Highways and Street Lighting 

We are responsible for maintaining and improving the roads, footpaths, bridges, street lights and traffic signals in Darlington. This comprises 534km of highway, over 12,500 street lights, and 90 bridges (including culverts and subways). If you have any issues with the highways in your area, please use this page for guidance.

Reporting a broken pavement, potholes and obstructions to pavements and roads

Telephone 01325 388799

Please try to help us to help you by providing as much information as possible when you call:

  • Street name
  • Location (for example: nearest house number)
  • Nature of the problem
  • Your name, address and telephone number in case we need to contact you if we have a query about your report

You can also e-mail us with a report at highways@darlington.gov.uk

Emergency Contact Number 07860 809115 - Use this number outside working hours

Reporting a broken street light

Telephone 01325 388799

Please try to help us to help you by providing as much information as possible when you call:

  • Street name
  • Location (for example: nearest house number)
  • Street light column number
  • Nature of the problem
  • Your name, address and telephone number in case we need to contact you if we have a query about your report

You can also e-mail us with a report at highways@darlington.gov.uk

Emergency Contact Number 07860 809115 - Use this number outside working hours

Winter Damage to the Highway Network

Please visit our Winter Gritting and Road Maintenance page for information about the works which were carried out

Highway Schemes

Darlington Borough Council is a Highway Authority and as such maintains all adopted roads and footpaths within its area  - (these are A, B, C and unclassified roads, together with back lanes). Exceptions are the A1(M) and A66 which are the responsibility of the Highways Agency [external link]

When housing estates have been completed, generally, the developer hands over the roads and footpaths to the Council to maintain at public expense. This is known as adoption.

The Council operates a comprehensive system of highway safety inspections as recommended by the national code of practice. Shopping areas are inspected every month and residential areas every three months. As well as minor repairs following routine highway inspections and reports received from members of the public the Council carries out a programme of schemeworks to improve the highway network.

The Council also carries out surveys to assess the overall condition of roads and footpaths. This road condition information is processed by a computer system known as the United Kingdom Pavement Management System [external link]. The results are used to assist engineers to identify those streets most in need of improvement.