Big Door Knock in Westmill – what you told us and what we’re doing
From 9 to 17 July, colleagues from across Settle, including members of our Exec team and Board, joined residents in the Westmill, Hitchin for our latest Big Door Knock.
This followed a fortnight of Neighbourhood Action Weeks, where colleagues, partner agencies and residents came together for a variety of activities and events to improve the Westmill neighbourhood. Take a look at our previous news story to see more about what happened.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to speak with us and share their views.
As part of our ongoing work to listen, learn and act on what matters most to residents, members of our Voice of the Resident (VoR) panel and Operations Committee also joined both events, with all colleagues from Settle taking part, including those who work in non-resident facing roles.
You can see a short video of the days in action below:
Our Big Door Knocks are now in their sixth year and are a key part of how we put residents first, by hearing directly what’s going well and what we could do better in each neighbourhood. By bringing together a mix of people to help us understand what it’s really like to receive our services to make sure your views are heard across the organisation.
These conversations, along with other feedback such as tenant satisfaction measures (TSMs), complaints, and resident surveys help us make improvements to our services and invest in the areas where it matters most, in line with our five key areas for improvement in our 2030 plan.
What we asked and what we heard
In Westmill, we focused on five priorities residents have told us are important:
- Communal cleaning and maintenance
- Bin areas
- Residents’ meetings
- Anti-social behaviour (ASB)
- Damp and mould
We knocked on over 800 doors and spoke to 165 residents. We also heard from residents who completed the survey online via Settle Connect.
Residents told us they value the chance to share their views and gave positive feedback about our colleagues, describing them as polite, helpful and responsive. They particularly appreciated regular check-ins, clear explanations, and being kept informed through letters and phone calls. Many also said they are happy where they live, mentioning the sense of community and friendly neighbours. Almost half (48%) said resident meetings are important to them, and more than three-quarters said they’d like to take part in future.
You also told us about areas where we still need to improve. Many of these are already part of our 2030 plan and five key areas for improvement. This tells us we’re focusing on the right priorities of things that matter most to you.
What residents told us
Just over half of residents living in flats are satisfied with cleaning and maintenance, others wanted more frequent cleaning and clearer communication on what Settle is responsible for.
Bin-related issues were one of the most frequent topics raised. While bin collections are managed by local councils, we know how important it is that these spaces are kept tidy and safe. Read more on recent bin service changes in North and East Herts.
We’re working to achieve 80% satisfaction in communal cleaning and maintenance by 2025/26, focusing on clearer communication, and easier ways to report issues. Read more in our Clean and Green Estate Management Improvement Plan.
35% of residents told us they’d experienced damp and mould in their homes. Of those who reported it, 61% were satisfied with how it was handled, but some told us they wanted quicker responses, clearer updates, and better follow-up to make sure the problem was fully resolved.
We’ll continue acting on this feedback and are committed to ensuring no resident lives with ongoing damp or mould in their home. See our news story Improving our repairs service – update June 2025 for more information on improvements were making.
Just over a third of residents in houses or maisonettes had experienced ASB, including noise and drug use. Residents suggested more CCTV and lighting, and a stronger police presence,
We’ve changed how we respond to ASB, so we can focus more on serious and ongoing cases, made ASB website page clearer, and are working with residents to review our ASB policy. As part of our improvement plan for ASB services, we’re also running community safety events with the police and local council, and this will also form part of the Westmill Neighbourhood Plan.
What we’re doing
We’re reviewing everything you told us during the Big Door Knock, and your feedback will help shape the Westmill Neighbourhood Plan . We’ll continue working with residents to create this plan so we can focus on what matters most to you. We know there’s more to do, and we’ll keep listening and working with you to make sure your feedback shapes the services and support we provide.
The themes you raised around communal areas, repairs, ASB, damp and mould also closely reflect what residents across all neighbourhoods have told us through the latest tenant satisfaction measures. By bringing this data together with what we heard in Westmill, we can focus on the things that matter most to residents and make meaningful improvements. You can read more about the TSMs results and what we’re doing in response in our recent news story.
Next steps for the Big Door Knock
We’ll be back out in the Grange neighbourhood in Letchworth and other rural areas later in the year. Keep an eye on our website and social media channels for dates.
We want to hear from you
The Big Door Knock is just one of the ways we listen to residents. There are plenty of other ways to get involved and share what matters to you – whether that’s in person or online. You can:
- Visit our Get Involved page to find out how to have your say
- Share your views on our services – what we could do better or when we’ve done something well
- Learn more about Big Door Knocks in our How we collect feedback section
- Have your say anytime on Settle Connect
