History
Punggol in Malay (Ponggol) literally means "hurling
sticks" - a method of bringing down fruits off fruit trees. It came to
refer to a place where fruits and forest produce are offered wholesale,
an indication that Ponggol was a renowned fruit-growing district.
Punggol was believed to have been established years before Sir Stamford
Raffles founded Singapore, and it was used to be a thriving place for
poultry and vegetable farms. It was one of the oldest settlements in
Singapore with the original settlers made up mostly of the Malay
community. Besides poultry and vegetable farms, other economic
activities include rubber planting and pig rearing. All these activities
were phased out from the 1970s.Punggol Jetty was built only in the
1930s and Punggol Point, the humble seaside eateries at land's end, soon
gained popularity for serving sumptuous seafood with seafood restaurants
seen dotting around in the 70s and 80s.
During the Second World War in 1942, about 400 Chinese civilians were
massacred by the Japanese military forces at Punggol Point, the northern
tip of the area, in what was to be known as the Punggol Beach Massacre
as part of the Sook Ching Massacre. Today, that location has been marked
as a national heritage site by the National Heritage Board.
Present
In 1996 National Day Rally speech, then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong
proposed the development of Pungol into 'Punggol 21'. Punggol 21 was a
new model for housing Punggol, which would feature a new concept in
housing as a model for new towns in the 21st century. It would have a
mix of private houses, executive condominiums, and high-grade HDB flats
grouped into smaller, distinctly designed estates. The development was
started in 1998. However, due to the sharp fall in housing demand
following the Asian Financial Crisis, the development of Punggol 21 was
shelved aside.
There are about 16,700 homes and they are served by a comprehensive road
and rail network. Under the Punggol 21 concept, smaller estates to
encourage closer interaction among residents were established.
The Vision: A Waterfront Town of the 21st Century
In a 2007 National Day Rally speech, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
proposed the “Punggol 21-plus” plan to revitalize the town.
Key strategies include:
1) Bringing Waters Closer to Residents where a freshwater lake would be
created to serve as a reservoir by damming up Sungei Punggol and Sungei
Serangoon. Two new reservoirs will be created by 2009. New waterway will
run through the town to connect the reservoirs. More opportunities for
waterfront living and water-based activities.
2) Create a unique Punggol Town Centre. It will be a centrepiece &
gateway to Punggol which will be well served by a lively mix of
commercial, entertainment, residential, cultural and recreational
facilities.
3) Offer more housing choices. Innovative housing designs by the
waters, and with eco features. For example, housing with terrace
gardens, window view, stepped housing with courtyard.
4) Build up critical mass. New housing will be concentrated around
the Town Centre and the proposed waterway
5) Activate recreation coastline such as the Sengkang Fruit Park (by
NParks), Sengkang Floating Island along Sungei Punggol (by PUB),
Proposed Rustic Park at Coney Island. Punggol residents can soon enjoy
all these coastal recreational facilities.
6) Enhance connectivity
Punggol Central will be a tree-lined boulevard with thematic
landscapping. LTA will widen part of TPE and complete the Kallang/ Paya
Lebar Expressway (KPE) for faster access to the city by 2009
Courtesy to Housing & Development Board |