Reporting a problem

Name: Pilates with Rose
Start: 2026-08-17T19:30:00+01:00
End: 2026-08-17T20:30:00+01:00
Location: Casterton Village Hall

Residents frequently ask the parish council about various planning matters and how best to deal with them, and these are the most common problems we are asked about.

We would encourage you to report problems yourself in the first instance to ensure that any problems are dealt with promptly. If there are problems that you wish to report that are not listed below, please email the parish clerk who can advise you further at clerk@castertonparishcouncil.org.uk

The Westmorland & Furness Council website is full of useful information and below are links to the web pages regarding the problems most commonly reported to us.

Problems on the roads

Westmorland and Furness Council is responsible for the maintenance of the county’s roads, including:

Potholes and road damage
Drains, gullies and flooding
Trees, hedges, weeds and grass
Manhole covers, gully grates and kerbs
Road signs and markings
Road structures such as bridges and subways
Road debris and obstructions
Winter maintenance

When a resident sees a highway problem, wherever possible they should report it themselves in the first instance. The advantage of this is that they will have seen the problem first hand, and once they have reported the problem they should receive automatic updates of progress.

To report a problem use Westmorland and Furness Council’s on-line fault reporting service. It is easy to use.

When reporting a fault you’ll need the following:

The location of the problem; you can either plot the location, use the closest postcode or what3words
Photographs or supporting documents (if you have any)

The Highways team will then assess the fault and where possible repair it or as a minimum make it safe in line with the council’s agreed standards.

Any resident who is unable to make use of this on-line reporting system should get in touch with a Casterton parish councillor to help them.

Casterton parish council has a good working relationship with the WFC, and will generally intervene if significant problems don’t get resolved. They can follow up outstanding issues by direct contact with the local WFC councillors, and whilst this doesn’t guarantee a satisfactory outcome, it is a sensible next step towards a solution.

Problems on footpaths and bridleways

Public rights of way (footpaths and bridleways) in Casterton are maintained by the Yorkshire Dales National Park authority and they should be informed of any problems.

Whilst infrastructure, such as gates and stiles, are notionally the landowner’s responsibility, in practice they are usually maintained by the National Park. This remit extends to damaged or missing infrastructure, blockage of paths, or difficulties in use because of undergrowth, overhanging trees, damaged bridges, missing signs etc.

Our local YDNPA office is in Orton, and the three Access Rangers who deal with our rights of way issues are based there. They are familiar with the byways of Casterton, and have always been helpful and responsive to our requests for help in the past.

Problems should be reported in the first instance by email to steve.hastie@yorkshiredales.org.uk. If the matter is urgent (eg a matter of public safety) then please phone ‭01539 756611‬ (landline) or ‭07818 048767‬ (mobile).

Please remember, a problem reported to the National Park is very rarely a bad refection on the landowner, but a request to get the path in a good useable condition as soon as reasonably practical.

Fly-tipping

Fly-tipping is the illegal dumping of waste in the street or on public land. It is a serious offence and carries a large fine, or a prison sentence. It can cause environmental damage, and can be dangerous and is costly to deal with. You should report fly-tipping straight away to Westmorland and Furness Council, and all reports will be investigated. Note that It does not include litter or dog waste but commonly includes items such as:

a mattress or other items of furniture
electrical items
bin bags full of rubbish
construction or demolition waste

You can report fly-tipping to the Council online and will need to report the nature of the dumped material and the location.

If you see somebody in the act, call the police on 101.

Planning enforcement issues

The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority Planning Enforcement team can help you with enquiries relating to alleged breaches of planning control in Casterton. You can report any potential breaches via email to planning@yorkshiredales.org.uk or by calling 01969 652346. The team will investigate these matters and take action where it is appropriate to do so.

Whilst the parish council will report breaches when we are notified about them, we are unable to investigate or act on any information received about planning enforcement issues, and will only report them to YDNPA.

Reporting nuisance

Westmorland & Furness Council can investigate complaints of statutory nuisance. This could include noise, smoke, fumes, light, insects, dust and accumulations of rubbish. The powers that are available to the Council are set out in The Environmental Act 1990; law on statutory nuisance.

See Westmorland & Furness Council’s webpage on nuisance for details of action you can take, what they can investigate and how to report a complaint.

Watercourse pollution

If you suspect that a watercourse has become polluted you should report this to the Environment Agency as soon as possible. They can be contacted on 0800 807 060.