Springleaf Residence @ Upper Thomson

Springleaf Residence is located in the Springleaf residential estate which is part of the bigger Yishun Planning Area. Springleaf estate is a hidden treasure in the North which offers its visitors and residents a serene escapade away from the bustling of urban living. This scenic residential district is famous for its tranquil ambiance, charming landscapes, and lush greenery. Over the years, the government has taken significant efforts to preserve much of the estate’s natural elements and rich biodiversity as much as possible. With the MRT Thomson East Coast Line that is already in operation with MRT Stations deployed here, it will benefit for nature lovers to travel to this part of the island to explore this charming residential estate.

In June 2022, the Urban Redevelopment Authority has announced plans for Springleaf with proposals for an upcoming residential estate which includes implementing an approach that is biodiversity-sensitive and creating an environmental corridor via the estate.

Springleaf is flanked by the Upper Thomson Road, the Mandai Road and the Seletar Expressway. This land plot of approximately 33 hectares in size is surrounded by Upper Seletar Reservoir and the Central Catchment Natural Reserve on its west and the Lower Seletar Reservoir on its east.

Before the construction of the Seletar Expressway, this estate used to be part of the swamp forest of Nee Soon. Most of the lands are forested and for build-up lands. These urbanization areas comprised of mainly low-rise buildings that flanked alongside the Upper Thomson Road. The Master Plan by URA has already designated parcels of lands for mix-use developments, green space as well as site zoned under reserve. This plan will see the construction of approximately 2,000 new dwellings and recreation opportunities that are more nature-based.

A study done by the Urban Redevelopment Authority revealed that Springleaf’s forested areas are filled with an array of habitats which include scrubland, secondary forests, and mangrove forest. The heart of the mangrove swamp houses a specific breed of flora that can only be found here in the entire Singapore. Also, there is a huge diversity of fauna and flora within Springleaf with more than 200 species of flora. Out of those species 138 of them are native and many are endangered species. The swamp also contains more than 290 species of fauna which 52 of them are conservation worthy. The Urban Redevelopment Authority hence zoned the forest in Springleaf as areas of conservation significance and its surrounding vicinity as zones of “No-Go”.

The government has also come up with series of plannings to benefit the wildlife by improving connectivity from Springleaf to its surrounding forests. The plan includes corridors revegetation or zoned reforestation like riparian vegetation in Sungei Seletar and underpass of Seletar Expressway. The plannings also include deploying tree cottages to wildlife to move freely in the forest while creating new habitats.

Urban Redevelopment Authority has also announced Springleaf green zones to be expand from 8 hectares currently up to 15 hectares in size. The increase will help to cut down the environmental impacts via mitigation methods like adding a buffer zone of 30 metres to safeguard the “No-Go Zones” and the Significant Conservation zones.

During the early days, Springleaf was a rubber plantation, it housed a rubber factory and had housings, businesses and shophouses lined along its main road. During that time, a school was also built and now if already defunct. These amenities were later shifted to Yishun Town. What remains today is the prominent school complex which is T-shaped, and a defunct post office building built during the colonial eras. These 2 heritage buildings will be preserved and will be using them as recreational and communal spaces to blend with verdant surroundings to become a public park.

There are also plans to create 2,000 new homes to leverage on the enhanced connectivity with the opening of the MRT Thomson East Coast Line. According to Urban Redevelopment Authority, these new dwellings will be private homes only. The developments for these homes will have to abide to the guidelines like limiting the developments reduce loss of habitats and ensuring the frontage is facing away from the nature. The building façade will also need to be in greener design to reduce birds from colliding and structure that will not disorient the winged wildlife.

Springleaf residents are also encouraged to make this estate a “car-lite” town. As such there are plans to link Springleaf to the Park Connector network. The upcoming Khatib Natural Corridor will link up the Khatib Bongsu Park and the Central Catchment Area to 3 new park with Springleaf being one of them. This corridor will also link to popular tracks such as the Central Corridor, the Round Island Trail and the Northern Coast-to-Coast Trail. An integral part of any ecological park will be the ABC Water programme by the PUB. As such, there will be water feature designs that will be included into Springleaf to improve its drainage waterways and infrastructure in order to support the site’s hydrological integrity.

The community in Springleaf estate also share a strong community sense and take pride of its neighbourhood. This neighbourhood is depicted by a close-cohesive community spirit. The residents here regularly get together for various activities events. Its Residents' Committee plays a focal point in encouraging community engagement by facilitating residents’ interactions and organizing gatherings.

