Don’t place new coffee shops below housing blocks

While I welcome the Housing and Development Board’s plan to build more coffee shops, I hope it will give consideration to the location of the new coffee shops (“Record sales of Hougang and Bukit Batok coffeeshops ‘clearly outliers’: Khaw”; July 14, online).

My experience of living in a block with a bustling coffee shop on the ground floor tells me that the noise level emitted from a commercial kitchen can be rather unbearable.

Imagine the constant noise of pans clanking and the suction of huge kitchen exhaust systems until the wee hours.

In line with the aim of the Land and Liveability National Innovation Challenge programme to further improve the living environment here, the HDB should study ways to reduce excessive noise from coffee shop kitchens.

I suggest that coffee shops should not be placed directly below any residential block.

Another alternative is to look at how technology can be used to ensure the proper dispersal of the exhaust gases in a manner that will not give offence to the surrounding residents.