Chairman, I beg to move, “That the total sum to be allocated for the Ministry of National Development be reduced by $1.”
The rising popularity of pickleball
Pickleball has taken Singapore by storm. The sport now boasts at least 5,000 serious players, and many more causal ones. It is likely to become even more popular.
Mixed reactions to the sport
While many enjoy the physical and social benefits of play, complaints abound. Some grouse about limited availability of shared courts, while others object to the noise.
In response to the hundreds of noise complaints received, some town councils have chosen to restrict playing time, or to ban play altogether. Yet many have faced intense lobbying efforts for expanded hours.
It is clear that action is needed to balance competing interests.
Redesignating the 2nd-highest floor of multistorey carparks for pickleball courts
I propose that we convert underutilized second-to-top floors of multistorey carpark into pickleball courts. There is generally sufficient space for the game, and the ceiling will limit upward noise transmission. To further contain noise, retractable sound curtains could be installed for the sides.
There is some precedence for conversion of existing infrastructure into such courts. Existing indoor badminton courts at Community Clubs have had pickleball lines drawn to permit dual use. And sections of the Little India bus terminal will be retrofitted to accommodate 8 pickleball courts.
Potential objections are surmountable
One objection is that there is an opportunity cost of forgone income, since such lots may generate potential revenue. This has sometimes been MND’s response to requests for converting carpark spaces to other uses, such as community gardens. But in many newer estates, including Sengkang, these lots are already underutilized, and almost always empty. The opportunity cost of forgone income is entirely imaginary. Moreover, even if guest parking needs is elevated in certain periods—such as during festivals where visitations are more common—swing barricades can easily be opened to allow access to this level.
Another objection concerns safety, when carparks are used beyond their designated purpose. Indeed, when Sengkang Town Council proposed this idea to MND, the response begged the question: “The playing of pickleball and any other recreational activities are not an approved use of the HDB carpark currently as HDB MSCPs were designed and built primarily for parking only.”
A third objection is that regulation pickleball courts often call for a 5-meter height minimum. But there are MSCPs, including those in Sengkang, that fulfill this requirement. And while the 5-meter clearance is preferable for professional courts, causal players may be content with less.
But MSCPs are already used for other functions. Temporary office space, such as HDB site offices, is sometimes located at the upper floors. There is also the Courier Hub Scheme that is applicable in select MSCPs. In response to a PQ in 2021, then-MND Minister Desmond Lee stated that HDB is open to alternative uses of MSCP for social communal facilities.
Hence, while not currently approved, there are good reasons why we can have pickleball courts in the MSCP. Let’s get this approved, for the sake of players and nonplayers.
