Frequently Asked Questions

What sort of issues can I report?

This site is for reporting things which are broken, dirty, damaged or dumped, and need fixing, cleaning or clearing.

Which issues shouldn't I report?

Please don’t use this site to inform us of:

  • Urgent and emergency problems
  • Complaints about people, including anti-social behaviour
  • Issues with council services, such as bins and recycling
  • Proposals for change, eg to road layouts
  • Complaints about Surrey County Council

For these types of issue, please contact us through the appropriate channel.

If you use this site to report issues it wasn’t designed for, there may be a delay in your report getting to the right department.

Also: remember that all reports are published online, so it’s not a good idea to use it for any issue that requires the inclusion of people’s personal information, like names, addresses, photos of people, or car number plates.

Where do my reports go?

This site is an official street fault reporting system for Surrey County Council.

Your report will go directly to the department responsible for getting it fixed, or, if it’s not our responsibility, will be routed to the relevant body. Reports are also published online for others to see.

The system is provided by SocietyWorks, and operates in tandem with their nationwide site FixMyStreet.com — so reports made on FixMyStreet.com will also be shown here, and vice versa.

How do I use this site?

Begin by entering the location of your issue on the front page. You can use the name of a street, area, a place or a postcode — or you can click “use my location” which will automatically detect where you are.

You’ll be taken to a map centred on that location, where you can view reports already made in that area. If someone has already reported your issue, there’s no need to report it again: click ‘get updates’ at the bottom of the report to be kept informed on progress.

If you don’t see the issue you’ve come to report, start a new one by clicking on the map to show precisely where the issue is.

You’ll then be asked to fill in a few details.

Do I have to be a Surrey County Council resident to use this site?

No — anyone can use this site.

Do I need to make an account to use this site?

No; if you wish to see previous reports you have made, you can sign in by clicking ‘Sign in’ and then either have a link sent to your email, sign in with a previously set password, or set a password using the ‘create an account’ link.

If you already have an account on fixmystreet.com, you can use the same details on this site.

How are the issues resolved?

When you make a report on this site, we ask you where the issue is, what category it fits within, and perhaps some other information, like questions specific to the category, or which particular street light is broken.

These pieces of information will help direct your report to the right place to get it fixed. If the issue is our responsibility, it will drop into our internal system which will route it to the correct department. If it’s more suited to another authority, we will try and send it there instead.

What happens next?

When there’s a change in your report’s status, and where you have provided your email address, you’ll receive an update. This might tell you, for example, that:

  • our inspectors have gone out to assess the issue
  • our contractors have scheduled the issue for repair
  • the issue has been resolved
  • The issue has been deemed unsuitable for fixing (as happens in some cases)

These updates are also published on the site so that everyone can see what progress has been made.

Can I use this site on my smartphone or tablet?

Yes - use your device’s browser to visit this site or fixmystreet.com. The site works well on all sizes of screen, resizing automatically.

Is there an app I can download?

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

Why do you publish reports online?

There’s no need to make a report if we’re already aware of the issue, so by showing which issues have already been reported, we save your time and ours.

Having everything visible online also allows everyone to keep up with an issue’s status, even if they aren’t the one who reported it.

What else can I do on this site?

You can subscribe to a specific area, so you’ll get an email whenever someone makes a report in your chosen neighbourhood.

Search for a location, and then click ‘get updates’ at the bottom of the list of reports.

If you run a website and you’d like to publish reports automatically from a specific area, you can also access an RSS feed from the ‘get updates’ interface.

Can I edit or delete a report?

You can remove your name from a report if you have included it by accident, or changed your mind about it being published. Visit the report page when signed in and click on the link marked ‘hide your name?’.

You’ll then have the option to remove your name from one report or every report you’ve made.

If you’d like to edit some other part of your report, please get in touch.

Can I make updates to my report?

Yes, you can leave updates on open reports you have made, by visiting a report page and filling in the update form.

Do you remove content from this site?

Surrey County Council is not responsible for the content and accuracy of material submitted by its users. We reserve the right to edit or remove any problems or updates which we consider to be inappropriate upon being informed by a user of the site.

If you have seen content that is offensive or inappropriate, please click the ‘report abuse’ link at the foot of the report and let us know.