Sembawang

Planning and construction

The planning of Sembawang New Town was first mentioned in the Urban Redevelopment Authority's Planning Report for Sembawang (1996). This Development Guide Plan, with the aid of zoning maps, highlights the various land zoning proposals, which eventually led to the creation of Sembawang New Town. This provides an interesting perspective to the development of the town. The Sembawang Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Station serves as the central hub, around which residential, commercial as well as industrial zones mushroomed.

Public housing

The Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats in the Sembawang Planning Area have been split among three divisions, each of which is represented by a Member of Parliament. The North West Community Development Council (CDC) is the local administration, initiating, planning and managing community programmes to promote community bonding and social cohesion.

Current and future development

In the Draft 2003 Master Plan, a Sembawang Activity Corridor was proposed. Plans are in place to develop an activity corridor stretching from the Sembawang Town Centre to the Jalan Legundi area. Mentioned in the Plan was the development of the Sembawang Bus Interchange next to Sun Plaza, as well as a Sembawang Sports Complex at the junction of Sembawang Road / Canberra Road / Sembawang Avenue. Park connectors linking Sembawang MRT Station and Woodlands MRT Station are in the work, as well as a new park connector along Sungei Simpang Kiri from Yishun Avenue 2 to Sembawang Road, bringing people to the lively Sembawang Activity Corridor. A new Community Centre for Sembawang residents will be co-located with the existing Sembawang Neighbourhood Police Centre at Sembawang Drive.

Communal facilities

The new town contains some of the most common communal facilities found in Singapore, such as:

• Sembawang MRT Station. To preserve the kampong atmosphere of Sembawang, this station has a uniquely-shaped kampong-styled roof. Acceding to a request by workers from the Sembawang Shipyard, the Land Transport Authority constructed a bay for 350 bicycles as most of the workers cycle to and from work. This is in-line with the environmentally friendly mentality prevalent in the kampongs.

• Shopping centres, including the Sun Plaza shopping centre next to the Sembawang MRT Station, and Sembawang Shopping Centre which has opened.

• The Sembawang Community Library, managed by the National Library Board is situated within the Sun Plaza shopping centre. It serves residents in the North West areas of Lim Chu Kang, Mandai, Sembawang, Simpang, Sungei Kadut, Woodlands and Yishun.

• Four primary schools (Canberra Primary School, Endeavour Primary School, Wellington Primary School and Sembawang Primary School located to a holding campus due to PRIME), and two secondary schools (Canberra Secondary School and Sembawang Secondary School).

• Sembawang Bus Interchange, strategically located next to Sun Plaza, was completed in September 2005 and opened for operation on 20th November 2005. This replaced the old bus interchange located at the Northern tip of Sembawang Road, just next to Sembawang Park.

Bus Interchange

Sembawang Interchange

Service	Destination	Notes
117	Punggol	N/A
167	Bukit Merah
859	↺ Yishun
859A	↺ Admiralty Link
859B
882	↺ Sembawang Road
883	↺ Yishun Central 2
980	Lorong 1 Geylang
981	Senoko Loop	Weekdays AM peak