How to Report a Problem in Tunbridge Wells: Fly-Tipping, Potholes, Street Lights and More

In the Tunbridge Wells borough, who fixes a problem depends on who owns the thing that is broken. The borough council handles things like fly-tipping on land it controls, litter, graffiti on public property and noise nuisance. Kent County Council looks after the roads, pavements and most street lights. This guide sorts out which is which, how to report each problem, and who to call when something is urgent. It is based on the councils' own pages, which can change, so check the links before you act. This is an independent local guide, not an official council service.

Who looks after what?

Kent County Council's road and pavement reporting page says it deals with potholes, street lights, bollards and lit signs, drainage and flooding, grass, trees and hedges on highway land, traffic lights and damaged bus stops. It says fly-tipping, litter, parking and street cleaning belong to your district council, which here is Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, while motorways and major A roads belong to National Highways. The borough's own highways maintenance page agrees that KCC maintains roads, bridges, verges, traffic lights and drains.

How do I report fly-tipping?

Use the borough's report fly-tipping page. The council says it can clear fly-tipping on publicly accessible land that it controls, but not on private land or property. You can still report a fly-tip on your own land and the council will advise what to do, though it cannot clear it for you. If the fly-tip is on a road or highway and is causing an obstruction, the page tells you to contact Kent County Council on 03000 41 81 81. For the A21, the form asks for a road name and says to enter Pembury bypass and drag the map pin to the spot. Kent County Council also warns that fly-tipping can lead to an unlimited fine or up to five years in prison, and that if a company you hire dumps your waste, you can face a fine, so check who is taking it away.

What about litter and dog fouling?

The littering and dog fouling page covers broken glass, leaves, needles, vomit and litter on roads or pavements. The council says it prioritises dangerous litter such as needles and broken glass, and clears other litter within two working days of a report. Large amounts of dumped rubbish or a big item such as a sofa should be reported as fly-tipping instead. Fixed penalty notices can be issued for dropping litter or failing to pick up after your dog.

How do I report graffiti?

The council's graffiti page says it can only clean up graffiti in public or council-owned spaces, such as council buildings, walls, parks, play areas, car parks, bus stops, benches and litter bins. It cannot deal with graffiti on commercial or industrial property, private homes, housing association property, railways, watercourses, phone boxes, postboxes or substations. For those, contact the owner: Royal Mail for postboxes, BT for payphones, Network Rail for railway bridges, Kent Highways for road signs and UK Power Networks for electricity substations. Graffiti is not treated as an out-of-hours emergency; if a crime is in progress, contact the police.

How do I report an abandoned vehicle?

Start with the council's abandoned vehicle page. A car in poor condition or out of tax is not automatically abandoned, and a vehicle that moves location on a road, even infrequently, does not count. The council asks you to read the GOV.UK guidance on local authority responsibilities and check whether the car is taxed before reporting. If it is your own unwanted vehicle, Kent County Council's free vehicle surrender scheme may collect it, and you must be the registered keeper with the keys and log book to hand.

How do I report potholes and street lights?

For potholes, go to KCC's online reporting tool, which the borough's pothole page links to, letting you drop a pin on a map or search an address. KCC says it aims to fix routine faults such as potholes and street lights within 28 days, safety hazards within 7 days and dangerous faults within 2 hours.

Street lights are split between owners. The borough's faulty street light page offers a map that colour-codes lights by owner: Kent County Council, the borough council, private owners, Town and Country Housing and parish councils, each with the right reporting link. The borough's out of hours page says it looks after 700 lights while the county manages over 5,000, so check who owns the light first.

What about noise?

The council's noise page recommends speaking to the person first where that is safe, and mentions the West Kent Mediation Service if talking breaks down. Its Environmental Protection team investigates residential and commercial noise, and there is no set level or time that automatically triggers action. After you submit the online form you will be sent diary sheets to log the days, times and length of the disturbance, which are used as evidence. The council cannot deal with aircraft noise, poor sound insulation, noise from people in the street, traffic, building sites working within reasonable hours (generally 8am to 6pm) or normal farming activity.

Who do I call in an emergency or out of hours?

If anyone is in danger, call 999. Kent County Council asks you to phone 03000 41 81 81, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, or 03000 41 91 91 at other times, for a road or pavement problem that may cause an accident. The borough council's out of hours service is for genuine emergencies only, and its noise line on 01892 352777 covers problems affecting numerous people, such as intruder or car alarms and noisy parties. It does not handle ongoing noise complaints, pest control, routine street lights or graffiti. The borough's street light emergency response is limited to exposed wiring or a column that has fallen or is about to.

How do I contact the borough council?

The switchboard and contact centre on 01892 526121 are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, and the email is info@tunbridgewells.gov.uk. You can also write to Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, Town Hall, Mount Pleasant Road, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 1RS. The contact us page has the full list.

Quick answers

Potholes, most street lights, drains and road faults go to Kent County Council. Fly-tipping on council land, litter, graffiti on public property and noise go to Tunbridge Wells Borough Council. Kent County Council urgent road hazards: 03000 41 81 81 (weekdays 9am to 5pm) or 03000 41 91 91 (other times). Borough switchboard: 01892 526121.

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