Councils across Cumbria will be issuing essential information about services across the Christmas period.
We will be adding all of Cumbria’s council opening hours and services as we get them.
Allerdale council
Council offices and customer services
Customer services will close at noon on 23 December and reopen on 9am on 3 January. During this time no appointments will be available. The council’s customer contact phone line will also be closed during this period.
Residents can continue to report issues such as dog fouling, littering, and fly-tipping through the council’s website at https://www.allerdale.gov.uk/en/report/ and the ‘myAllerdale’ mobile app.
People can still pay for things online: https://www.allerdale.gov.uk/en/payments/. Payments can also be made by using the automated telephone payment line by calling 0303 123 1702 and selecting the appropriate option.
Waste and recycling services
Refuse collections for the week commencing 19 December are unaffected and bins should be placed outside on the morning of collection on the normal days.
There will be no refuse collections on Monday 26 December. All collections commencing the week beginning Monday 26 December will be completed one day later than normal. If your waste was due to be collected on Monday 26 December, these collections will take place on Tuesday 27 December. If your refuse was due to be collected on Friday 30 December, these collections will take place on Saturday 31 December.
There will be no collections on Monday 2 January. As a result, all collections in the week beginning Monday 2 January will take place one day later than normal. If your refuse was due to be collected on Monday 2 January, these will take place on Tuesday 3 January. If your refuse was due to be collected on Friday 6 January, these collections will take place on Saturday 7 January.
Collections will return to normal from week commencing Monday 9 January.
Bins should be placed by the roadside ready for emptying by 6am on the day of collection.
Residents can check collection days online via the council’s website: https://www.allerdale.gov.uk/en/bincollections/
The council’s recycling bring sites will remain open throughout the Christmas and New Year period with regular collections of waste taking place. Information on their locations can be found at: https://www.allerdale.gov.uk/en/waste-recycling/recycling-centres/
Residents are asked to place the correct recycling material in the bins provided. Residents are also asked not to leave bags of rubbish by the bins, as this is classed as fly-tipping.
To ensure the maximum use of space, residents are asked to flatten any boxes before putting them in the paper and cardboard bins.
Cumbria County Council’s household waste recycling centres are also open throughout the festive period. More information is available on the Cumbria County Council website: https://www.cumbria.gov.uk/planning-environment/waste management/servicesincumbria/hwrcs/hwrc.asp
Homelessness
If anyone finds themselves homeless over the Christmas period, they should call 0303 123 1702 for the out of hours service and speak to a homelessness officer.
If in the run-up to Christmas anyone believes they may be homeless soon, they should contact the council as soon as possible on 01900 702660, so that the homelessness team can assess their situation and try to prevent them becoming homeless.
The council also encourages people to speak to its customer service team if they are struggling financially to see if there is any help that can be provided.
Bereavement services
The council’s bereavement services team is available throughout the Christmas period and can be contacted on 07762421072.
Carlisle City Council
Customer services
The Civic Centre’s Customer Contact Centre will be closed to the public on the following days:
- Bank Holiday Monday 26 December.
- Bank Holiday Tuesday 27 December.
- Between Wednesday 28 and Friday 30 December.
- Bank Holiday Monday 2 January 2023.
It will not be taking calls, responding to emails or social media enquiries from 3pm on Friday 23 December until 9am on Tuesday 3 January 2023.
Crematorium
Open 8.30am to 4.30pm: Monday 19 December to Friday 23 December, Wednesday 28 December to Friday 30 December.
Open for access to the Remembrance Book Room: 11am to 2.30pm on Saturday 24 December – Tuesday 27 December and Saturday 31 December – Monday 2 January.
Open as usual from Tuesday 3 January.
Bereavement services
Open 8am to 4.30pm: Monday 19 December to Friday 23 December, Wednesday 28 December to Friday 30 December
Closed: Saturday 24 December to Tuesday 27 December and Monday 2 January.
Open as usual from Tuesday 3 January.
Christmas tree recycling
Hospice at Home Carlisle and North Lakeland will be collecting real Christmas trees in January to raise funds to help local patients and their families.
Volunteers and business supporters will set off early on Thursday January 12 to collect trees from Carlisle, Penrith, Longtown, Brampton, and Wigton – locations where the hospice’s clinical services team visit to provide vital care and support to patients at the end stages of life. People are asked to book their tree in for collection, and all donations given towards this are gratefully received.
Tree collections can be booked until Sunday January 8 by visiting www.just-helping.org.uk/register-tree
Refuse and recycling collections
There will be some changes to the days you need to put out your refuse and recycling over Christmas and new year.
From Monday, December 19 to Friday December 23, collections will be as normal. Then:
- Monday 26 December – will be collected on Tuesday 27 December
- Tuesday 27 December – will be collected on Wednesday 28 December
- Wednesday 28 December – will be collected on Thursday 29 December
- Thursday 29 December – will be collected on Friday 30 December
- Friday 30 December – will be collected on Saturday 31 December
- Monday 2 January – will be collected on Tuesday 3 January
- Tuesday 3 January – will be collected on Wednesday 4 January
- Wednesday 4 January – will be collected on Thursday 5 January
- Thursday 5 January – will be collected on Friday 6 January
- Friday 6 January – will be collected on Saturday 7 January
Collections return to normal Monday 9 January.
