonlinecitizen.com stay alive. Please note that we can only accept donations from Singaporeans. Thank you for your assistance.Do you have a flair for writing? Volunteer with us. Email us your full name and contact details to theonlinecitizen@gmail.com
currently, even the most run down HDB unit is considered “prestigious” because so expensive….
if i need decades to pay off my loan, i wun say its “just a HDB home” loh…
All the photos in “Slideshow of Sembawang Park” and the 2 other still photos of Semb Park are not part of the Watercove Ville development site.
Take at look at the map at sg maps and have a feel of the scale of this Watercove Ville vs the size of Semb Park.
Watercove Ville will be occu[pying what is now a derelic run down area, not near any of the scenic shots.
The developer is not going to wipe out Semb Park, (and they can’t because they do not own it, NPark owns it) but that is the impression this article seems to be giving.
KopitiamApek,
Have you been to the park?
they have already destroyed part of the old seletar airbase where some of the old colonial houses stand, what else do they want? why must they keep on demolishing our heritage, our memories all 4 the sake of PROFIT?
Don’t gripe over houses built near the sea front. Sembawang Park will still be around. People can choose what they can do with their cash. I have confidence that the company will be building on their own land and not encroach on parkland. More concerning is to whether al fresco dining will be allowed to be lined up along the beach. This was what happened to Pasir Ris Park. Beach goers have no more access to the best part of the beach there.I could catch small crabs at the sandy beach.It is not the same now. The waters along Pasir Ris Park are not safe to swim in. It was a beautiful beach before the hawkers moved in and barricaded their areas. Can you see the beach from the children’s playground? You cannot even go near it. So near,yet so far! Maybe,you will be able to smell the rubbish placed at their backdoors along the bicycle path. This is worse than having luxury houses tucked away at a corner.
KopitiamApek is right,
I have been to Sembawang Park numerous times and you can say I knew the place by heart. Though I have not been to Sembawang Park recently and have not seen the development, however the light beacon at the picture ‘Where Watercove Ville will be sited’ is clearly pointing in the direction of Bottle Tree Village and the Simpang Kiri Park Connector. This proves that the development site is located at the right hand side of Sembawang Park and not in Sembawang Park itself.
The development is probably on the road Kampung Wak Hassan just off Sembawang Road (according to my 5 years old street directory)
3) Andrew Loh
Have you?
I took those pictures you see.
Watercove ville is on 101 Wak Hassan Drive
80 comprising 76 terraces and 4 semi-detached housing.
Semb Park is a 15 ha park
http://sg.shownearby.com/places/9c5ui-1/watercove_ville/map
Simpang Kiri Park Connector is a 3km park connector
http://www.nparks.gov.sg/cms/index.php?option=com_visitorsguide&task=parkconnectors&id=5&Itemid=74
The development of Watercove ville will in no way affect these parks at all nor the beach front as the site is inland.
8) Andrew Loh
Yes I have been there.
And you know where you are when you took the pictures. And you know it is not the subject site. So what are trying to tell?
No one said the development is inside the park. This is what I wrote:
“The site for the development is located beside Sembawang Park in the northern part of Singapore ..”
But it is connected to the park itself. And right in front of where the houses will be, people do fish there every morning and evening. No one knows exactly how far the houses will stretch and whether that side of it will be closed off – given that it is suppose to be “prestigious” and “exclusive” housing. If it were, then we would lose that side of the park.
Another issue is the number of people who will now inhabit that place, giving rise to the issue of crowds and noise. Sembawang Park is, to me, the most tranquil park in Singapore. On weekdays, there is almost no one within the park itself.
The way it looks right now, Sem Park is sandwiched right between the shipyard and the proposed Watercove Ville development.
Perhaps it’s only a matter of time when the park itself will make way for more “prestigious” housing.
That would be utterly sad.
KopitiamApek,
I suggest you read the article again. No one claimed it is within the park.
Don’t be too eager to find fault.
Hi KopitiamApek,
I understand election is coming, so you and your friends in white have to work harder to discredit any site that is potentially damaging to PAP.
11) Andrew Loh
It is good that you clarified now, It would have been better you made that clear in the article.
” No one claimed it is within the park. ” but the pictures is about the park.
////Perhaps it’s only a matter of time when the park itself will make way for more “prestigious” housing.
That would be utterly sad. ////
In case you are not aware, and tas an antidote for the perpectually cynicals, there is a thing call land use planning, and the parks will remain as parks
http://www.ura.gov.sg/mp08/map.jsf?goToRegion=SIN
11) Andrew Loh
///Another issue is the number of people who will now inhabit that place, giving rise to the issue of crowds and noise////
80 landed property will at most increase the population by 80 x 5 people making a grand total of 400 people and perhaps 160 dogs.
KopitiamApek,
On the contrary, you should actually read the article before jumping to conclusions.
I have already stated quite clearly in the article itself:
“The site for the development is located beside Sembawang Park in the northern part of Singapore …”
It is you who did not read the article and jumped to conclusion and have now been found out. So, please save me the holier-than-thou attitude.
