Inspections & walkabouts

We and our community partners value your views, and walk abouts, where we literally walk about your neighbourhood, are one way for us to get these. 

It’s your opportunity to talk to your housing officer, community police officer, council staff and members from the MWS Board.

We answer your questions, look at your ideas for improvements to the area, work at building up better lines of communication with you and, where you want it, set up a resident’s group. 

If you’d like us to visit you during our walkabout in your area, you can arrange a specific time.  

We’ll write to you when the next event is due in your area, or you can visit your events timetable

Feedback from Neighbourhood Inspections carried out up to the end of September 2011

So far this year staff and tenants have completed 20 of the 31 scheduled walkabouts. 94 actions have arisen as a result of the inspections; below are the top 6 issues noted by the staff and tenants who attend the inspections;

1.    Untidy gardens – 37 (39%)
2.    Property defects (e.g. loose roof tiles or blocked guttering) – 10 (11%)
3.    Garage and parking areas – 9 (10%)
4.    Roads & paths – 9 (10%)
5.    Fencing – 7 (7%)
6.    Untaxed vehicles – 6 (6%)

1.    The most untidy gardens were in Stogumber and Williton, although interestingly the winner of this year’s garden competition is also from Stogumber so it’s not all bad there!

2.    Property defects were mostly found on the more rural inspections including Roadwater, Brompton Regis and Crowcombe.

3.    Issues with garages were fairly evenly spread across the areas as were issues with roads & paths

4.    The fencing repairs were mainly in Watchet and Williton

5.    There were more untaxed cars on the Dulverton/Brushford and Williton (2 on each) inspection than in other areas

Issues which are looked at but where we have found relatively few problems include dogs and noise, security, play areas, external seats, graffiti and communal areas of flats.

Over the years, staff and tenants have commented on all the well kept gardens and homes they see and will be posting thank you cards through some doors on walkabouts in the near future as well as the usual cards asking tenants to put things right.

If you would like to find out more about the Neighbourhood Inspections, contact us on free phone 0800 138 6107.