The Springleaf estate residents also emphasizes along on environmental awareness other than building its social cohesion. Hence, they regularly take part in initiatives that promote sustainable environment such as recycling drives and neighbourhood cleaning up. This collaboration helps to create a neighbourhood that has eco-friendly and harmonious environment and improve the overall living quality and well-being neighbourhood. For any further details and information Contact Us or Send Email To Us.

Future residents will get to enjoy direct access to the Gardens by the Bay, the Shenton Way, the Outram Park and Singapore’s premier lifestyle destination, Orchard Road. By riding on the Southbound track it will only take future residents approximately 20 minutes of traveling time to get to the Marina Bay MRT Station and the Orchard MRT Station.

The Woodlands North MRT Station is also just 3 MRT stations away from Springleaf MRT Station on its track that is Northbound. The Woodlands North MRT Station will be integrated with the Singapore-Johor Rapid Transit System station. The Rapid Transit System is scheduled by end of 2026. This will bring better convenience and accessibility to future residents as short getaways to Johor becomes easy and convenient.

When the Stage 4 of the MRT Thomson East Coast Line comes into full operations in 2024, future residents will then have direct access to the residential estates that lies along the East Coast Park enclave. By 2025 with the opening of the Sungei Bedok MRT and Bedok South MRT Station, it will mark the completion for stage 5 of the MRT Thomson East Coast Line. By then, future residents will have direct access to the eastern and central parts of Singapore island.

The MRT Thomson East Coast Line is linked to every existing MRT service lines. This means that future residents will be able to have seamless transfer between these lines and get to their workplace, schools, or any other desired destination with easy accessibility and convenience.

Some of these major public transportation nodes include the Woodlands MRT Station which is 1 station away on the Northbound track. This MRT station is also the interchange for the MRT North South Line. While on the Southbound track, there are the Bright Hill MRT Station (which is 3 MRT stations away), the Caldecott MRT Station (which is 5 MRT stations away) and the Stevens MRT Station (which is 6 MRT Station away). The Stevens MRT Station allows future residents smooth transfer to the MRT Downtown Line while the Caldecott MRT Station allow future residents to easy access to the MRT Circle Line. The Bright Hill MRT Station will be an interchange in the future for the MRT Cross Island Land.

For those who prefer private transportation, Springleaf Residence is also close to several major roads that allow easy access and conveniences to other estates. The Upper Thomson Road connects to various key expressways such as The Seletar Expressway, the Tampines Expressway and the Central Expressway. The well-linked road network will allow easy and convenient for future residents to drive to various parts of the island. Additionally, the upcoming North South Expressway is also close to the development. This integrated transportation corridor is slated for completion by 2028. This transport corridor which will run parallelly to the Central Expressway will reduce the traveling time significantly for traveling between towns. The transport corridor will boast a safe cycling track that spans the entire highway. The cycling track will also be connected to the dedicated cycling tracks in the residential towns and the Park Connector Network.

Amenities
Future residents of Springleaf Residence will have access to various shopping malls in around the Thomson, Sembawang and Yishun estates. The nearest shopping mall will be the Northpoint City which is a short drive away.

Northpoint City is a extensive lifestyle centre which features a wide range of retail concepts. This mall house more than 500 dining and retail establishments. Future residents will be able to find anything they need here from the specialty stores, household items, electronics appliances to fashion labels. This mall provides an array products and services to cater to the different budgets, preferences and needs to ensure every shopper here to be able to have a memorable retail experience.

This mall is also known for its diverse and vibrant dining scene. This mall is home to a wide variety of cafes, eateries, food courts and restaurants. From local hawker fare to international cuisines, future residents will be able to indulge in a desirable gastronomic experience from the wide selection of gourmets here. Additionally, this mall also features various entertainment facilities which include a cineplex, providing future residents with ample opportunities for recreation and leisure.

The mall also focuses on the well-being of all its visitors. This mall also offers various wellness and lifestyle amenities which include spas, beauty salons and fitness centres. Future residents will be able to stay on a healthy and active living via the many wellness services and fitness programs being offered by this mall.

The mall also has communal spaces will foster community engagement and social interaction. On its South Wing, there is a Rooftop Garden which provides a serene environment for its visitors to unwind amongst the greenery with outdoor activities being offered. The mall regularly organizes performance, workshops and community events which will encourage strong community sense and many opportunities for the residents to interact and socialize with each other.

School
Springleaf Residence is close to various renowned education institutions, making it a great choice for families with school-going kids. The proximity of these educational facilities will ensure that future residents will be able to provide their kids with quality education with easy access to it.