Fix My Street: How to Report a Pothole in Your Area
How FixMyStreet works, how to report a pothole, and why third-party entries must be verified against authority records.
At a glance
- What it is
- A free, independent UK-wide reporting site run by the charity mySociety — not by your council
- Coverage
- Every council area in the UK — one site works whether you’re in Dudley, Hackney, Kirklees or anywhere else
- How it works
- Enter a postcode or street name, pin the pothole on the map, add a photo — it routes the report to the right council automatically
- Evidence limit
- A public entry is a lead to verify, not proof the authority received it, matched it to the same defect or incurred liability
- Reporting vs claiming
- A FixMyStreet report asks for a repair; it does not claim compensation. If the pothole damaged your car, that’s a separate claim
What FixMyStreet Actually Is
FixMyStreet is a free website run by the UK charity mySociety that lets anyone report street problems — potholes, broken pavements, faded markings — without needing to know which authority is responsible. You pin the problem on a map, and FixMyStreet works out which council or highway authority maintains that road and sends the report to them.
Crucially, it's one site for the whole country. People often search for "fix my street" plus their town — but whether you're in Dudley, Hackney, Kirklees or anywhere else, it's the same fixmystreet.com, and it routes your report to the right council automatically.
Not affiliated — but connected to your rights
Step-by-Step Guide
Search Your Location
Visit fixmystreet.com and enter the postcode or street name. The map shows existing reports nearby — worth checking before you post. Treat a nearby entry as a lead and ask the authority to confirm receipt and the corresponding defect record.
Pin the Exact Spot
Click the precise location of the pothole. Be accurate — the council's inspector needs to find it from your pin, and if the pothole later damages a vehicle, the location is what links a report to an incident.
Describe It and Add Photos
Choose the pothole category, describe the size and depth, and attach photos. Depth is the detail councils act on — many use a 40mm intervention level. A photo with something for scale makes the report much harder to ignore.
Submit and Track
FixMyStreet says it sends the report to the responsible authority and shows a public status such as open, scheduled or fixed. Save the URL and facts as research leads, then verify receipt, defect identity and action against the authority's own records.
How to verify a report
Councils defend pothole claims using the Section 58 defence. A FixMyStreet entry is a dated, public, independently hosted record, but it does not itself establish that the authority received it or matched it to the same defect.
The practical effect:
Ask the authority for its report log, inspection record and action history. Compare dates, coordinates and descriptions before relying on prior reports are so important.
Reporting vs. Claiming — Two Different Things
A FixMyStreet report
Asks the council to repair the road. It's free, takes two minutes, and helps everyone who drives that road. It does not ask for — or lead to — compensation.
A pothole damage claim
Asks the council to pay for your damage under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980. It needs incident and damage evidence; a verified authority report may also be relevant depending on what the location-specific records show.
If a pothole has damaged your car, do both: report the pothole so it gets fixed, then claim for the damage. You can write the claim yourself using our free claim letter template, or check your council's claims process and road maintenance record first to see what you're up against.
Mac can surface research leads
Frequently Asked Questions
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