Westminster City Council’s online reporting tool, Report It, has been undergoing a transformation behind the scenes. A series of improvements have already been made to increase confidence in reporting and provide feedback to users, be they residents, businesses or visitors to the city. This is just the first step in the Council’s plan to create a better end-to-end user experience.
Using Report It could not be easier, you don’t need an account to report something, and you can report without giving your details if you are in a hurry. The Marble Arch Street Team and the BID team use Report It daily, flagging anything from abandoned vehicles to faulty street lights. The Street Team make an average of 95 reports to Westminster Council on the platform a month. The Council receives an average of 2,800 reports a month citywide on the platform.
In recent months the Council has made a series of initial enhancements:
- Increasing the resolution of the base map, so that a more accurate location can be given when reporting a problem. You can even select an individual street light that is not working, as all have been added to the map.
- Adding a TfL layer so that users know which are Westminster assets and which are TfL assets. TfL uses a different reporting website, but the platform structure is identical.
- A new ability to view when a problem has been fixed or closed. This is a vital step forward to prevent multiple reporting of the same issue, which can sometimes happen. It also reassures users that steps have been taken to address the problem they have reported.
The Council has been engaging extensively with residents, Amenity Societies, businesses and Business Improvement Districts about the transformation of Report It since October 2022, using surveys, workshops, webinars, and one to one meetings to maximise input and ensure the changes meet user needs.
Reporting to TfL
The TfL reporting tool is identical to Westminster’s and again you don’t need an account to report something. All traffic signals in London come under TfL’s control, so any damaged traffic lights or cameras should be reported to TfL, irrespective of whether they are on a TfL road. The system is the same, but with fewer categories.
Reporting Anti-Social Behaviour
You can report anti-social behaviour directly to the Metropolitan Police by calling 101, directly to your Safer Neighbourhood Team or online at a dedicated web page.
For Westminster housing tenants the system is slightly different, with ASB reporting hosted here.
Helping a Homeless Person
If you see someone sleeping rough you can tell Street Link, or call 0300 500 0914. In order for outreach teams to locate people, it helps to provide details about their specific location, the date and time you saw them, how long they have been there if you have seen them before, their gender, approximate age and any distinguishing clothing.
If you know or believe the person is under 18 years old, please call the police on 101.
If you think someone is in immediate danger, or sleeping rough with an infant or young child, please call 999.
Contacting the Marble Arch Street Team
The Marble Arch Street Team patrol 8am to 10pm Monday to Thursday, and until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. If you’d like to report something and want some help, they can be called or WhatsApp’d on 07825 750777 or 07852 566122.
The Next Steps for Westminster’s Report It
The re-design of Report It is well underway. Work is focusing on content, terminology, layout, functionality and – most important – how the various elements integrate behind the scenes to get the best response for residents and businesses. This includes everything from using the data strategically to organise campaigns, target resources and for prevention.
The BID team is part of this process, so if you’ve got any ideas about how to improve Report It and want us to pass them on, please do email us and we’ll make sure your comments are fed into Westminster Council.