#10 KopitiamApek, #6XIIIblackcat
You guys should re-read the story. Andrew states quite clearly that the new development will be located “beside Sembawang Park”, not within the park itself.
////////It is beachfront living for those who can afford it, ///////////
Just like the condos along East Coast, the condo owners do not own the beach!
There are existing laws to ensure it stays that way.
18) Lynn Lee / Andrew
So now it is all clear that the development is not going to affect the park and the beach. So what is the issue and purpose of the article?
KopitiamApek,
post #14 on October 8th, 2009 10.23 pm
laws are man-made, being so it can be changed if there are reasons (or excuses) to do so.
our red-bricked Stamford (National) Library was gone too soon… a slice of our heritage. now 1 big lobang…. :?
KopitiamApek
post #21 on October 8th, 2009 10.51 pm
////And we could be invaded by aliens tomorrow and everthing does not matter////
those aliens jack up property prices so high it out of this world, when you compare the salary of the majority (bottom 70% of local population, exclude aliens & aliens turned local in a wink) of house hunters.
haa… 8)
#19 KopitiamApek
Please re-read Andrew’s reply at #11 above.
You made a mistake. Perhaps it was an honest mistake. The least you could do is be gracious enough to own up.
11) Andrew Loh
//////No one knows exactly how far the houses will stretch ///////
Ask any respectable property agent, you will get the detail to the last square metres.
KopitiamApek
post #23 on October 8th, 2009 11.00 pm
////these aliens may not need to pay you anything. they just vapourise you with their ray guns out of existence.////
that seems humane compared to being kept alive just enough to be milked dry….
///////In our quest to provide dream homes and housing, let us be mindful that we should consider the needs of the wider population///////
Likewise, may I add that in our quest to have our own limited space of silence, solitude and tranquility, let us be mindful that we should consider the needs of the wider population too.
It is a reality of living in this tiny red dot.
KopitiamApek
post #27 on October 8th, 2009 11.15 pm
////Likewise, may I add that in our quest to have our own limited space of silence, solitude and tranquility, let us be mindful that we should consider the needs of the wider population too.////
can, minus 2 country club that takes up most space.
people with alot of space need to be mindful of people with little space.
8)
25) Lynn Lee
Read the title:
“Prestigious” homes – but at what cost?
Really, at what cost?
Let’s be objective. Since it is a prestigious private housing development (and thank God it is not another HDB estate!), does one really expect 80 private and possibly snobbish households to be any threat to the Sembawang Park anyway? They’ll probably be indoors enjoying their luxurious indoor comforts or indulging in their own private pools within their enclave than wandering about in the public park. Truthfully, TOC should not make an issue of everything. After all, they are not uprooting a public park to make way for the private development. I know having a private prestigious property development may not sound very egalitarian, communitarian, socialistic or plebian, we must not go overboard and become a nation of propertyless in a classless struggle with the propertied class! Even communist China has gone capitalistic.
32) kingfisher
Thank you for your thoughts.
32) kingfisher
///// Truthfully, TOC should not make an issue of everything //////
My exact thoughts
KopitiamApek,
You are most welcome!
#kopitiamApek
After reading the article, it did not strike me that Andrew referred the project as inside the park. In fact, it is quite clearly described.
Suggest we stop bickering here. If you have mistaken, just acknowledge.
kingfisher
post #31 on October 8th, 2009 11.20 pm
////Even communist China has gone capitalistic.////
China so big dun compare lah, put our ‘red dote’ there cannot see oso….
S’pore only got human capital, they got land, land & more land (& not yet count other things okie)…
37) KopitiamAuntie
I repeat myself.
So now it is all clear that the development is not going to affect the park and the beach. So what is the issue and purpose of the article?
KopitiamApek also did not mistake that the Park was involved; in fact, he was trying to affirm that. I think what KopitiamApek was saying is that Andrew Loh took so many pictures of the Park and posted them here as if to give readers the wrong impression that it is going to be missed because of the Watercove Ville project. At first I thought so too. So I dont think KopitiamApek has anything to acknowledge then.
If the Watercove Ville project sits on the beach and cordons off that part of the beach, then I agree that the public has lost an access to the particular area. I haven’t been to the beach to swim at all but I can imagine it must be quite filthy and oily if not “busy” anyway due to the proximity of the Sembawang Shipyard.
In any case, we have not lost a Park. So let us not engage in the politics of envy. As somebody already wrote, private developers have every right to bid and procure land from URA for their projects. If anyone is to be criticised, it shoudl be URA for selling/leasing that parcel of land. Actually, there is already a lot of private houses there since time immemorial, and Watercove is going to have only 80 units- a rather small development I must say, so a small threat.
Over further on the east, there is plenty of forested areas to make up for what little has been lost.
41) kingfisher
Thank you once again.
