Frequently Asked Questions

How can I report a pothole, street or road problem?

This easy to use web site is designed to help Oxfordshire residents to report, view, or discuss local highway faults, including potholes, directly and quickly to us by simply locating them on a map. You can do this by using your computer or your mobile phone.

Please report one problem at a time; you will be given an opportunity at the end to report another problem using the personal details previously entered.

If you are reporting an emergency please do not report it online, but ring our Customer Service Centre on 0345 310 1111.

Here is a short video about how you can use our web site to report road and street problems.

What sort of problems can I report?

You can report faults linked to amenities or problems that are broken or dirty, damaged or dumped, or need fixing, cleaning or clearing such as:

  • Abandoned vehicles
  • Dog Fouling
  • Flyposting or graffiti
  • Flytipping or litter
  • Streetcleaning, such as broken glass in a cycle lane
  • Unlit lampposts
  • Potholes
What isn’t it for?

The web site is not a way of getting in touch with the council for all issues — please use it only for problems highlighted above.

As we often route problems via our cleansing services or highways departments, using the site for other matters may result in a delay in your report getting to the right people.

You will need to contact the county council directly for:

  • Any urgent or emergency problems
  • Complaining about the council
  • Proposals for speed bumps/ CCTV/ pedestrian crossings/ new road layouts/ etc.

You will need to contact your district council directly for problems such as::

  • Anti-social behaviour
  • Noise pollution or barking dogs
  • Fires and smoke/smell pollution
  • Missing wheelie bins or recycling boxes or missed rubbish collections
  • Proposals for speed bumps/ CCTV/ pedestrian crossings/ new road layouts/ etc.
  • Complaining about your neighbours
  • Joy riding, drug taking, animal cruelty, or other criminal activity
Should I report a pothole on this site, or call?

Please call us on 0345 310 1111 for urgent enquiries.

Potholes may need urgent attention if they are more than 40 millimetres in depth and/or 120 millimetres in width, or, as a simple guide:

  • The depth of a milk bottle
  • The size of a dustbin lid
  • The depth of a tennis ball, size of a dinner plate and on a busy carriageway
  • The depth of a coke can on a pathway or busy carriageway
  • The depth of a coke can and the size of a dinner plate on a quiet carriageway

If a pothole has been outlined with paint it has already been inspected by our team and programmed to be fixed, so you don't need to report it.

All other significant potholes can be reported on the map. Uploaded photos and locations from your smart phone or tablet, in particular, can greatly assist our Highways department in determining pothole repair priorities.

The level of response is dependent on the location, size and risk the pothole poses to public safety. This may result in the pothole either being repaired within 28 days if it is identified as a safety risk; or being repaired as part of other programmed works; or being monitored as part of the routine inspections programme as the risk to public safety is not sufficient to merit any immediate action.

How do I use the reporting tool on the site?
After entering a postcode or location, you will then be presented with a map of that area. You can then view problems already reported in that area, or report new ones of your own simply by clicking on the map at the location of the problem.
How are the problems solved?
They are reported to us automatically. We then resolve the problem the way we normally would and update the fault on the map.
What does the map show?
The map shows all faults submitted online. You can view the exact location of each fault and see its current status.
What updates will I receive?

When you record a fault you can sign up to receive updates and you will receive an initial email to acknowledge the report.

You will then receive an email every time that fault is updated. This could be when a member of the public posts an update onto the fault or when we post a status update.

Road problems that are the responsibility of our Highways department, such as potholes, will receive automatic updates at different stages. You will receive an email when the problem has been inspected and another one when the fault is fixed.

Some faults may be marked as referred when they are not the responsibility of Oxfordshire County Council, for example problems such as graffiti or rubbish which are the responsibility of the District Council for that area.

All of these updates will also be posted on the mapped fault so that anyone can see the status of any fault recorded by clicking on it on the map.

How can I get an update on a fault?

When you record a fault you can sign up to receive updates. You will then receive an initial email to acknowledge the report. In time, you will receive a further email when the problem is assigned for inspection, one if the problem needs to be referred to another department or organisation, and a final email when it is fixed or requires no further work.

These updates will also be posted on the mapped fault so that anyone can see the status of any fault recorded by clicking on it on the map.

Can I report a fault on my mobile?

Yes, you can view our website on your phone or tablet and it will automatically adapt to the size of your screen.

Is there an app I can download?

Yes, see our instructions on how to download the Oxfordshire County Council reporting app.

Inappropriate use
Oxfordshire County Council is not responsible for the content and accuracy of material submitted by its users. Oxfordshire County Council will monitor this website for instances of inappropriate use, and reserves the right to moderate comments if such instances occur.
Why does the site use kilometres for measurements?
The maps are from Ordnance Survey who based their grid reference system on measurements in metres and kilometres.
How do I report a fault outside of Oxfordshire?
The map only shows locations within Oxfordshire to keep it locally focussed.
Acknowledgement
This site was built by mySociety, in conjunction with the Young Foundation. FixMyStreet is the project of a registered charity mySociety which has grown out of the community of volunteers who built sites like TheyWorkForYou.com. mySociety’s primary mission is to build Internet projects which give people simple, tangible benefits in the civic and community aspects of their lives. Their first project was WriteToThem, where you can write to any of your elected representatives, for free.

You can find out more about FixMyStreet at www.fixmystreet.com.