Cumbria County Council
Registration service
The quickest and easiest way to access most of our services is online. Here you can:
- Book an appointment to register a birth
- Order a copy certificate for an event already registered
- Book a notice of intent for marriage or civil partnership
- Submit an enquiry form to book a ceremony.
Our online booking system can used to book appointments or order copy certificates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year – www.cumbria.gov.uk/registrationservice
For death registrations, the medical professional will send us the relevant documents along with a contact phone number for the informant. The council team will contact you within two business days to register the death by telephone.
Offices are open by appointment only during the festive period:
- Christmas Eve – Saturday 24 December – closed
- Christmas Day – Sunday 25 December – closed
- Monday 26 December – Bank Holiday – closed
- Tuesday 27 December – Bank Holiday – closed
- Wednesday 28, Thursday 29 and Friday 30 December – all offices open usual hours
- New Year’s Eve – Saturday 31 December January 2022 – closed
- New Year’s Day – Sunday 1 January – closed
- Monday 2 January – Bank Holiday – closed
All offices reopen usual hours from Tuesday 3 January 2023.
Cumbria Highways
Cumbria County Council’s Highways service will operate an out-of-hours service between noon on Friday 23 December 2022 and 8am on Tuesday 3 January 2023.
There will be full 24-hour cover for winter maintenance (gritting) activity, as well as out-of-hours emergency response throughout this period.
The Highways Hotline number is 0300 303 2992.
You can still report any highways defects or issues via the county council website.
Windermere Ferry
The ferry will be closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
It will run on New Year’s Day between 10.10am and 5.30pm (times from Ferry Nab). Otherwise, the ferry will operate its usual service, crossing between Ferry Nab at Bowness and Ferry House at Far Sawrey between 6.50am and 8.50pm, Monday to Saturday and between 9.50am and 8.50pm on Sunday.
Libraries
Cumbria Library Service will continue to provide key services, including select and collect, online services and home delivery services.
Opening times at each library will vary during the Christmas and new year period, however all six main libraries in Carlisle, Barrow, Workington, Whitehaven, Penrith and Kendal will be closed from Monday 26 December to Tuesday 27 December, and Monday 2 January 2023.
For details of the opening times and services available at your local library, visit www.cumbria.gov.uk/libraries
Other recycling services
Cumbria County Council’s household waste recycling centres are also open throughout the festive period.
All household recycling centres will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. All sites will close at 4pm on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
Sites will be open during their usual hours on all other days:
- Ambleside, Rothay Holme – 8am – 6pm, seven days a week.
- Kendal, Canal Head 8am – 4pm, seven days a week.
- Ulverston, Morecambe Road – 8am – 6pm, seven days a week.
- Grange-over-Sands, Guides Lot – 8am – 4pm, Thursday – Saturday.
- Frizington, Yeathouse Quarry – 8am – 4pm, seven days a week.
- Millom, Redhills – 8am – 4pm Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
- Penrith, Flusco – 8am – 6pm, seven days a week.
- Kirkby Stephen, Hobsons Lane – 8am – 6pm, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday.
- Maryport, Glasson Industrial Estate – 8am – 6pm, seven days a week.
- Workington, Clay Flatts – 8am – 6pm, seven days a week.
- Wigton, Syke Park 8am – 6pm, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday.
- Barrow, Walney Road – 8am – 11am and 12 – 4.30pm, seven days a week.
- Carlisle, Bousteads Grassing – 8am – 6pm, seven days a week.
- Brampton, Townfoot Industrial Estate – 10am – 6pm every day, except Tuesday
South Lakes District Council
The council’s reception at Kendal Town Hall will close at 4pm on Friday December 23 and reopen at 9.30am on Tuesday January 3.
Telephone lines will also close at 4pm on Friday December 23. They will be open from Wednesday December 28 to Friday December 30, 9.30am to 4pm – then lines will reopen as normal from 9.30am on Tuesday January 3.
Residents can also email the council at customer.services@southlakeland.gov.uk
The council’s housing options team is urging anyone threatened with homelessness this Christmas to get in touch as soon as possible on 01539 733333 so that staff can offer advice and support before the situation worsens.
Refuse collections
Residents are reminded to check their collection calendars for any changes to their usual waste/recycling schedule over the festive season.
- Week commencing Monday 19 December 2022 – collections will take place on the usual calendar day.
- Week commencing Monday 26 December 2022 – collections will take place a day later than usual because of Boxing Day. So, for example, if your usual day is Monday, your collections will take place on Tuesday 27 December 2022. If your usual day is Friday, your collections will take place on New Year’s Eve, Saturday 31 December 2022.
- Week commencing Monday 2 January 2023 – collections will take place a day later than usual because of the bank holiday on Monday 2 January. So, for example, if your usual day is Monday, your collections will take place on Tuesday 3 January 2023. If your usual day is Friday, your collections will take place on Saturday 7 January 2023.
Green bin collections will resume in mid-February 2022. The quickest and easiest way for residents to check their grey bin/recycling schedule and to find information about a variety of council services is to sign up for an online My Account at www.southlakeland.gov.uk/myaccount
