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A new feature has been made available to councils using FixMyStreet Pro, enabling the display of notices containing ward-specific information only when a user drops a map pin within a certain area and category.

This is useful for communicating effectively with report-makers and managing expectations in situations where fault reports within a category may be handled differently depending on the ward in which the problem has been found.

For example, upon attempting to make a report about overgrown grass within a certain ward using Gloucester City Council’s FixMyStreet Pro, users are shown a message explaining how their report will be dealt with in this area.

Ward messaging can be applied to any categories via the administration dashboard. Councils wanting to implement this can open a ticket requesting which ward(s) and categories they want to display a message for, and the text they want to use.

Messaging can be added to FixMyStreet Pro sites in various different places and for different purposes, such as to share out of hours information, or to signpost to other services.

For more information about how FixMyStreet Pro works, get in touch.

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Image: GeoJango Maps via Pexels

Dumfries and Galloway Council has chosen FixMyStreet Pro for its new digital reporting service for local street and highway-based faults. 

Development has been completed by SocietyWorks on a brand new, dedicated installation of FixMyStreet Pro for Dumfries and Galloway Council, complete with integration with its asset management system Causeway One Asset Management (formerly known as Alloy).

Branded to complement the Council’s existing online environment and optimised to work on any device, FixMyStreet Pro enables users to report problems across Dumfries and Galloway’s road network, such as potholes or issues with road signs and street lighting. 

Reports are sent directly into the asset management system to be picked up by the appropriate team, and updates, including photos of completed works taken by on-the-ground crews, are sent automatically back to report-makers to keep them informed of progress.

Existing reports are displayed on the map to help users see what has already been reported. Potential duplicates are suggested to users when a new report’s location and category match an existing report, with the user encouraged to subscribe to the existing one if they would like to track its progress.

Dumfries and Galloway’s FixMyStreet Pro service is also connected to the Scottish Road Works Register, allowing for the display of planned roadworks and utility works on the map to further help minimise avoidable contact. 

As with all instances of FixMyStreet Pro, reports that are not the responsibility of the Council are automatically diverted via the national FixMyStreet site. Meanwhile, the Council can display or request additional information for reports within certain categories to help triage reports faster and more efficiently.

Speaking about the launch of FixMyStreet Pro, Dumfries & Galloway’s Roads Maintenance Manager said:

“Implementing FixMyStreet Pro reflects our commitment to improving the customer experience for reporting road related issues across Dumfries and Galloway. We wanted a solution that makes it easier for residents to report problems, improves the accuracy of information we receive, and provides greater openness and transparency around how reports are managed. FixMyStreet Pro delivers exactly that.
 
“By integrating this userfriendly reporting tool with our internal workflows, we will improve the quality of information available to our teams, reduce duplication, and increase visibility of how reported defects are managed. Ultimately, FixMyStreet Pro will enhance the customer experience by making it easier and more intuitive to report defects, understand the repair process and receive updates enabling residents to track progress with greater confidence and transparency.” 

Angela Dixon, Managing Director at SocietyWorks, said:

“Making reporting problems on our roads as simple and effective as possible has always been at the heart of FixMyStreet Pro. 

“We’re delighted to have Dumfries and Galloway Council put its trust in the software to help improve the way reports of local street and highway faults are handled, and look forward to welcoming the team there to our user groups to influence the future of the service.” 

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Find out more about FixMyStreet Pro.

SocietyWorks has completed a project working in partnership with Transport for London (TfL) to digitise all of its highway licence application forms, using the same intuitive and user-friendly technology behind its existing highway fault reporting service, Streetcare, which is powered by FixMyStreet Pro.

The new forms, built using our new FixMyStreet Forms offering, replace Microsoft Word forms with an online interface through which applicants can submit applications for highway licences without needing to manually download, complete and send each application. 

Mapped to correspond to the individual process behind each licence, users are guided through a simple workflow which ensures all the required information is provided at the correct time, making it easier and faster for applicants to submit successful applications. 

Form submissions and any attachments are sent directly to TfL’s Asset Operations Licensing team, who benefit from the elimination of manual intervention and follow-ups where written responses were unclear. 

Where payment is required as part of a highway licence application, users are automatically redirected to Paybylink to complete their payment, before receiving a confirmation and summary of their application.

