Our services over Christmas and New Year; are you winter ready?; bringing festive joy; investment in our communities and more...

Cumberland Council sent this bulletin at 24-12-2023 10:15 AM GMT

View as a webpage / Share

The information you need over the festive period

We are reminding residents how to access our services over Christmas and New Year.

Building opening times:

Civic Centre, Carlisle: closed week commencing Monday 25 December and on Monday 1 January. Reopens at 9am on Tuesday 2 January.
Cumbria House, Carlisle: closed on bank holidays (Monday 25 and Tuesday 26 December, plus Monday 1 January).
Allerdale House, Workington: closed from 12noon on Friday 22 December. Reopens at 9am on Tuesday 2 January.
Market Hall, Whitehaven: closed from 1pm on Friday 22 December. Reopens at 9am on Tuesday 2 January.

Online services are available on the Cumberland Council website.

The main customer number (0300 373 3730) closed at 5pm on Friday 22 December and will reopen on Tuesday 2 January at 9am. There will be a recorded message advising of the closure period and out of hours contact numbers for highways, homelessness, and adults and children’s social care, should anyone be calling in an emergency.

Other opening times, out of hours arrangements, and relevant information, is as follows:

Household waste and recycling collections
Residents can check collection dates on our refuse and recycling webpage.

Week commencing Monday 25 December:

In all areas of Cumberland, there will be no collections on Christmas Day (Monday 25 December) and Boxing Day (Tuesday 26 December). Collections will take place two days later than normal. Including a Saturday collection for those normally collected on Thursday and a Sunday collection for those normally collected on a Friday.

Week commencing Monday 1 January:

There will be no collections on Monday 1 January. Collections will take place one day later than normal, including a Saturday collection for those normally collected on Friday.

Find out more about collections dates on our news update.

Household Waste Recycling Centres

All HWRCs will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

All sites that open on Sundays, will close at 4pm on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. For opening times and locations visit our HWRC webpage.

The permit helpline is closed on bank holidays and weekends.

Cumberland Highways
The Highways Hotline - 0300 373 3736 - will be unavailable on Christmas Day (Monday 25 December), Boxing Day (Tuesday 26 December) and New Year’s Day (Monday 1 January). You can report a problem online too.

Calls will be diverted to an answer phone service with emergency contact information. Residents can report problems relating to potholes, road damage, flooding, drainage, traffic lights, streetlights, pedestrian crossings, trees, vegetation, bollards, manhole covers and more on our street, roads and pavements webpage.

Health and Social Care
Residential and home care services operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Adult Social Care offices will be closed on Christmas Day (Monday 25 December), Boxing Day (Tuesday 26 December) and New Year’s Day (Monday 1 January). Contact the social care out of hours emergency service (01228 526690), 24-hours a day, for adult social care emergencies. Further information is available on our health and social care webpage.

Children's Services (for children's social care)
Children's services offices will be closed on Christmas Day (Monday 25 December), Boxing Day (Tuesday 26 December) and New Year’s Day (Monday 1 January). The Emergency Duty Team (0333 240 1727) can be contacted 24 hours a day for children’s social care emergencies.

Further information is available on our children's services webpage.

Archives, Libraries and Local Link offices

Cumberland libraries will continue to provide key services, including select and collect, online services and home delivery services.

Book Browsing, borrowing and returns will be available in some locations – check details of opening hours. Other essential services can also be accessed at your library, including adult education courses and registrars.

The Archive Centres (Carlisle and Whitehaven) and all libraries will be closed on Christmas Day (Monday 25 December), Boxing Day (Tuesday 26 December), New Year’s Eve (Sunday 31 December) and New Year’s Day (Monday 1 January).

For details of the services available, please visit our libraries and archives webpage.

Registration Services
The Registration Service will be closed on Christmas Day (Monday 25 December), Boxing Day (Tuesday 26 December) and New Year’s Day (Monday 1 January).

Trading Standards
Cumbria Trading Standards’ Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline - 0808 223 1133 - will be closed on Christmas Day (Monday 25 December), Boxing Day (Tuesday 26 December) and New Year’s Day (Monday 1 January). You can also visit the Citizens Advice website.

We're ready for winter, are you?

Our Winter Ready campaign provides advice and guidance on winter travel, and preparing for difficult weather conditions, alongside up to date health information and more.

Read more

Find a Warm Spot near you

Organisations across Cumberland are providing Warm Spots for residents again this year.

A Warm Spot offers a warm, welcoming space for people to visit if they need it. They are run by a range of organisations and some provide free food and advice.

Find out more

Also in this edition:

Helping those most in need
Bringing festive joy to many
Have your say on our budget for next year
Cumberland Markets Trader of the Year 2023
Calling everyone who loves Maryport
Workington panel invests in community
Full steam ahead for the Carlisle Station Gateway project!
Views sought on Millom Town Deal progress
The Countdown to the Cumberland Annual SEND Conference 2024 is on
XL Bully dog owners warned of incoming “Dangerous Dogs” laws

Helping those most in need

Our homelessness team in Workington has received some really generous donations from local companies and organisations to help us give a treat to those facing homelessness during the Christmas period.