There is a thing call The Foreshore Act, which ensure nobody own the sea front in Singapore. This was enacted during the East Coast reclamation back in the 70s (I think). Prior to that rich Katong residenst own the sea front. It is a good Robin Hood piece of legislation, imho, as before that only Katong Park was a public beach.
So we all can rest assured the beach will not be “privatised”.
KopitiamApek,
pls spare yourself further humiliation. Dun anyhow say like that siah suay Lim Kopi Say.
Pls read carefully what is written and like what Andrew pointed out, you should not jump to conclusion and misinterprete. Also, your anyhow allegations may confuse the younger readers.
Pls spare us some hard disk space on this blog. thanks.
Apek,
Why you so thick skinned one? People say so much you cant hear is it? Old age har? Need be louder for you to hear? Old people always try to play childish, we understand fully your predicament. I recommend you to play WII games to stop yourself getting retarded too soon.
I don’t get what’s wrong with having a waterfront development.
The Park will not be touched, and it’s good to have diversity of housing options. True, it might just be a small amount of such houses, but at least it gives us the opportunity to own one, if we should choose to.
Give it a break, I think this is a non-issue.
The privileged class and rich enjoyed life with exclusive places like Sembawang Park,
Sentosa Cove, etc.
The struggling poor may not be able to afford a HDB which Mabok Tan said is affordable. Affordable to him with everything in life (cannot understand, a loser to CSTong in Potong Pasir, can be a minister of shit). This is the PAP system of GRC.
Otherwise mabok Tan is a nobody. Maybe still working with SPH.
Many will face this hard life, also influx of foreigners. BUT we can make a different the next time round. VOTE THOSE SYCOPHANTS OUT OF THE GOVERNMENT.
MORE VOICES OF OPPOSITIONS, MORE HOPE OF A CHANGE.
We are stagnated for life if we do not act right now !!
Hi KopitiamApek,
It’s obvious from your postings on this thread that you are not a nature-lover; i guess the city-ghettoes and dumps must be the places where you find your peace and tranquility
I agree with Andrew that the Sembawang Park region is one of the most peaceful and tranquil areas of Singapore, and this area should be reserved for the needs of the majority of the population
From what i know Sembawang Shipyard is slated to move to Jurong Shipyard (the report was in the papers a few years back) and the whole area, from Sembawang DRC(drug rehabilitation centre) to Sembawang Park is going to be built-up with condominiums and housing estates; it’s obvious that Sembawang Park is going to be missing from our map in a decade or so
When I see these pictures ,it remind me of my …………
I only hope that everything is as nature as it is .
I never believe that that location will be make a residential area as my friend in Wak Hassan stayed there for years and was resettled.
It is only logical to me if the resettled site is meant for a naval base,a military camp or a coast guard base,otherwise it should be preserve.
I wonder what will Nature Society of Singapoe has to say. The seem vey quiet about the speedy development of Singapore that took away many of our sacred nature resources. Were they being silenced? Singapore is no longer a peaceful and tranquil country. No wonder many people want to get out or rushed to travel during holiday.
Over at Yishun Park, the SAFRA Club was sited inside the park itself, effectively reducing the size of the park in half. Now with the Khoo Teck Puat hospital coming up, I do not think that park will serve anymore purpose (peace, tranquility, etc) once both human and vehicular traffic starts coming in when the hospital opens.
This is what I fear for Sembawang Park. And it is dubious and naive to say that there are laws which protect the parks. When it comes to making money, the PAP govt is not averse to changing the law at will.
As we have all observed over the last 50 years.
Not long after 9/11, there was an announcement that Sembawang Park would be turned into a ‘restricted access’ buffer zone for the shipyard (is the ANZ listening posts still there?). Work at the Watercove Ville site actually came to a standstill. Guess the authorities changed their mind about the buffer zone after it became clear that 9/11 was not executed by Islamic terrorists and was a manufactured incident for justifying the invasion of Iraq. See http://911research.wtc7.net/ and http://911truth.org/article.php?story=20041221155307646 .
I for one wouldn’t want to live in Watercove Ville. When there’s sandblasting in Sembawang Shipyard and the wind happens to blow eastwards, the whole estate would be covered in fine blackish grit. Have a friend living in Admiralty Drive and he complains that his balconey is almost always coated with the stuff.
#KopitiamApek: Learn discretion; grow a brain.
Also, let’s not be distracted by his ignorant confusion. What does TOC think of starting an awareness movement against Watercove 8)
Could buttress it with more info about possible damage to Sembawang Park. Or even push to gazette Sembawang as a reserve area! :O
At a cost that is going to make you work for a lifetime.
moderation???!
#41,
To add…..There’s also Petronas flue gas stack whhich is often burning off its excess, giving off more particulates and noise and vibration that will disturb yr sleep at night. There’s Pasir Gudang forever loading/unloading some sandy stuff, bauxite or cement, and the plume falls over houses onto the whole northern beaches and houses on Ponggol side. I can imagine Watercove will suffer same fate as well.