n Singapore, many live in close proximity to neighbours and noise, especially late at night, can easily affect entire neighbourhoods.
Source: Shermin Ng on Unsplash
To combat this, there is an enforced quiet period from 10.30pm to 7am.
Now, this period could be extended by another one and a half hours, from 10pm to 8am.
This comes as the Community Advisory Panel (CAP) on Neighbourhood Noise issued a recommendation after a six-month consultation exercise.
On Saturday (19 Nov), the CAP on Neighbourhood Noise, under the Ministry of National Development, issued their recommendations for tackling neighbourhood noise in Singapore.
One standout recommendation is the extension of quiet hours — from 10.30pm to 7am to 10pm to 8am.
This will mean an additional one and a half hours of enforced quiet time.
During the CAP’s consultations with about 4,400 members of the public, many agreed that noisy activities during this period are unacceptable.
In their focus group discussions, people voiced their support for the extension of these quiet hours.
Considering the overall needs of the community as well as the strong views of those affected by noise, CAP proposed the hours’ extension.
Dr William Wan, chairperson of the advisory panel, said that while noise is part and parcel of our daily lives, prolonged exposure can become a serious issue that impacts the mental and physical well-being of residents.
He went on to say that the proposals may not be an immediate solution. After all, norms require time to take root and be adopted by the community, The Straits Times (ST) reported.
Besides that, the panel highlighted that community norms alone are insufficient to manage noise issues.
They recommended that the government reviews processes to manage community noise disputes.
The CAP proposed designating an agency to take “clear ownership” of neighbourhood noise issues.
This is because the current system depends on moral suasion and/or mediation, and there is a lack of legal steps for authorities to take to effectively manage “egregious cases involving recalcitrant offenders”.
Thus, CAP said the agency would have to be empowered by legislation to respond to and take action against unacceptable behaviour.
The panel breaks down neighbourhood noise into two categories — noise from neighbours such as television noise or renovation noises, and congregational noise such as noise generated in common areas like void decks.
Source: Christian Chen on Unsplash
In consultations, members of the community raised concerns over noise in common areas like playgrounds and basketball courts, even late into the night.
Senior Minister of State for National Development Sim Ann said finding the right balance is key to neighbourhood noise issues which is a subjective matter.
This is because different people have different reactions and tolerance levels to sound.
In a densely populated city like Singapore, facing this challenge is something that needs to be managed collectively to live harmoniously.
Citing an example, Ms Sim said for residents’ convenience, amenities are planned near homes.
However, these amenities will create sound and noise disturbances.
In a Facebook post, Ms Sim said to achieve a quieter Singapore, we all need to play a part.
ST reported that the government plans to respond to CAP’s recommendations in the first half of 2023.
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Featured image adapted from Andrew Haha Lee on Unsplash.
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