Report a Problem in North Yorkshire: Potholes, Streetlights, Fly-Tipping and Litter

Where do I report a highways problem?

For roads and pavements in North Yorkshire the first stop is the council's roads and pavements page, which links to reporting potholes, pavements and kerbs, road obstructions and spillages, road drains and flooding, highway grass and hedges, cycle lanes, and roadworks and closures. Report online wherever you can; it is how the council tracks and prioritises work.

Potholes

The council's pothole page has an online form for reporting a non-urgent pothole or damaged road surface. It says the council changed its reporting system in July 2026. Existing account details will not work on the new system; creating an account is optional, and lets you receive progress updates and track your report. You can also report anonymously. If you want to check something you reported before 15 July 2026, the page links to your previous account records.

The council says it prioritises repairs according to risk, using factors such as the depth, size and location of the pothole, the volume of traffic and the speed of the road. It explains that some repairs are temporary, for instance in wet or icy weather when a permanent repair would not bond.

Not every road is the council's

This matters in a county with so many main routes. The council's pages say that motorways and trunk roads such as the A1, A1(M), M62, A66, A66(M), A64, A168 (Dishforth to Thirsk) and A19 (north of Thirsk) must be reported to National Highways, not the council. If your pothole is on one of those roads, use the National Highways link on the council's page. Roads that are not trunk roads are generally the council's to maintain, and the council's forms will tell you if a road is not its responsibility.

What counts as an emergency?

For anything that poses a safety risk on the road, the pothole page tells you to contact the council directly. Out of office hours it says to call North Yorkshire Police on 101, and if there is danger to life, 999.

Streetlights

Use the council's street light page for faults on lights it maintains. The council says it is responsible for most street and footway lights, usually marked with a number painted in black on a yellow background on the lamp post, and since 1 April 2023 also for lights belonging to the former borough and district councils. The page notes that some lights belong to others, so check it if your light is not on a council-numbered post.

A street light that is electrically or structurally unsafe is classed as an emergency. Examples the page gives include exposed wires, a missing door, a hanging lantern, a loose or leaning column, or damage after a road traffic accident. For those, telephone rather than using the form. The council's published phone hours are Monday and Tuesday 9am to 5pm, Wednesday 9.30am to 5pm, Thursday 9am to 5pm and Friday 9am to 4.30pm; out of hours call 101, or 999 if there is danger to life. The wider street lights and signage page also covers traffic light faults, road signs and bollards, and yellow lines.

Litter, fly-tipping and dog waste

The council's street cleaning and littering page says that, depending on where you live, you can report overflowing litter or dog waste bins, dead animals, litter, dog waste issues, fallen leaves, fly-tipping, graffiti, dumped needles or syringes, and chewing gum. The page uses an address lookup because the service is delivered differently depending on the area, so the form you reach will depend on which former district you live in. The council also supplies equipment and advice for community litter picks.

Tips for a useful report

Give the exact location (a street name and a nearby house number or landmark), say how big the problem is, and add a photo if the form allows it. For a streetlight, quote the number on the lamp post. If a problem is dangerous, do not wait for an online form: use the emergency routes above.