Report a Problem in Fareham: Who to Contact for What

Which council do I report a problem to in Fareham?

Two councils split the work. Hampshire County Council looks after roads, pavements and street lights. Fareham Borough Council looks after bins and recycling, street cleaning, fly-tipping, noise nuisance and abandoned vehicles. Everything involving crime goes to Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, and utilities have their own contact routes. The sections below follow that split.

The borough council's general number is 01329 236100, and it has a page of online report forms for most of what it handles.

How do I report a pothole in Fareham?

Potholes are a county matter. GOV.UK has a report a pothole service that takes you to the right council for your address. Potholes on a motorway or an A road managed by National Highways go to National Highways instead, on 0300 123 5000. Hampshire County Council also has a highways report a problem section. Have the exact location ready, and check on the form whether the same fault has already been reported.

Who do I tell about a faulty street light?

Street light faults in Hampshire are reported through the Hampshire street lighting website, run by Enerveo in partnership with Hampshire County Council. It has a Report a Fault section with interactive maps, and a phone line on 0800 048 2437. Have the road name and town to hand.

What about urgent hazards on the road?

Fareham Borough Council's flooding page says that for urgent highway problems you should phone Hampshire County Council on 0300 555 1388 in office hours, and 101 outside office hours. For anything that is an immediate danger to life, call 999.

Who handles fly-tipping, missed bins and abandoned vehicles?

Fareham Borough Council does. Its online forms cover fly-tipping, missed bin collections, missing wheelie bins, dog fouling, overflowing litter and dog bins, graffiti, street cleaning, abandoned vehicles, anti-social behaviour, public toilet problems, recycling banks, missing street nameplates and privately rented home issues.

On fly-tipping, the council says that when it is told about an incident it will remove it within five working days. It asks for as much detail as you can give, including what the waste looks like, how much there is and any vehicle registration. It also says not to approach fly-tippers or hazardous waste. On private land, the council says it will try to contact the landowner but will not automatically remove the waste, because responsibility falls to the landowner if the person responsible cannot be found.

For abandoned vehicles, use the online form. The council suggests checking the vehicle's status on the DVLA website first.

For a missed bin, you must report it within three working days; see our bin collection guide for the details. For rubbish you can take yourself, see the recycling centre guide.

Who deals with noisy neighbours?

The council's noise nuisance page says to contact its Pollution Team on 01329 236100 or regulatory@fareham.gov.uk. Before you do, the council recommends talking to your neighbour, keeping a noise diary of dates, times and the impact on you, and writing a polite letter if talking does not help. It deals with complaints such as barking dogs, loud music, DIY noise, alarms, commercial noise and fireworks, and says there is out-of-hours support for urgent cases. Confirmed statutory nuisances can lead to an abatement notice.

When do I call 101 and when 999?

GOV.UK's contact the police page says to call 999 if you are reporting a crime that is in progress or if someone is in immediate danger. For anything that is not an emergency, such as reporting something or giving information, call 101. The page says calls to 999 and 101 are free.

Who do I call about flooding?

Hampshire County Council is the lead local flood authority, responsible for flood risk from surface water, ordinary watercourses and groundwater. Fareham Borough Council says its own role in flood protection is very limited, with most responsibility lying with the Environment Agency and private landowners. Its flooding page lists the Environment Agency Floodline on 0345 988 1188 and the emergency hotline on 0800 807 060. It says that if flooding is caused by a public sewer, you should contact Southern Water on 0330 303 1263 or Portsmouth Water on 023 9249 9888 in the first instance.

How do I report a power cut?

The government's Prepare guidance gives 105 as the number to report a power cut in England, Scotland and Wales, and points to powercut105.com, where you can also find your load block letter by postcode.