Siting Sports Stadium within Housing Estates

The following question stood in the name of Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim –

To ask the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what are the considerations behind the siting of a sports stadium in a given housing estate; and (b) whether stadia equipped with running tracks are regarded as a standard amenity for every town.

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (Mr Eric Chua) (for the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth): Mr Speaker, the Sports Facilities Master Plan (SFMP) aims to give Singaporeans good access to high quality sport facilities for them to pursue an active lifestyle, stay healthy and build strong community bonds through sports.

The Master Plan comprises a range of sporting and recreational facilities that meet national, regional and local town needs. We provide for every Housing and Development Board (HDB) Town to have either a Town Sports Centre or Regional Sports Centre, and depending on population trends, may also be supplemented with a Town Play Field. Each of these facilities offer a broad range of sporting amenities to cater to a variety of different sporting and recreational interests.

In determining what specific facilities to put in the towns, SportSG takes into account a variety of considerations, such as the town population size, popularity of sports, utilisation rates, availability of space, proximity to other sport and recreational amenities, as well as feedback from residents.