In the UK, residents report potholes, faulty street lights, fly-tipping and other street problems to their local authority. Each council has its own pages, forms and phone lines, and several reporting apps also serve UK councils. This post explains who to tell, what makes a good report, and what a local authority should look for in a reporting channel.
Localtech Eye is now taking UK local authorities. There is no resident service in the UK yet.
Who to tell
The right council depends on the problem and where it is.
- Unitary authorities handle most local services in their area, including roads, street lighting and waste.
- In two-tier areas, the county council usually looks after highways and street lighting, and the district or borough council usually deals with fly-tipping and street cleaning.
- Parish and town councils may pass reports up to the right authority.
- Motorways and some major A roads are run by the national highways body, not the local council.
If you do not know your council, GOV.UK has a find your local council service. It also has pages to report a pothole and report fly-tipping that send you to the right council by postcode.
If someone is in danger, call 999.
Reporting the three most common problems
Potholes
Give the road name, the nearest house number or junction, and which lane or side. Say how deep and wide the pothole looks. A photo helps the council judge how urgent it is, but only take one when it is safe. Never stop on a live carriageway to take a photo.
For more on what makes a good pothole report, read Who fixes the pothole? How to report it to your council. It is written for Australia, but the advice on location and photos is the same anywhere.
Faulty street lights
Most street lights carry a number on the column. Give that number if you can see it. Say what is wrong: the light is out, it stays on in the day, it flickers, or the column is damaged. A damaged column or exposed wires can be dangerous. Report those by phone to the council, and call 999 if there is an immediate danger.
Fly-tipping
Say what was dumped and how much: a few bags, a mattress, building waste. Give the exact location. Do not touch or open the waste, because it may contain sharp or hazardous items. Do not confront anyone you see tipping. If you can, note a vehicle and the time, and give that to the council.
What makes any report useful
Whichever channel you use, the council needs the same five things:
- the type of problem
- an exact location, ideally a map pin
- a photo, if it is safe to take one
- the date and time you saw it
- your contact details, so the council can ask a question or reply
What local authorities should look for
If you manage highways, street scene or customer services at a UK council, ask these questions about any reporting channel:
- Does each report carry the five things above? Without a precise location and a photo, an inspector must visit first.
- Does it check the boundary? Reports for a neighbouring authority waste time in both councils.
- Who can see the reports? Some services publish reports online. Others keep them private between the resident and the council. Decide which suits your area.
- Where is the data held? Know the country and the provider.
- How does the resident hear back? Status updates cut repeat reports and calls.
- Where does the report land? In your system ready to assign, or in an inbox to retype?
Privacy and UK GDPR
Reports contain personal data: a name, contact details, photos and a location. Councils that receive them have duties under UK GDPR (the UK General Data Protection Regulation) and the Data Protection Act 2018. The Information Commissioner's Office publishes guidance for organisations. Check your own obligations with your data protection officer. This post is not legal advice.
How Localtech Eye works
Localtech Eye is a free resident app for iOS, Android and the web. It is live today for Queensland councils in Australia.
- The resident picks the problem from the council's own list and adds up to five photos.
- The app removes location details from the photo files before upload. The time and place of capture go to the council as separate fields.
- The resident drops a pin, and the app checks that it is inside the council's boundary.
- The report goes with the resident's name and contact details.
- Reports are not visible to other residents.
- Each council's data sits in its own database, in its own country's region.
Today, councils receive Localtech Eye reports by email, with the photos, the map point, the address and the resident's contact details. Staff then contact the resident directly.
We are now taking UK local authorities. Until one is live, UK residents should use their council's own channels. See the United Kingdom page for details.
Learn more and talk to us
For a fuller guide to channels, triage and closing the loop, read Citizen service requests: how councils take reports. If you work at a UK local authority, book a demo to see how Localtech Eye works today.