Reporting a Problem in Guildford: Who to Contact
Potholes go to Surrey County Council. Missed bins and fly-tipping go to Guildford Borough Council. Here is who handles what, with the right link or phone number for each.
Quick answer
In Guildford, report potholes, pavements, street lights and on-street parking to Surrey County Council (tellus.surreycc.gov.uk or 0300 200 1003). Report missed bins, fly-tipping, litter, graffiti, noise and council car park issues to Guildford Borough Council (guildford.gov.uk/report or 01483 505050). Call 101 for the police non-emergency line and 999 in an emergency.
Borough or county: the quick rule
Guildford has two councils doing different jobs.
- Surrey County Council looks after roads, pavements, potholes, street lights and on-street parking.
- Guildford Borough Council looks after bins, street cleaning, fly-tipping, council car parks, parks, noise complaints and council housing.
If you report to the wrong one, it slows things down. The table below gives the short version.
Roads, pavements and street lights: Surrey County Council
Report potholes, damaged pavements, flooding on the road and problem trees on the highway through the county's Tell us about a highway issue service, which runs on FixMyStreet. You can view existing reports and subscribe to updates. The county says online reports go straight to the highway teams and get a quicker response than a phone call.
- Phone: 0300 200 1003, 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays.
- Street lighting: HIG-surrey.lightingservices@mgroupltd.com
- Footpaths and bridleways: there is a separate rights of way report form on the county's website.
Road emergencies
Call 0300 200 1003 at any time. The county runs a 24-hour service for emergencies. Its examples include a road collapse, a missing manhole or gully cover, a fallen tree or lamp column blocking the road, traffic signals not working, exposed electrical wires and flooding that makes a road impassable.
Do not report emergencies by social media. The county says those channels are only monitored in working hours.
Not the county's roads
- A3, M25, M3 and M23: these are run by National Highways. Call 0300 123 5000.
- Burst water mains: report to the water company, not the council.
- Severe flooding: the Environment Agency's 24-hour line is 0345 988 1188.
- Road traffic collisions: report to the police.
Bins and waste: Guildford Borough Council
- Missed bin: report online within two days of the collection date at guildford.gov.uk/missedbins.
- Damaged bin or caddy: there are separate forms for black, green, food and garden waste bins on the council's Report an issue page.
Street cleaning and fly-tipping: Guildford Borough Council
- Fly-tipping: report it online with the street name and postcode. The council does not clear fly-tipping from private land. That is the landowner's job. If you see fly-tipping happening, the council says to dial 999.
- Litter: report it online. Litter on the A3, A31 and A331 is dealt with during scheduled cleaning.
- Graffiti: report it online, with a photo if you have one. The council cannot remove graffiti from private property.
- Dead animals on the road: the borough council removes them. Use the same street waste form. A large animal blocking a road is a county road emergency.
Abandoned vehicles
Check the vehicle's tax and MOT on gov.uk first. Then:
- On a public road, untaxed or on SORN, no other problems: report it to DVLA at gov.uk/report-untaxed-vehicle.
- On a public road with other problems, or on private, housing or open land: use Guildford Borough Council's abandoned vehicle form. You will need the make, model, colour, registration and how long it has been there.
- Blocking a road or footpath: call the police on 101.
- On fire or being vandalised: call 999.
Parking problems
- A fine from a council car park: Guildford Borough Council. You can pay or challenge it online.
- On-street parking, yellow lines and permits: Surrey County Council.
Noise
Noise complaints go to Guildford Borough Council. To act, the council must be satisfied the noise is a "statutory nuisance", which means it is seriously affecting your health or your enjoyment of your home. It looks at how often it happens, how long it lasts and the time of day.
If your neighbour is a tenant of a housing association or other social landlord, the council says to complain to the landlord first.
Anti-social behaviour
It depends on what it is.
- Police (101, or 999 in an emergency): rowdy and nuisance behaviour, anti-social use of vehicles, street drinking, begging, criminal damage, drug dealing, harassment and hate crime. Surrey Police also takes reports online.
- Guildford Borough Council: abandoned vehicles, dog-related problems, graffiti, litter, fly-tipping, noise nuisance and bonfire smoke.
- Council or housing association tenants: report to your housing officer or landlord.
Council housing repairs
Guildford Borough Council tenants can report repairs online. For urgent repairs call 01483 444222. Outside office hours call 01483 532122.
Parks and trees
For parks and playgrounds, call Guildford Borough Council on 01483 505050 or email parks@guildford.gov.uk. The Ranger service is on 07880 784947 between 7am and 8pm. Problems with council-owned trees have their own form. Trees on the highway go to the county.
General contacts
Guildford Borough Council: 01483 505050. Phone lines are open Monday to Thursday 8.30am to 4pm and Friday 8.30am to 3.30pm. Millmead House, Millmead, Guildford, GU2 4BB.
Surrey County Council: 0300 200 1003 for roads and transport, or contact.centre@surreycc.gov.uk.
One council from April 2027
This split is due to end. The Future Surrey hub says a new West Surrey Council will take over all local council services on 1 April 2027, replacing both Guildford Borough Council and the services now run by Surrey County Council. Until then, the existing councils operate as normal and the routes above still apply.
| Problem | Who to contact | How |
|---|---|---|
| Pothole, damaged pavement, road flooding | Surrey County Council | tellus.surreycc.gov.uk |
| Road emergency | Surrey County Council | 0300 200 1003, 24 hours |
| Street light | Surrey County Council | HIG-surrey.lightingservices@mgroupltd.com |
| On-street parking and permits | Surrey County Council | surreycc.gov.uk parking pages |
| A3, M25, M3, M23 | National Highways | 0300 123 5000 |
| Missed bin | Guildford Borough Council | guildford.gov.uk/missedbins |
| Fly-tipping, litter, graffiti | Guildford Borough Council | guildford.gov.uk/report |
| Car park fine | Guildford Borough Council | guildford.gov.uk/parking |
| Noise nuisance | Guildford Borough Council | guildford.gov.uk/report |
| Abandoned vehicle, untaxed only | DVLA | gov.uk/report-untaxed-vehicle |
| Rowdy behaviour, criminal damage, harassment | Surrey Police | 101, or 999 in an emergency |
Frequently asked questions
Who do I report a pothole to in Guildford?
Surrey County Council, not the borough. Use its Tell us about a highway issue service at tellus.surreycc.gov.uk, which runs on FixMyStreet. For a road emergency call 0300 200 1003 at any time.
Who do I report fly-tipping to in Guildford?
Guildford Borough Council, using its online fly-tipping form. Give the street name and postcode. The council does not clear fly-tipping from private land. If you see it happening, dial 999.
How do I report a broken street light in Guildford?
Street lights are a Surrey County Council matter, not the borough's. The county's roads contact page gives a street lighting email address: HIG-surrey.lightingservices@mgroupltd.com.
How do I report a missed bin in Guildford?
Use Guildford Borough Council's online form at guildford.gov.uk/missedbins within two days of your collection date.
Who do I report a problem on the A3 to?
National Highways, which runs the A3, M25, M3 and M23. Its number is 0300 123 5000. In an emergency call 999.
Who deals with noisy neighbours in Guildford?
Guildford Borough Council, if the noise amounts to a statutory nuisance. If your neighbour rents from a housing association or other social landlord, the council says to complain to the landlord first.
Who do I report an abandoned car to in Guildford?
If it is on a public road and simply untaxed, report it to DVLA on gov.uk. If it has other problems or is on private or open land, use Guildford Borough Council's abandoned vehicle form. If it is blocking a road, call the police on 101.
Share this article