About Community Advisory Panel on Neighbourhood Noise
Neighbourhood noise can be a complex issue, and may be the cause of unhappiness between neighbours. There has been an increased number of feedback cases pertaining to noise since 2020, which is likely due to the increased number of residents staying home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The set-up of a Community Advisory Panel (CAP) on Neighbourhood Noise was announced by Senior Minister of State for National Development, Ms Sim Ann, at the 2022 Committee of Supply Debate on 8 March 2022.
The Panel aims to define what is deemed as unacceptable noise disturbances and what constitutes good community norms that residents should observe to reduce noise disturbances to their neighbours. In particular, the CAP will look at noise from neighbours and congregational noise in common areas.
In terms of deliverables, the CAP will be looking to:
a. establish a set of norms on acceptable or unacceptable noise levels when living in a community; and;
b. propose a set of community norms on noise management to foster harmonious living, i.e. good habits for neighbours to show consideration for one another and reduce noise disturbances.
The norms recommended by the Panel will help neighbours to have a common expectation of acceptable noise levels, and better communicate with one another, as well as facilitate mediation and decision-making at the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunal.
The CAP will conduct extensive consultation with the public in the course of developing the proposed community norms, and will submit their recommendations by end-2022.
About Community Norms on Neighbourhood Noise
Neighbourhood noise can be broken down into two categories:
a. Noise from neighbours, which refers to noise from neighbouring units. This can include noise from daily activities (e.g. noise from television, music or gatherings), noise from movement or items (e.g. furniture dragging, heavy footsteps or slamming of doors) and noise from renovations or DIY works.
b. Congregational noise, which refers to noise generated in residential common areas such as void decks, basketball courts, exercise areas, multi-purpose halls etc.
We recognise that neighbourhood noise is inevitable in a densely populated country like Singapore where residents stay close in proximity with one another. However, the issue is worsened when there is a lack of consideration or communication between neighbours. Some examples of noise issues faced by residents include noise from the dragging of furniture throughout the day, karaoke sessions at night, children playing along the common corridor, congregation of people at common areas at night, and noise from pets. The noise generated can disturb work, study or rest time of neighbours, and have a negative impact on their lives.
As part of an integrated response to mitigate neighbourhood noise, the Panel will explore and recommend a set of community norms to address neighbourhood noise. These will serve as a reference point for the community in resolving conflict and disputes among themselves. Practising consideration for each other, based on a shared set of norms, is important for creating a harmonious and considerate living environment for everyone.
These norms will seek to establish an acceptable set of best practices that residents should abide by to minimise noise levels.
The table below suggests some possible norms for discussion and have been drawn from public education materials overseas.
Members of the Community Advisory Panel
The members of the Community Advisory Panel are as follows:
Public Engagement
More information will be available soon. The public engagement is scheduled to begin in June 2022.
FAQs
1. Why did the Government set up a Community Advisory Panel to address the issue of neighbourhood noise?
We have seen an increase in feedback pertaining to noise from neighbours and congregational noise in common areas, likely because more people are staying at home in view of the ongoing pandemic. The Panel is one of the initiatives that we are exploring to address noise-related issues faced by residents and create a better living environment for everyone.
There are challenges in addressing noise issues. Firstly, noise is subjective, and everyone has different tolerance for different types of noise. Secondly, noise is transient, and it can be difficult to pinpoint and enforce against. Thus, the Government is looking at establishing a set of community norms nation-wide to provide a reference point for the community. The norms will guide residents and government agencies on acceptable noise levels and considerate behaviour towards one another in the context of noise.
As this concerns all residents, the Government has set up the Community Advisory Panel to work with Singaporeans, and to enable Singaporeans to have conversations with one another in co-creating these norms which we can own as a community.
2. How big is the problem of neighbourhood noise?
In 2020, HDB received about 2,500 cases of feedback per month relating to noise from residents’ activities, including renovation noise. Such feedback increased by about 25% in 2021 to 3,200 per month. The increase was likely due to more people staying at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The most common reason for complaints is renovation noise. Other common reasons include noise from dragging of furniture or dropping of items, noise from slamming of gates/doors/windows, noise from children playing or babies crying, noise from TV/radio, and noise from gatherings.
3. What are the key deliverables and when will the CAP be expected to submit their recommendations?
The Panel will submit a report with the set of recommended norms on noise from neighbours and congregational noise in common areas by end 2022.
4. Will the public’s views be sought as part of the process? How can I get involved?
The Community Advisory Panel will involve members of the public through open surveys and public consultation sessions, to ensure that the views of the public are taken into consideration when developing the recommended norms.
More details of the engagement process will be released at a later stage. Please look out for more details on this page or on our social media channels (FB, Instagram).