John Barker Place Redevelopment

At Settle, we're relentlessly resident focused, and our vision is to provide a safe, comfortable and affordable home for every household.

How to get involved

📢 Join the Residents' Steering Group (RSG) to help shape the future of John Barker Place

What is the Residents' Steering Group?

The RSG is a group of Westmill residents who help shape regeneration plans and ensure community voices are heard at every stage of the development. The group meets monthly on Wednesday evenings (6:00–7:30pm) at the Westmill Community Centre.

The group is chaired by a resident with an agreed agenda, and Settle takes the meeting minutes. The steering group provides an opportunity for residents to ask questions and for Settle to share updates on regeneration.

Together, we're building a stronger, more connected Westmill.

How can I join?

All you need to do is fill out a few quick questions here, and we’ll be in touch with more details! It’s a great way to have your say and stay informed.

You're welcome to sit in on a meeting to see if you'd like to join - just email johnbarkerplace@settlegroup.org.uk or call 0330 343 0016 (local rate) and ask for the regeneration team. We'd love to see you there!

📋 Westmill Neighbourhood Plan

You can share your thoughts on the Westmill Neighbourhood Plan to help us focus on what matters most to you and your community. Your input helps us prioritise our resources and make sure we’re meeting your needs.

Click here to get started!

Phase 3 - Freemans Close

We’re excited to announce that final planning permission has been approved for Phase 3 of the development at John Barker Place in Westmill, Hitchin.

This phase includes 48 new affordable homes, a mix of social rent and shared ownership, on the site of Freemans Close.

You can take a look at the images and detail of the proposed plans for phase 3 here.

We’ll continue to keep local residents updated on the programme, including on this page and on our website, as plans progress.

Phase 2 Completed - Oughton Court, Cornmill House, and Willow Rise

We were delighted to mark a significant milestone on the completion of Phase 2 of the regeneration programme at John Barker Place in February 2025.

The new homes follow the completion of the first phase, Kingfisher House in 2022, and includes 24 new homes for social rent in Oughton Court and Cornmill House. Additionally, Willow Rise, located at the rear of the development, has 22 new homes for shared ownership!

Meeting the local housing need

As Phase 2 neared completion in December of 2024, we welcomed key partners and stakeholders to view the new homes. This included the Leader of North Herts Council, Daniel Allen; local Councillor, Cllr Nigel Mason; James Hick from Homes England; and members of our partners at Lovell Partnerships Ltd, who visited one of the homes for social rent.

Take a look at the video below to hear what Fiona Coulson, Executive Director of Development at Settle, had to say on the day...

Leader of North Herts Council, Daniel Allen, said:

“Affordable housing is vital in this area and what Settle have done here, working with investment from North Herts District Council, is provide absolutely amazing, affordable, supported living properties - and they’re brilliant!”

Phase 1 Completed - Kingfisher House

In July 2022, the first building, Kingfisher House, of the redevelopment at John Barker Place was completed.

The five-storey housing block became home to 37 residents from the retirement living flats at Westmill Lawns. The building also included the local convenience shop Nisa, and a takeaway unit - Peckers, on the ground floor.

With support from North Herts Council and Homes England, we began work in partnership with Jarvis Construction on the first phase of the two-phase redevelopment in January 2021.

Background

Investing in homes

The properties at John Barker Place and Westmill Road required significant investment to make sure they remained at the standards the government expected landlords like us to meet. This would have involved replacing items such as kitchens, bathrooms, windows, electrics, and heating systems in many of the properties.

Further work was also needed to make the homes warmer and to meet government targets for improved energy efficiency. We had identified opportunities for additional investment in the communal spaces in and around the buildings, to improve the quality of life for families and older people living there.

Given the scale of work involved, the disruption it would have caused, and the level of financial investment required - we proposed that the best option for residents was to provide new homes.

At Settle, we're relentlessly resident focused, and our vision is to provide a safe, comfortable and affordable home for every household.

