Residents Lodge Police Report Over Loud Noise From Serangoon Coffee Shop CNY Event
With Chinese New Year just around the corner, Singaporeans are now gearing up for the festivities.
And a Serangoon coffee shop kicked things off by hosting a Lunar New Year event on Monday (16 Jan).
Image courtesy of Ms Kwan
However, residents told Shin Min Daily News that the event generated too much noise.
Police investigations are ongoing. Two men are assisting with investigations over allegations of operating without a public entertainment licence.
Residents complain of noise from Serangoon coffee shop event
On Monday (16 Jan), the coffee shop at Block 261 Serangoon Central Drive hosted a Chinese New Year event.
In videos seen by MS News, two women were hosting the event and singing throughout the night.
Image courtesy of Ms Kwan
Music with pulsating beats could be heard clearly from outside the coffee shop.
The entire hawker centre was decorated, brightly lit, and packed with patrons who appeared to be drinking beer.
Resident Ms Kwan, 47, lamented that the noise was “extremely loud”.
She said even when she closed her flat’s main door, windows, and bedroom doors, the sound was still “unbearable”.
Ms Kwan pointed out that the HDB block has a pitched roof, causing the volume to amplify.
Tables outside coffee shop & pasar malam added to noise levels
Besides that, the coffee shop had set up tables outside their premises.
Image courtesy of Ms Kwan
There was also a pasar malam just beside the coffee shop.
Image courtesy of Ms Kwan
Another resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said the coffee shop played their electronic music “way too loudly”.
In fact, it was so loud that they could feel vibrations from their walls and floors, making it unbearable for their family, reported Shin Min Daily News.
The 46-year-old said there were three speakers at the coffee shop, and it was set up like a karaoke bar. He could hear the music even from afar.
Resident lodges police report
Speaking to MS News, Ms Kwan remarked that the coffee shop often sees crowds drinking, and they get rowdy almost every night. But the night of the event was exceptionally disorderly.
When her family tried measuring the noise level, they found it was between 70 and 80 decibels. For comparison, 70 decibels is said to be as loud as a washing machine.
Ms Kwan said they were very unhappy as her daughter had school the next day, and the event did not end until 10.30pm.
Left with little choice, she lodged a police report about the incident.
The other resident shared that he understood everyone was in a festive mood, so he was fine with them hosting the event.
But he said, “They should spare a thought for the residents here.”
Besides the loud electronic music, residents also had to deal with the boisterous crowd drinking at the coffee shop.
One person had purportedly yelled at an aggrieved resident from the coffee shop’s kitchen window, saying they shouldn’t stay above a coffee shop if they felt it was noisy.
2 men assisting in police investigations
Shin Min Daily News reported that police officers were spotted at the coffee shop conversing with staff at about 8pm.
At 9pm, the noise levels had decreased slightly.
The police later confirmed that two men, aged 27 and 50, are now assisting in investigations for allegedly providing public entertainment without a valid licence.
Police investigations are ongoing, reported Shin Min Daily News.
Reporters visited the coffee shop on Wednesday (18 Jan), and the person in charge said the organiser had applied for a licence.
They shared that the 16 Jan event was a Chinese New Year event by a beer vendor, and singers were hired to keep spirits high.
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Featured image courtesy of Google Maps and Shin Min Daily News.
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