The Full Story Behind Residents' Protest Against Noisy Padel Court in Cilandak

The controversy surrounding noise from a padel court affecting nearby residents has generated significant public attention in recent weeks.

Naufal, 27, a resident of Haji Nawi in Cilandak, South Jakarta, said he has been severely disturbed by the noise emanating from a padel court adjacent to his home. He has filed numerous complaints through the JAKI municipal services application.

“I initially filed one report in November, one in December, and then in January and February I was filing three reports a week through JAKI,” Naufal said.

“Because of the many reports we had already submitted, and having already met with the facility management on 31 January, but the mediation yielded no results,” he added.

Naufal explained that the noise from the padel court began during the construction phase and continued with the sounds of players. He said the noise could be heard from early morning until late at night.

“There’s shouting, and especially the sound of the ball, and the shouting goes from 6am until midnight. But it should be noted that the 6am to midnight timeframe was during the early period, meaning January to early February. After that, they committed to stopping at 10pm, but on several occasions we’ve found them still laughing and playing past 10pm,” he said.

He noted that in the vicinity of the padel court, there are three houses occupied by his parents, siblings, and his 90-year-old grandmother. There is also a neighbour who recently gave birth.

“Everyone living here is complaining. They can’t focus on prayers, can’t focus on getting ready — even taking a bath is difficult. Getting ready for the office is impossible, gathering energy for the next day’s work is impossible. Plus the stress makes everyone irritable,” he explained.

Meanwhile, the padel court management spoke out following the outcry on social media over the noise complaints. They pledged to install sound dampening measures to reduce the disturbance.

Fajar Ediputra, a representative of PT Kreasi Arena Indonesia (Fourthwall), said that during the fasting month, operational hours would be reduced to 2pm to 7pm, down from the previous 6am to 10pm schedule.

“We are limiting our operational hours during the fasting month to approximately a 50 per cent reduction. The aim is also to show greater respect for our neighbours,” he said.

“We will reinforce our walls so that the sounds generated from the padel court can be contained inside without disturbing the surroundings,” he added.

Naufal expressed hope that the peaceful atmosphere around his home would be restored. He also called for a prompt resolution to the matter.

“I hope the previously peaceful atmosphere in our home returns to what it was before — without the sound of people shouting while playing padel and the noise of rackets hitting balls,” he said.

“Whether through a cessation of operations or effective soundproofing from the padel side, that is what we are working towards together with the government, the padel management, and the affected families,” he continued.

Nevertheless, Naufal said he appreciated the latest mediation outcomes. Based on information he received, the management would temporarily suspend operations during Ramadan.

“We appreciate today’s latest development, where the padel court management and the local village head have confirmed that operations will be temporarily halted during Ramadan,” he said.

Governor Pramono’s Response

Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung also weighed in on the controversy of residents complaining about noise from the padel court in Cilandak. Pramono ordered that the facility be inspected and indicated his readiness to take firm action.

“I have specifically requested the relevant agencies to conduct field inspections regarding this padel matter,” Pramono told reporters at Taman Semanggi, South Jakarta, on Friday (20 February).

He said a decision regarding the fate of the padel court would be made the following week. He noted that the facility had neither received community approval nor possessed complete permits.

“On Monday or Tuesday, we will promptly make a decision regarding padel courts that disturb public order, that have not obtained the approval of local residents, and that lack complete permits. The DKI Jakarta government will take firm action,” he said.