It has meant that we've been able to provide gifts for many of the children we are supporting - including new Christmas Eve pyjamas.

We have also been able to provide all those who are currently homeless and in temporary accommodation with food parcels.

It makes such a difference to the people we help and we are extremely grateful for the continued support from local businesses and organisations. We would like extend special thanks to the following:

Cash for Kids; Family Action; Asda; Tesco Workington; Sainsbury’s Cockermouth; Morgan Sindall; Workington Emergency response group; Allerdale GDF Community Partnership; Ali Chorley; and Cumbria Community Foundation.

Our crisis prevention team also received a donation from Cockermouth Rotary of grab bags which will be used to provide much needed support to those facing domestic abuse

Bringing festive joy to many

A winter wonderland came to West Cumbria this week, thanks to the efforts of Cumberland Council, Family Action, Rosehill Theatre and Sellafield Ltd.

Children from the former Allerdale and Copeland areas, enjoyed gifts from Santa and some festive sparkle over two days on 20 and 21 December at two Winter Wonderland events.

Over 100 children, and their families, were treated to gifts bought by people from the local area.

The families that attended the event in the United Reformed Church, Whitehaven and Northside Community Centre, Workington also enjoyed Christmas crafts, Christmas carols and a meal.

Families also received a hamper filled with fruit, vegetables and a meat voucher.

Read more

Have your say on our budget for next year

We are consulting on some of the proposals that will help shape our budget in the next financial year.

Our consultation includes questions on our focus as an organisation, as well as asks residents their views on our transformation plan which aims to help put us on a more sustainable financial footing. There are also questions on proposals for council tax.

Have your say

Cumberland Markets Trader of the Year 2023

This year's winner of our Market Trader of the Year Award is Country Flavour. This is the sixth year we have made this award and it is always a great day. The following is a little about their business.

Country Flavour is a family business selling home-made products – ranging from fudge and jam to lemon cheese and marmalade – run in partnership by Chris and Jo Keogh and their 43-year-old son, Stephen.

The business was first started by Stephen's grandparents, Harry and Rosemary, at the Herb Farm, Ivegill, near Carlisle, over 75 years ago, but has been based in Kirkby Stephen since 1978.

Read more

Calling everyone who loves Maryport

Want to take part in the consultation to find a new name for the Wave, and decide Maryport’s new signage? if so take part in the survey online.

Have your say

Workington panel invests in community

Scouts in Workington will be cooking up a storm thanks to a £500 investment from their local Community Panel.

4^th Workington Scouts were among the groups funded at the Workington Together Community Panel earlier this month. The money will be used to buy new cookers and baking equipment for their headquarters in Fletcher Street.

They are just one of many organisations who have been successful in their bids. Find out more on our website.

Read more

Full steam ahead for the Carlisle Station Gateway project!

Cumberland Council is updating the community about the Carlisle Station Gateway project, which is steaming ahead, marking a positive transformation for the city.

The Carlisle Station Gateway project, a strategic regeneration project included in the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal, is an initiative that targets the rejuvenation of both Carlisle city centre and the broader Borderlands region.

The project is well underway and has seen some significant activity at the junctions of Currock Street, James Street, Water Street and Rome Street. The contractor, Eric Wright Civil Engineering, has started the demolition of the vacant Staples building adjacent to Matalan.

Read more

Views sought on Millom Town Deal progress

A team of specialists has been appointed by Cumberland Council to progress plans for making travel around Millom and Haverigg safer and easier.

Connected Millom and Haverigg - one of four projects being developed as part of Millom Town Deal - aims to improve access to sustainable forms of transport for all, boost levels of community health and wellbeing and encourage more people to visit the area.

Technical experts from WSP UK Ltd are now to further develop the project which will include meeting the standards and requirements of the Department for Transport and National Highways.

However, before moving further forward, Cumberland Council would like to understand whether any of the existing concept designs need to be revisited in light of feedback received at the last round of public engagement held in June 2023

A new programme of engagement with key stakeholders is being planned with a public engagement event to be scheduled in early in 2024.

Read more

The Countdown to the Cumberland Annual SEND Conference 2024 is on

January 2024 will see the return of the Cumberland Annual SEND Conference, organised by Cumberland Council in partnership with the University of Cumbria.

The Conference will take place on Thursday 11 and Friday 12 January 2024, at the Learning Gateway, Fusehill Street Campus, University of Cumbria, and is an opportunity for attendees to share professional best practice and learn about the latest SEND research and developments.

Read more

XL Bully dog owners warned of incoming “Dangerous Dogs” laws

Owners and breeders of XL Bully dogs in Cumbria are being urged to familiarise themselves with new laws set to come into force this December.

Following a concerning rise in attacks and fatalities nationally caused by XL Bully dogs, new laws are set to come into force from 31 December after the government added the breed to the banned dogs list under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991

Read more

Update your subscriptions, modify your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. You will need to use your email address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please visit subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com.

This service is provided to you at no charge by Cumberland Council.