Frequently Asked Questions

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

This easy to use web site is designed to help Northamptonshire 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 0300 126 7000 for West Northamptonshire Council and 0300 126 3000 for North Northamptonshire Council.

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:

  • Drain Covers
  • Kerbs
  • Safety Bollards
  • 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
  • CCTV
  • Complaining about your neighbours
  • Joy riding, drug taking, animal cruelty, or other criminal activity

You will need to contact National Highways for problems on the following roads::

  • M1
  • M45
  • A5
  • A14
  • A43 between the M40 Junction 10 and M1 Junction 15a (from Northampton to the county boundary near Stamford is NCC
  • A45 between Thrapston and the M1 Junction 15 (from Junction 16 to the county boundary towards Dunchurch is NCC)

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 a decision has been made on the action required.

Some faults may be marked as referred when they are not the responsibility of Northamptonshire Highways, 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 Northamptonshire Highways reporting app.

Inappropriate use
Northamptonshire Highways is not responsible for the content and accuracy of material submitted by its users. Northamptonshire Highways 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 Northamptonshire?
The map only shows locations within Northamptonshire 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.