Speaking about the project, TfL’s Revenue & Licensing Manager said: 

“We approached SocietyWorks while looking for a way to modernise our online licence forms and payments. From the outset, the team were focused on finding the right solution for us, not just selling a product.

“They worked collaboratively throughout to turn complex paper processes into intuitive digital forms and their project management, responsiveness and genuine commitment to improving the customer journey has been outstanding.

“We’re now moving from a previously frustrating customer experience to what we believe will be one of the best.”

Angela Dixon, Managing Director at SocietyWorks, said:

“Over the last two decades, we have seen time and again how it is often the most simple digital transitions that create the most impactful transformation for authorities and the people they serve. 

“It has been wonderful to have TfL’s trust in supporting the digitisation of its online forms, giving users the same quality of online experience when applying for a highway licence as they have come to expect when reporting a problem on the highway.”

About FixMyStreet Forms

FixMyStreet Forms enables authorities using FixMyStreet Pro, our street, highway and environment fault reporting service, to digitise forms for related services, such as for highway licence applications. 

The functionality was originally designed for Buckinghamshire Council’s dedicated FixMyStreet Pro service to enable staff members to complete private forms relating to compensation claims for injury or damage sustained to vehicles or property on a highway.

FixMyStreet Forms is a lightweight version of our ApplyWorks solution, which is designed for authorities needing to handle more complex management of application forms, complete with a case management system. 

For more information about how we can support your application needs, send us a message and we’ll get back to you. 

SocietyWorks has completed a new integration between the national FixMyStreet site and Enfield Borough Council’s Verint System. 

Making use of open data standards, reports from members of the public made via FixMyStreet are now sent directly into Verint, from where they are triaged between the Council’s Exor and Assure systems according to the reporting category selected.

As well as removing the need to manually re-key emails into Verint, the integration also allows Enfield to mirror the reporting processes followed via its other reporting channels, and to provide updates to users on their reports.

Using both the FixMyStreet website and app, users can now make reports of any street-based problems within the Enfield boundary, selecting from an extended list of categories specific to Enfield. 

All reports made to Enfield via FixMyStreet are displayed on the map to help reduce duplication and create visibility of action. Being a networked service, FixMyStreet ensures reports that should go to neighbouring councils or other authorities (such as TfL) are automatically diverted.

The integration with FixMyStreet marks the start of a transformational journey for Enfield, harnessing existing open technology to ensure reporting local problems is as easy as possible across a wide range of platforms, while eliminating avoidable rekeying, expensive emails and broken feedback loops.

Angela Dixon, Managing Director at SocietyWorks, said: “Engaging with interoperable platforms and removing barriers to reporting for members of the public is a smart way for councils to improve processes and foster better community engagement. 

“We’re really pleased to have worked with Enfield Borough Council on this project, which will not only give local people more choice over reporting local problems, but will also ensure reports always go to the correct place.”

Integrating with FixMyStreet using open data standards, like our own Open311 API, gives councils the flexibility to connect with FixMyStreet, enjoying all of the benefits of being part of a secure, maintained and joined-up reporting service, while also retaining their own existing processes and other systems. 

A new feature has been released for FixMyStreet giving users the option to start their reports with a photo, the data from which can be extracted to speed up the reporting process.

As well as making the reporting process quicker, this new functionality should also increase the accuracy of reports, removing the need for users who can’t or don’t want to report the problem at its location to remember exactly where it was at a later point in time.

Where a photo has been taken using a smartphone with geo-tagging enabled, FixMyStreet can now use the data stored in the uploaded photo to identify the location of the problem the user wants to report. 

Once uploaded, FixMyStreet will display a map with a pin dropped at the location identified. Users then have the option to either move the map pin if necessary, or continue with the report.

If a user does not have photo geo-tagging turned on, or the device they are using is not compatible with this functionality, they can still begin reports with a photo, but they will also need to identify the location of the problem either through GPS (if currently at the location) or using a postcode, street name or area.

Users can still report problems on FixMyStreet without using a photo if they can’t take one or don’t have one.

Photo-first reporting has been rolled out across the FixMyStreet website and app, as well as to all cobranded instances of FixMyStreet Pro.

