Frequently Asked Questions

The reporting tool is for residents who want to raise a local issue in Childs Hill and across Barnet.

It is intended for non-emergency local problems such as street lighting, parks and green spaces, potholes, pavement issues, graffiti, vandalism, street cleaning, and similar concerns.

Choose the issue, add any postcode or address details you know, and place the pin at the exact location on the map.

If you do not know the exact address, you can still use the map to place the pin where the problem is inside Childs Hill or elsewhere in Barnet.

You can type your message in the description box, or use the Speak to Write button to dictate it using your microphone instead.

The Speak to Write button lets you dictate your message using your device's microphone instead of typing. Click the button, speak clearly, and your words will appear in the message box. Click it again to stop.

This feature uses your browser's built-in speech recognition and requires microphone access. You will be asked to allow this the first time you use it.

The feature only becomes active when you click the button, your microphone is not accessed at any other time. You can edit what has been transcribed before submitting.

Please note that some browsers, particularly Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge, may route audio through the browser provider's speech recognition servers to process your speech. Audio is not stored or recorded by this website. See the Privacy Notice for more detail.

The button will not appear if your browser does not support speech recognition. Firefox currently does not support this feature.

After you submit a report, I review the information and decide what action is needed.

I aim to respond within 5 working days. Some issues may be forwarded to the relevant council department or another suitable body where appropriate.

You can also visit the Updates page to see local reports and information. Updates may include public issue reports depending on suitability and status, as well as local matters such as roads, roadworks, potholes, repairs, community skip information, and which road the community skip will be on. Residents can filter updates by issue type and may also see statuses such as Reported, Being Dealt With, and Completed.

If you have already submitted a report, you can check the progress of your case at any time using the Track your report tool on the Updates page. You will need your case reference number and the email address you used when submitting.

As your local councillor for Childs Hill, enquiries and issue reports from Childs Hill residents are prioritised, and I aim to respond within 1 working day.

For residents across the wider Barnet borough or for reports relating to areas outside of Childs Hill, I aim to respond within up to 3 working days.

All enquiries and reports are important and will be addressed as promptly as possible.

It is recommended to attach a photo when reporting a problem. A clear image usually helps illustrate the concern more effectively and can make escalation more effective.

Yes. Use the Track Your Report box on the homepage. Enter the case reference you were given when you submitted your report, along with the email address you used, and the current status will be shown.

Your case reference is included in the confirmation email sent to you after submission.

The Updates page shows issue reports and the interactive map for approved public issue reports.

It also brings together broader local updates that residents may want to follow in one place.

Updates may include public issue reports depending on suitability and status, as well as local matters such as roads, roadworks, potholes, repairs, community skip information, and which road the community skip will be on.

Residents can filter updates by issue type and may also see statuses such as reported, being dealt with, and completed.

No. Your personal information is never published on the Updates page or the public map under any circumstances.

Your name, email address, phone number, home address, and case reference number are kept strictly private. Only the issue type, approximate location, and status of a report may appear publicly, and only after review.

Every report goes through a manual review process before anything is shown on the public map. Nothing is published automatically.

Even when a report is approved for the public map, only the issue type, location, and status are shown. No identifying details are ever included. If you have any concerns about a specific report, you can contact Councillor Perlberg directly.

The ward finder helps residents check which ward they are in if they are unsure whether they are in Childs Hill or another ward within Barnet.

Enter your postcode, choose your address from the drop-down list, and the system will show the relevant ward information for that address.

The Ward Finder can show your ward, your councillors, your constituency, the MP name, and the MP email address.

This website brings together local reporting, updates, ward information, and practical guidance for residents in Childs Hill and across Barnet.

It is mainly for residents who live in Childs Hill or elsewhere in Barnet, or who want to raise a local matter affecting those areas.

Yes. This website is for residents across the whole of Barnet, not just those in Childs Hill. Many residents in the Childs Hill area regularly raise issues in different parts of Barnet, and this website is here to help with all of those.

If you are unsure which ward you are in, use the Ward Finder first. It will show you your ward, your councillors, and your local MP.

This website is intended for non-emergency local issues in Childs Hill and across Barnet. Emergencies, crimes in progress, and urgent safeguarding concerns should be reported to the relevant emergency services instead.

Yes. The Speak to Write feature on the Report a Problem page uses your browser's built-in speech recognition to convert your spoken words into text in the message box. Depending on your browser, this may be processed by a third-party service, for example, Google Chrome uses Google's speech recognition servers. Audio is not stored by this website.

The website works in all modern browsers. The Speak to Write voice input feature is currently supported in Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge. It is not supported in Firefox or Safari on most platforms.

All other features, reporting, updates, ward finder, and case tracking, work across all modern browsers.

If you are unhappy with how your report was handled, please contact Councillor Matthew Perlberg directly at cllr.m.perlberg@barnet.gov.uk and we will do our best to resolve your concern.

If you wish to complain about how your personal data has been handled you have the right to contact the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.