Hougang residents complain about void deck gatherings with loud chatter, littering & alleged drinking, town council has taken measures

Nightly gatherings at a void deck of a Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat in Hougang have been a constant source of noise and trash, affecting others in the area, as alleged by a resident.

Group allegedly smokes and drinks beer

Speaking to Mothership, a reader, who wanted to be known only as Daniel, said he sees people gather at a table at the void deck of Block 22 Hougang Avenue 3 almost daily, typically between 4pm and 8pm.

Daniel, who is a resident in the area, alleged that the group of people frequently smoke and consume beer at the table, speak loudly, and leave behind litter.

He also claimed that some individuals in the group are not residents of the block, noting that he has observed some of them driving away after the gatherings.

Photographs taken by the reader at the void deck on the night of May 11 showed at least six cups, including some that were partially filled, left on the table alongside a Carlsberg beer basket.

Around seven plastic chairs were arranged around the table.

Daniel alleged that the drinks are typically purchased from a nearby coffee shop, with the cups left overnight and collected by coffee shop staff the following morning.

He also claimed that the litter left by the group at the table often attracts insects, including ants and cockroaches.

He added that such gatherings have been ongoing since he moved to the area in 2019, and said multiple reports lodged with the authorities had yielded no results.

When Mothership visited the void deck at around 2pm on May 12, the table was found to be clean, with four plastic chairs present.

Two men were later spotted seated at the table at around 6:30pm, one of whom had a drink from the nearby coffee shop.

At around 9pm, there was no one at the table, though two cups had been left there.

On the other side of the block, three men were spotted drinking beer, and another man was smoking.

A resident from a nearby block told Mothership she had occasionally seen people drinking at the void deck, and would sometimes see uncles near the coffee shop listening to the radio and talking amongst themselves.

However, she did not find their behaviour particularly disruptive.

"I won't say it's a disturbance; it's more like kampung vibes," she said.

Town council's response

In response to Mothership's queries, Aljunied-Hougang Town Council stated it is aware of the resident's feedback and has been monitoring the situation.

Following earlier feedback, the town council said measures were put in place, including advisory notices reminding void deck users to be considerate and to adhere to regulations on smoking and littering.

It added that it has worked with the relevant agencies on enforcement matters relating to smoking, and that its officers have engaged individuals at the location to seek their cooperation in keeping noise levels down and maintaining cleanliness in the area.

"Should our routine inspections observe conditions that suggest broader cleanliness or hygiene concerns in the area, the Town Council will take the appropriate follow-up actions," the town council affirmed.

Regulations

Under Singapore's Liquor Control (Supply and Consumption) Act, drinking is banned in all public places from 10:30pm to 7am.

A public place refers to one where a person has free access, including HDB void decks.

However, members of the public can continue to consume alcohol at home, as well as within licensed premises such as restaurants, bars and coffee shops, in compliance with the hours stated in the licences.

Anyone drinking illegally can be fined up to S$1,000 and repeat offenders may be fined up to S$2,000 and jailed for up to three months.

According to the National Environment Agency, HDB void decks are also listed as one of the prohibited areas for a person to smoke under the Smoking (Prohibition in Certain Places) Act.

An individual who is caught smoking in a prohibited place is liable to a composition of S$200.

If convicted in court, the offender may be liable to a fine of up to S$1,000.