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Got a question about photo-first reporting on FixMyStreet? Get in touch.

We were pleased to discover that FixMyStreet, mySociety’s long-running reporting service for local public realm faults, has been recognised in the Newspeak House Political Technology Awards. The awards are a year-long (hypothetical) grant making exercise, undertaken by the 2024–25 Fellows of Newspeak House’s Introduction to Political Technology programme.

Newspeak House, an independent residential college founded in 2015, brings together practitioners and researchers from across civil society and the public sector to explore how technology can strengthen democratic systems.

Within this landscape, FixMyStreet stood out. The 2024-25 cohort described it as “a civic reporting tool that allows residents to flag local infrastructure issues directly to the relevant authority,” praising its ability to support real-time public participation, improve transparency, and enhance everyday engagement with place.

In their reflections, they captured something that resonates strongly with our mission:

“FixMyStreet is a classic for a reason. It’s a clean, practical tool that opens a direct line between people and local government. But what struck me was the deeper shift it invites: it makes place-based maintenance visible, collective, and reportable.”

That shift — towards shared visibility and collective responsibility for the places we live — has always been at the heart of FixMyStreet. We’re grateful to the Newspeak House cohort for recognising its continued impact within the broader ecosystem of political and civic technology.

An open, map-based solution that’s as relevant now as it ever has been

When FixMyStreet first launched in 2007 it was in response to many councils not offering an easy-to-use online reporting service — if they offered one at all. Many citizens still prefer FixMyStreet because of its simplicity and because it removes the need for them to know which council is responsible for what problem.

These days, FixMyStreet acts as a national reporting platform, bringing all of the local authorities and government organisations together on one system, triaging reports between councils at all levels, highways agencies and housing associations.

Councils and other public authorities can interact with FixMyStreet in several different ways:

• Receive reports via email (for free) to whichever email address(es) you like for different issues;
• Set up your own (free!) integration using Open311 to have reports drop into a system of your choosing;
• We can build and maintain an integration for you (carries an annual fee);
• You can become a FixMyStreet Pro user. FixMyStreet Pro is a more advanced version of FixMyStreet, designed to eliminate the significant costs councils incur from duplicate reporting, unnecessary contact and failure demand.

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Want to understand more about FixMyStreet? Contact us for a chat. 

Gloucester City Council has chosen FixMyStreet Pro as its new online reporting service for local street and environment issues as part of a drive to streamline the reporting process, improve response times and enhance communication with residents and other local authorities.

SocietyWorks is delighted to have launched a brand new installation of its FixMyStreet Pro solution for Gloucester City Council.

Opting for the customised plan for District Councils, which ensures the solution is value appropriate, Gloucester City Council’s installation is branded to complement the Council’s existing online environment and designed to work seamlessly on any device.

The launch includes an API integration between FixMyStreet Pro and the Causeway Alloy asset management system, used by Ubico, the environmental services company part-owned by Gloucester City Council.

Reports of problems managed by Ubico are sent directly into Alloy, and updates are automatically sent back to report-makers, and to anyone else subscribed to the report, helping to manage expectations, improve perceptions and eliminate expensive follow-up contact.

Reports of problems not exclusively managed by Ubico are sent directly to the most relevant team within the Council for action.

Report-makers can locate problems using GPS or by inputting a postcode or street name. Asset layers shared from Alloy are displayed on the FixMyStreet Pro map to encourage accurate selections when reporting problems relating to, for example, bridges or street lights.

All reports sent to Gloucester City Council are displayed publicly on the FixMyStreet Pro map to improve transparency. Where an issue within the same category and location has already been reported, FixMyStreet Pro suggests the existing report to the report-maker and, if it is the same problem, encourages them to subscribe instead of reporting again. 

Categories for issues that are the responsibility of Gloucestershire County Council are also available for report-makers to select via the service. Reports within these categories are automatically diverted to Gloucestershire, which has its own installation of FixMyStreet Pro.

In instances of crossover, where some assets are managed by Gloucester City Council and others are managed by Gloucestershire County Council, FixMyStreet Pro ensures that reports always go to the correct authority. 

Meanwhile, where motorways and trunk roads, like the A38 and the M5, pass through or alongside Gloucester City Council and Gloucestershire County Council’s boundaries, FixMyStreet Pro automatically diverts reports to National Highways.

