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Mediation with teeth: When neighbours refuse to talk it out, it’s time to force the dialogue
The proposal for a new Community Relations Unit to deal with severe noise issues is welcome, as is the move to make the mediation process more powerful.
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Despairing residents may find some cheer in a new Bill to be introduced later in 2024 to deal with extreme cases of noise disputes between neighbours.
PHOTO: ST FILE
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I used to live in a three-room resale flat in Ang Mo Kio. The block was always alive with activity – the Residents’ Committee corner was at the foot of the block and a bird-singing kiosk nearby added a unique charm. My Malay neighbour upstairs sold homemade nasi lemak from her flat. I enjoyed living there.
But every now and then, I would be kept awake by an incessant knock, knock, knock late into the night, as though someone was dropping balls or rolling marbles. I rang the Housing Board, the town council and even the police. I was asked to trace the source of the noise, so they could investigate.
