Some residents at Tiong Bahru are unhappy over the opening of new F&B establishments close to their homes, reported The Straits Times.
Over the last two years, three new shops – 40 Hands, SocialHaus (pictured) and Open Door Policy – have opened on the ground floor of a four-storey block in Yong Siak Street.
“The diners talk and laugh very loudly at night, and it gets worse when they are drunk,” said Wee Chye Guan, a deliveryman who lives in a walk-up apartment on the block’s ground floor.
“It used to be quiet on this street,” added the resident of over 20 years.
In addition, parking has become a concern, especially on Friday and Saturday nights and the eve of public holidays.
Aside from the new F&B outlets, there are already 18 eating establishments in the area and at least two more are set to open this year.
Resident Regina Tay believes the street is already congested. She noted that diners “park on both sides of the road, despite double-yellow lines on one side and season-parking spaces on the other”.
As a result, she has had to call the Land Transport Authority (LTA) several times.
This follows a similar situation at Serangoon Gardens where the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) banned the conversion of shophouses in the area into eateries back in February, after complaints over parking. In addition, three eateries at Yio Chu Kang were not allowed to renew their licences due to traffic problems.
Citing the incident at Serangoon Gardens, Tiong Bahru residents also want to limit the number of F&B outlets in their vicinity.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Housing and Development Board (HDB) has stated that it evaluates requests to convert shop spaces into restaurants based on the concept, layout, the location of the unit and whether it will inconvenience residents.
While many residents are unhappy over the number of new F&B outlets, others point to the benefits of having more eating places in the estate.
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