Should a user attempt to make a report of a problem that is the responsibility of another authority, the service will redirect them to the national FixMyStreet site, run by SocietyWorks’ parent charity mySociety.

Angela Dixon, Managing Director at SocietyWorks, said: “FixMyStreet Pro exists to make reporting local place-based problems online easy for members of the public, and for the authorities responsible for them.

“The launch of FixMyStreet Pro for Gloucester City Council unifies the reporting process between the district and county authorities, enabling each to offer residents who make the effort to report problems as smooth and responsive a service as possible.

“It has been wonderful to work with the team at Gloucester City Council and Causeway on this launch, and I look forward to welcoming Gloucester City into our lively user groups, where they will help us to shape the future of the solution.” 

Residents in the London Borough of Sutton can now use the council’s version of WasteWorks to book a collection for small items, such as batteries and coffee pods.

We launched Sutton’s WasteWorks service in 2022, providing residents and contact centre staff with an easy way to access waste services associated with a property’s address online. 

Initial functionality comprised self-service bin day checks, problem reports and new bin requests, as well as garden waste subscriptions and payments – all facilitated by API integration with the Selected Interventions Echo in-cab system and payment provider Barclaycard.

Subsequent development work has enabled residents to also use WasteWorks to make bookings for bulky waste collections. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, other work has involved a migration of Sutton’s WasteWorks to a new version of Echo and a change of payment provider to Capita Pay360.

Small items collections

As with any functionality built into WasteWorks, the small items collections booking service has been adapted around Sutton’s individual requirements and operational processes.

Users can select from a list of items included in the service and book a time slot according to availability, the data for which is shared through the integration with Echo. A photograph and/or text description of the location where the item(s) will be left for collection can be optionally provided.

Each request created via WasteWorks is automatically sent into Echo once the booking has been confirmed for staff and contractors to manage directly. Email notifications are sent to users to confirm their booking and to act as a reminder of the upcoming collection.

Within specified timeframes, users can also cancel a booking for a small item collection or report that a collection has been missed from within the same workflow. Cancellations or missed collection reports are shared directly to Echo and corresponding updates or confirmations returned to the user automatically via email. 

Paul Brockwell, Head of Waste and Street Cleaning at London Borough of Sutton, said: “In a significant stride towards environmental sustainability and a circular economy, the London Borough of Sutton proudly unveiled its new bookable small items recycling collection service in October 2025. This initiative empowers residents with a convenient and efficient way to recycle small electrical items, textiles, and batteries, directly contributing to the council’s ambitious goals of enhanced recycling and resource recovery.

“The introduction of this service marks a pivotal moment in Sutton’s ongoing commitment to fostering a more sustainable community. By providing an accessible and user-friendly system for the collection of these specific waste streams, the council aims to divert a substantial volume of material, thereby reducing environmental impact and promoting the re-use of valuable resources. This service is a testament to Sutton’s dedication to creating a truly circular economy, where waste is minimised and resources are kept in use for as long as possible.

“This achievement would not have been possible without the invaluable partnership and tireless dedication of SocietyWorks. Their exceptional expertise in developing and refining the WasteWorks platform proved instrumental in facilitating the seamless integration and operation of this fantastic new service. The WasteWorks platform provides the digital infrastructure that enables residents to easily schedule collections, track their requests, and access information, ensuring a smooth and efficient process for all users.

“The London Borough of Sutton is confident that this new service will build upon its already impressive recycling rate, further solidifying its position as a leading borough in environmental stewardship. The ability for residents to conveniently schedule collections for these often-overlooked small items is expected to significantly increase participation in recycling efforts, ultimately leading to a greener and more sustainable future for the entire borough. This service is not just about waste collection; it’s about empowering residents to actively participate in building a more resilient and environmentally conscious community.”

Angela Dixon, Managing Director at SocietyWorks, said: “It’s been a pleasure to work in partnership with the team at the London Borough of Sutton on this functionality. We are proud to offer a service like WasteWorks that is capable of adapting to councils’ changing needs as and when they are ready, creating sustainable digital transformation.”

