Road, cycle and footpath repairs

How we respond to your reports, our regular checks and what we will do about any issues we find.

How to report a pothole on Fix My Street

Warning

If you feel it is likely that someone will hurt themselves in the next few hours, call 0345 310 1111.

Oxfordshire County Council has a limited budget to maintain roads, footpaths, pavements and cycle paths. To manage this we fix reported potholes based on the risk that they pose to all road users, while also carrying out scheduled maintenance.

Only potholes on publicly maintained roads in Oxfordshire can be reported on Fix My Street. You can check if the road is private on the Find my street website (opens in a new window). If the road is private, you can find out who owns it on the Land Registry website (opens in a new window).

You can make a report on your smartphone, tablet or computer. Report one problem at a time - you'll get the chance to add another when you have submitted your report.

It is really helpful if you upload images that show the issue and the surrounding area. Only take an image if it is safe to do so.

Once you have reported something on Fix My Street, you will receive an acknowledgement email and advice on how to follow the progress of your report.

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

Report a pothole

What other problems can be reported on Fix My Street

You can report faults or breakages such as:

  • unlit/broken lamp posts
  • dog fouling
  • graffiti or flyposting
  • street cleaning
  • trees and overhanging branches
  • bridges
  • pavement problems
  • manholes
  • public toilets
  • street items such as bus stops, benches, signs (but not place names)
  • fly-tipping.

Some issues are not our responsibility but by following the link below you will be taken to the right authority to report the matter directly. Be aware, that the follow-up to your report may be with another authority.

Report a street or road problem

Things you can't report on Fix My Street

You will need to contact Oxfordshire County Council  for:

  • proposals for speed bumps
  • pedestrian crossings
  • new road layouts

You will need to report the following issues to your district council:

  • anti-social behaviour
  • noise pollution or barking dogs
  • fires and smoke/smell pollution
  • missing wheelie bins or recycling boxes or missed rubbish collections
  • complaining about your neighbours
  • joy riding, drug taking, animal cruelty, or other criminal activity.

Other issues:

How quickly we respond to pothole reports

We have a system of scoring potholes on risk and impact to assess how urgent they are. 

These are the response times:

  • 2 hours
  • 24 hours
  • 28 days
  • Included in the  programme of repairs or monitored.

How we assess pothole risk

Risk factors to consider on roads

  • The size of the pothole 
  • The location of the pothole - for example, if it is in the wheel track, cycle path on a junction, or bend.
  • The speed of the road.

Risk factors to consider on the path or cycle path

  • The size of the pothole
  • Location of the pothole - for example, whether the cycle path is in a busy area such as a town centre.

Image showing how we assess potholes

how we assess potholes

How we tell you what we have done

When you record a pothole or other issue on Fix My Street you can sign up to receive an email every time the report is updated. If the pothole or issue meets our criteria for fixing you will be notified once it has been fixed.

Updates will be posted on the mapped fault so that anyone can see them.

Some faults 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. If you report a fault which is not our responsibility. It will be your responsibility to contact the organisation involved.

Our inspections and what we inspect

Most potholes we fix are found by our own inspectors who are inspecting the network all year round. Highspeed speed roads get inspected more often than lesser roads. Check our full inspection policy (pdf format).

We inspect all public roads, cycleways, and footpaths in Oxfordshire on a regular basis to identify safety issues and arrange any repairs. Inspections are carried out according to the use of the route.

Frequency of inspections
Type of road Frequency of check
A and B roads Each month
Secondary, local roads and core cycle routes Every three months
Local connecting roads and national cycle network trails Every six months
Service roads and non-core cycle routes Every year

We don't inspect roads that are not publicly maintained.

What we inspect

  • Carriageways
  • Footways
  • Cycleways
  • Verges
  • Road signs
  • Other structures.

Fencing, walls, place name, and road name signs are the responsibility of district councils.

What repairs are carried out

Our priority is to keep people safe. We will try to carry out a permanent repair to the road as the first step but this may not always be possible because of time and budget constraints.

For example, a temporary fill may be used some instances to make a location safe for a few days until a permanent repair can be organised.