Clementi resident disturbed by pickleball noise day and night: ‘Like incessant drilling’
A resident in Clementi claims he has been losing his sleep — and peace of mind — over frequent pickleball games taking place near his home on weekends.
Stomper Clementi Resident told Stomp that there has been incessant noise from the nearby hard court between Blocks 410 and 411 Commonwealth Avenue West for more than a week.
He said he was woken up by the noise from a group playing pickleball at 9am on March 14. Following that, he submitted feedback via the OneService app – but the issue persisted.
“Exactly a week later, I was woken up by the same sound,” said Clementi Resident.
According to the resident, groups of up to 12 players would gather as early as 8am and play pickleball for several hours before it got too hot.
“Imagine at 9am, they are already playing right in front of our unit windows,” he said. “The proximity of the court is very near, so residents are very disturbed.”
Describing the noise, he said: “If you’ve heard pickleball before, it’s as irritating as incessant drilling.”
The Stomper, who works from home and sometimes late into the night, said weekends are his only time to rest.
“Why do I have to escape my house because of some irresponsible adults?” he said. “It’s supposed to be my safe haven.”
According to the Stomper, more than one resident – including himself – has called the police.
“I called the police because there were at least 12 players here and they said they had already dispatched officers over, which means that someone else called them before I even did,” bemoaned Clementi Resident.
According to the resident, police advised that there was limited action they could take as the activity was not illegal and generally fell within permissible hours. Stomp understands that quiet hours for public housing estates are between 10.30pm and 7am.
“They only advised the group to try to be quieter, which obviously didn’t help because the sound of the racket and ball is still the same right?” questioned Clementi Resident.
He also pointed out that notices placed at the court do not appear to be helpful, as he has observed pickleball activity taking place near 11pm on at least one occasion.
Town council advises quieter equipment
In response to queries, a spokesperson from Jurong-Clementi-Bukit Batok Town Council said they are aware of the feedback.
“For residents’ comfort, users are encouraged to adopt quieter equipment to minimise noise impact and play between 10am to 8pm,” the spokesperson said.
They added that efforts are ongoing to provide more venues for the sport.
“Mr David Hoe, MP for Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC (Clementi Division), has worked with Sport Singapore to expand the availability of pickleball courts,” the spokesperson said.
The town council also urged users to be considerate by playing responsibly and keeping noise levels to a minimum, so that the court remains a shared space that all residents can enjoy.
Still, Clementi Resident hopes for a more concrete solution.
“I’m not saying don’t play,” he insisted. “I’m saying, play at appropriate places.”
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