Increasingly South Glos Council is encouraging people to contact them online. This can save you precious time waiting for a telephone call to be answered. With Street Care problems, sticking a virtual pin in a map also means there’s a better chance that the right problem will get fixed.

If you go to the council’s home page and click on “Report” it will take you to a list of issues.

The issues are listed alphabetically and many are Street Care ones (it’s worth noting that “Spillage and obstruction” includes the problem of a pavement being blocked by an overgrown hedge). You can also report waste issues, such as missed bin collections, and a range of others, including benefit fraud, noise and nuisance complaints and planning enforcement.

In some cases, such as where you’re concerned about the safety of a child or vulnerable adult, you still need to make a phone call, but the page gives you a link to more information.

You can also apply for a range of services online, everything from blue badges to joining the library, free school meals to bus passes.