Along with our parent charity mySociety, SocietyWorks is now formally sponsoring OpenStreetMap and MetaCPAN – two key external pieces of digital infrastructure that help us to run our services.

We use OpenStreetMap data in a number of ways, including background mapping on sites such as MapIt, or as an optional layer on FixMyStreet. Meanwhile, MetaCPAN is the Perl package manager that hosts all the third party Perl packages we use in FixMyStreet, WriteToThem, and more.

Why is sponsorship important?

Like many technology providers, we rely on a number of external dependencies in order to run our services. It’s been a long-held goal to be able to support such infrastructure, and give back to the technology and community on which we rely. 

XKCD has this famous comic which I’m sure many of you have seen before:

As the Explain XKCD page on the above comic says, “The current model of libraries and open-source development […] relies heavily on the free and continued dedication of unpaid hobbyists”, and has some interesting discussion and examples. There’s a lot of history behind how things have arrived here, and a number of people and organisations looking to try and improve the situation, and hopefully our contribution is part of that.

So yes, supporting digital infrastructure upon which you depend is a good idea, and I’m really pleased we are able to give back to OpenStreetMap and MetaCPAN. 

A new API integration has been completed between Buckinghamshire Council’s instance of FixMyStreet Pro and the Idox Geospatial Countryside Asset Management System (CAMS), used by the council to manage its public rights of way data. 

This integration enables report categories for problems relating to public rights of way, such as broken gates and missing signposts, to be introduced into FixMyStreet Pro for Buckinghamshire. 

“The integration will provide greater visibility of existing reports, reduce duplicate reports and improve accuracy of reporting through map based assets.”

– Cameron Barrett, FixMyStreet Product Manager at Buckinghamshire Council 

Such reports, including any images uploaded by the report-maker, are sent directly into CAMS to be responded to by the appropriate teams. 

Updates made to reports by council staff within CAMS are returned to FixMyStreet Pro, with details shared automatically via email to the report-maker and any subscribers.

Response templates managed by staff within the FixMyStreet Pro administration dashboard correspond to different status updates within CAMS, making it easy to respond to reports in user-friendly language, helping to manage expectations and keep the feedback loop closed.

The CAMS integration is one of several with Buckinghamshire’s FixMyStreet Pro, which was implemented in 2018. Existing integrations include the Causeway Alloy asset management system for highways reports, the Abavus My Council Services (MCS) CRM system for street cleaning and other environment reports and EvoClaim, the solution used by the council to manage claims from residents for injury or damage sustained to vehicles or property on a highway.

Cameron Barrett, FixMyStreet Product Manager at Buckinghamshire Council said:

“FixMyStreet Pro has been Buckinghamshire Highways’ online reporting tool since 2018. We have continued to develop FixMyStreet by integrating with our Street Scene operations as well as Parks. 

“Rights of way presented an opportunity for integration identified through high volumes of Rights of way enquiries that were being submitted via “Best fit” categories on FixMyStreet and subsequently being closed and internally redirected. 

“The integration will provide greater visibility of existing reports, reduce duplicate reports and improve accuracy of reporting through map based assets. 

“The team at SocietyWorks and Idox have been fantastic in supporting this project and prioritising customer needs throughout.”

Angela Dixon, Managing Director at SocietyWorks, said:

“The delivery of modern public services requires a unified approach. It has been a pleasure to support Buckinghamshire Council with another integration into their co-branded version of FixMyStreet Pro. 

“I would like to thank everyone involved in this project at Buckinghamshire, Idox Geospatial and here at SocietyWorks for their dedication to delivering interoperable services that help councils bridge data gaps and improve the user experiences of members of the public.”

David Bennett, CAMS Consultant, Idox Geospatial said:

“This integration makes it easier for residents to report public rights of way issues and helps the Council respond more efficiently. 

“We’re proud to have worked with Buckinghamshire and SocietyWorks to connect CAMS with FixMyStreet Pro and improve the experience for everyone involved.”

Joanne Taylor, Rights of Way Operations Manager at Buckinghamshire Council, said: 

“This is an important development; the integrated link between FixMyStreet and Countryside Access Management systems will streamline the customer journey, enabling the Rights of Way Operations Team to provide up to date progression on defects recorded on the Rights of Way network, via both the Rights of Way online map and FixMyStreet.”