Potholes, local roads and parking
Examples: Pothole or trip hazard, Broken street light, Parking ticket, Illegal parking.
If someone is in danger or it can't wait:
What do you need?
Pick one — each answer below says where to start and where to go next.
I want to report a problem or apply for something
Start here
Portsmouth City Council (highways contractor Colas)
Report a pothole or problem with the road online → · 023 9283 4092
If that link doesn't open, start from this page.
Why them: The council is the highway authority for city roads and its contractor Colas inspects and repairs them.
- Prioritise and repair potholes and trip hazards found on inspection or reported
- Repair street lights, drains, signs and street furniture on council roads
- Enforce parking restrictions (separate "report illegal parking" form)
- Repair the A27 or M27 — those are National Highways roads
How long it should take: Published inspection regime, not a repair deadline: main roads and pavements inspected monthly, residential roads every six months; street lights inspected every two weeks in winter and four in summer, with repairs "within a week" of inspection.
- Portsmouth City Council — corporate complaints — If a reported defect is not dealt with
Checked 23 September 2026 · source
Also useful
National Highways
Report a problem on the A27 or M27 → · 0300 123 5000
Why them: The strategic road network around Portsmouth is not a council road.
- Take reports 24 hours a day
- Deal with city streets
Checked 23 September 2026 · source
I want to challenge a decision that has been made about me
Start here
Portsmouth City Council — parking services
Challenge a penalty charge notice (PCN) →
Why them: The council issues PCNs and must consider your challenge before any independent appeal.
- Cancel a PCN on a successful challenge
- Keep the discount open if an early challenge (within 14 days) fails
- Guarantee late representations are considered — those after 28 days from a Notice to Owner may be disregarded
- Traffic Penalty Tribunal — If the council rejects your formal representations
Checked 23 September 2026 · source
I need someone to help me with my case
Start here
Your ward councillors (3 per ward, 14 wards)
Ask your ward councillor to take up your case or raise it with the council →
Why them: Councillors do ward casework and set council policy and budget, so they can chase officers on a council matter and raise patterns with the relevant Cabinet member or a scrutiny panel.
- Raise your case with council officers and ask for an explanation
- Act as your representative in a council complaint (with your consent)
- Raise an issue with the relevant executive (Cabinet) member or ask a scrutiny committee to look at it
- Instruct officers to overturn a decision taken under a statutory process
- Decide matters that belong to another body (NHS, police, water companies, government departments)
Checked 23 September 2026 · source
I want to change how things are done, not just fix my case
Start here
Portsmouth City Council — transport requests
Suggest a road, crossing or cycle-route improvement →
Why them: Requests go onto a feasibility list that is reported to the Cabinet Member for Transport.
- Assess feasibility, cost and priority
- Seek funding for prioritised schemes
- Guarantee funding for every request
- Ward councillors — To press for a scheme to be prioritised
Checked 23 September 2026 · source
Also useful
Your ward councillors (3 per ward, 14 wards)
Ask your ward councillor to take up your case or raise it with the council →
Why them: Councillors do ward casework and set council policy and budget, so they can chase officers on a council matter and raise patterns with the relevant Cabinet member or a scrutiny panel.
- Raise your case with council officers and ask for an explanation
- Act as your representative in a council complaint (with your consent)
- Raise an issue with the relevant executive (Cabinet) member or ask a scrutiny committee to look at it
- Instruct officers to overturn a decision taken under a statutory process
- Decide matters that belong to another body (NHS, police, water companies, government departments)
Checked 23 September 2026 · source
I have complained and it has not been put right
Start here
Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman
Ask the Ombudsman to investigate once the council complaints process is finished →
Why them: It is the independent, free final step for complaints about council services, adult social care and most council housing functions other than social housing.
- Investigate fault in how the council acted and whether it caused you injustice
- Recommend apologies, payments or changes to council procedures
- Look at your complaint before the council has had the chance to resolve it
- Overturn a decision the council made properly just because you disagree with it
- Investigate issues that carry their own right of appeal to a tribunal
Checked 23 September 2026 · source
Your councillors and MP
Useful if the route above has failed, or it's about local policy. Optional: we look up your postcode once and never store it.
Good to know
This tells you where to start and what comes next. It is not legal advice. Time limits shown are the ones each body publishes; always check your own decision letter, which may give a different deadline.