How to get involved

📢 Join the Residents' Steering Group (RSG) to help shape the future of John Barker Place

What is the Residents' Steering Group?

The RSG is a group of Westmill residents who help shape regeneration plans and ensure community voices are heard at every stage of the development. The group meets monthly on Wednesday evenings (6:00–7:30pm) at the Westmill Community Centre.

The group is chaired by a resident with an agreed agenda, and Settle takes the meeting minutes. The steering group provides an opportunity for residents to ask questions and for Settle to share updates on regeneration.

Together, we're building a stronger, more connected Westmill.

How can I join?

All you need to do is fill out a few quick questions here, and we’ll be in touch with more details! It’s a great way to have your say and stay informed.

You're welcome to sit in on a meeting to see if you'd like to join - just email johnbarkerplace@settlegroup.org.uk or call 0330 343 0016 (local rate) and ask for the regeneration team. We'd love to see you there!

📋 Westmill Neighbourhood Plan

You can share your thoughts on the Westmill Neighbourhood Plan to help us focus on what matters most to you and your community. Your input helps us prioritise our resources and make sure we’re meeting your needs.

Click here to get started!

Phase 3 - Freemans Close

We’re excited to announce that final planning permission has been approved for Phase 3 of the development at John Barker Place in Westmill, Hitchin.

This phase includes 48 new affordable homes, a mix of social rent and shared ownership, on the site of Freemans Close.

You can take a look at the images and detail of the proposed plans for phase 3 here.

We’ll continue to keep local residents updated on the programme, including on this page and on our website, as plans progress.

Phase 2 Completed - Oughton Court, Cornmill House, and Willow Rise

We were delighted to mark a significant milestone on the completion of Phase 2 of the regeneration programme at John Barker Place in February 2025.

The new homes follow the completion of the first phase, Kingfisher House in 2022, and includes 24 new homes for social rent in Oughton Court and Cornmill House. Additionally, Willow Rise, located at the rear of the development, has 22 new homes for shared ownership!

Meeting the local housing need

As Phase 2 neared completion in December of 2024, we welcomed key partners and stakeholders to view the new homes. This included the Leader of North Herts Council, Daniel Allen; local Councillor, Cllr Nigel Mason; James Hick from Homes England; and members of our partners at Lovell Partnerships Ltd, who visited one of the homes for social rent.

Take a look at the video below to hear what Fiona Coulson, Executive Director of Development at Settle, had to say on the day...

Leader of North Herts Council, Daniel Allen, said:

“Affordable housing is vital in this area and what Settle have done here, working with investment from North Herts District Council, is provide absolutely amazing, affordable, supported living properties - and they’re brilliant!”

Phase 1 Completed - Kingfisher House

In July 2022, the first building, Kingfisher House, of the redevelopment at John Barker Place was completed.

The five-storey housing block became home to 37 residents from the retirement living flats at Westmill Lawns. The building also included the local convenience shop Nisa, and a takeaway unit - Peckers, on the ground floor.

With support from North Herts Council and Homes England, we began work in partnership with Jarvis Construction on the first phase of the two-phase redevelopment in January 2021.

Background

Investing in homes

The properties at John Barker Place and Westmill Road required significant investment to make sure they remained at the standards the government expected landlords like us to meet. This would have involved replacing items such as kitchens, bathrooms, windows, electrics, and heating systems in many of the properties.

Further work was also needed to make the homes warmer and to meet government targets for improved energy efficiency. We had identified opportunities for additional investment in the communal spaces in and around the buildings, to improve the quality of life for families and older people living there.

Given the scale of work involved, the disruption it would have caused, and the level of financial investment required - we proposed that the best option for residents was to provide new homes.

  • Resident Steering Group

    Thanks for wanting to find out more about our Resident Steering Group in John Barker Place! 

    Simply fill in some details below and we’ll be in touch.

    If you or someone you know need this information in a different format or need additional support, please let us know by emailing johnbarkerplace@settlegroup.org.uk.

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Page published: 01 May 2025, 04:43 PM