A study corner at the void deck of Block 101B Lorong 2 Toa Payoh became a source of irritation for residents as a result of people who would stay at the corner late into the night.

These disturbances did not cease even after regular police patrols were implemented and closed-circuit television (CCTV) was installed.

According to Patrick Chow, a senior property officer with Bishan-Toa Payoh Town Council (BTPTC), the issue was eventually resolved once the corner was turned into a gated community library.

The effort was among some of the initiatives commended at the annual Municipal Services Awards (MSA) Ceremony 2023 on Nov. 29, at Gardens by the Bay, and was a combined effort involving BTPTC, the Toa Payoh Neighbourhood Police Centre and Toa Payoh Central Zone 4 Residents’ Network.

Police patrols did not help resolve the noise issue

Speaking to Mothership, Chow and the deputy general manager of BTPTC, Zulkiflee Ismail, said that the town council was made aware of the issue in February 2022, after residents complained about their sleep being disturbed by people staying at the study corner.

Chow added that the town council also attempted to engage these people, together with the Singapore Police Force and Residents' Network.

"However, these groups operated like ninjas, playing hide and seek across different timings and days" said Chow.

The fact that the police patrols, which occurred an estimated twice to thrice a week, did not deter them showed that such a measure was not sustainable in the long run, Zulkiflee added.

Library resolved the noise issue by virtue of its presence

Around the same timing, the Residents' Network had considered placing bookshelves outside their centre to start their own community library for residents around the area.

With this idea in mind, the Residents' Network, police and town council decided to repurpose the existing corner into the community library.

The community library took nine months to complete, officially opening in November 2022.

Once residents began using the library, the noise problem was resolved by virtue of the library's presence.

According to Chow, the library's presence created the public impression that one had to keep quiet.

Awarded at the Municipal Services Awards 2023

The library initiative was one of the winners of the Municipal Services Awards 2023 under the team category.

A total of 23 initiatives were awarded at the ceremony for delivering citizen-centric municipal services and fostering effective group collaborations to address community issues.

The awards were presented to the winners by Senior Minister of State for National Development Sim Ann at the Gardens by the Bay's Flower Dome on Nov. 29.

Other recipients present at the ceremony include Malina Tjhin and Lim Jia Xin, who were winners in the Love Our ‘Hood Award and Community Category respectively.

Tjhin, who is the co-founder of Save Our Street Dogs (SOSD) Singapore, shared about her Trap-Neuter-Release-Manage (TNRM) initiative to manage the stray dog population in Singapore.

Launched in 2018, the initiative is a humane management approach to reducing the free roaming dog population.

Lim presented on Clean Streets SG, an initiative which aims to raise awareness about the importance of environmental cleanliness and the need to reduce litter in the vicinity of Jurong Lake Gardens.

She explained how she and the Taman Jurong Community Emergency and Engagement Youth Team aimed to educate the younger generation on the importance of keeping the environment clean.

Sim Ann: 1.7 million pieces of municipal feedback sent by residents in 2022

In thanking the winners for their contributions, Sim highlighted that the government received a "staggering" 1.7 million pieces of municipal feedback in 2022.

She added that the government now reaches over 1.5 million residents through the OneService and LifeSG apps, making it easier for residents to report issues.

"As we continue this journey of resident-centric service delivery and community action together, let us do so with our eyes firmly fixed on a vision of an engaged one service community, a better living environment and an enduring home for everyone," Sim concluded at the end of her speech.

Top photos courtesy of BTPTC