Customer services 

Over a year ago the council closed its offices to the public due to the pandemic, since then the customer service team have carried on delivering business as usual with most of the team working from home and a skeleton crew manning the offices, the team have answered over 80,000 customer telephone enquiries and dealt with many more on-line enquiries. 

The range of services available to our customers on-line has continued to grow and now includes the introduction of on-line parking permits bookable through the MiPermit app, downloadable bin calendars, checking bin collections and reporting missed bins, as well as making payments, general enquiries, and reporting problems. 

With the relaxation of restrictions, we are reopening our offices on an appointment only basis to ensure the safety of our customers and our staff.  Please note there will no longer be a walk-in service. Our offices will open for face-to-face appointments from Monday 12 April 2021. 

Customers can ring 0303 123 1702 to arrange an appointment at a time and location convenient to them at our offices in Allerdale House, Workington, Maryport Town Hall, Keswick Town Hall, Wigton Market Hall and Cockermouth Town Hall.  When making the appointment advisors will discuss the enquiry and confirm the time, date and any documents or information customers need to bring along with them to be able to deal with the enquiry. 

Toilets 

Our public toilets in Workington town centre and Maryport remain open on a reduced basis to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus and the council asks all users to follow the Covid-secure guidelines. 

Our toilets in Harrington and Caldbeck remain closed. 

Markets 

Our markets in Workington, Wigton and Keswick will resume from the week commencing April 12 in line with the Government’s roadmap. 

The various safety measures that were in place at the markets prior to lockdown, such as hand-sanitiser stations and reduced stall numbers if applicable, will be in place when they return. At Keswick Market in particular the one-way system, revised layout and street marshals will also be in operation. These measures will be under regular review. 

We look forward to welcoming back customers and traders and urge anyone attending one of our markets to adhere to the Covid-19 guidelines. 

Marshals 

A team of street marshals on behalf of the council will be out and about across Allerdale throughout April to help keep people safe and support the easing of coronavirus restrictions. 

Their roles include providing advice to members of the public where social distancing is not being observed, signposting people to the council’s or government website for more information, note fly-camping, littering anti-social behaviour and parking issues, and note businesses that may be breaching Covid regulations. 

The marshals will be working seven days a week across a variety of locations in the borough. 

Leisure centres 

From April 12, the council’s leisure partners GLL (who operate as Better) will be reopening the leisure centres in Workington and Cockermouth as well as The Wave Centre in Maryport for indoor activities in line with Covid-19 restrictions. The gym at the leisure pool site in Keswick will also reopen on April 12. 

Outdoor activities including football (3G) and exercise classes are currently available at Workington Leisure Centre. 

Sessions need to be booked in advance and more information about bookings, memberships and activities can be found on the Better website at https://www.better.org.uk/leisure-centre/allerdale. 

Car parks 

All of our car parks are open for use. The locations of our car parks can be found on our website at https://www.allerdale.gov.uk/en/parking/car-park-locations/. 

Car park customers are encouraged to use the MiPermit mobile app, where applicable, to pay for parking and it may be beneficial to download the app before arriving in one of our car parks. MiPermit is a cashless system which allows people to buy a digital 'ticket' and control how long they stay through the app. More information on MiPermit can be found at https://www.allerdale.gov.uk/en/parking/parking-charges-and-ways-pay/. 

NHS free parking 

The council will continue to provide free parking for NHS workers, care workers and NHS volunteers. For these staff, passes are available through NHS Trusts, local authorities and the Royal Voluntary Service. More details on the scheme's website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-health-care-and-volunteer-workers-parking-pass-and-concessions. All staff making use of the scheme whilst working, need to provide evidence in their vehicle from their employer or voluntary organisation to prove their eligibility. 

Those eligible for free parking can make use of any of the council’s owned car parks, except Workington’s multi-storey car park. Please check the car park you use with the NHS pass is a council owned car park and is part of the scheme. Anyone with queries should contact the council’s parking services team on car.parks@allerdale.gov.uk. 

When using short stay car parks where the relevant maximum duration of stay still applies users should clearly show their time of arrival, such as with a parking disc, as well as their essential worker permit. The short stay car parks are: Ladies Walk and Udale Street at Workington; Tithebarn Street, Bell Close at Keswick; Fairfield, Sainsbury’s at Cockermouth. The use of a parking disc is not required in the long-stay car parks. 

Bereavement services 

The council's bereavement services team will continue to provide support to the recently bereaved. In line with government guidelines, funerals can be attended by a maximum of 30 people, and it is advised that only close friends and family attend. Linked ceremonial events such as stone settings and ash scatterings can also continue with up to six people in attendance. Anyone working is not included.  

Social distancing should be maintained between people who do not live together or share a support bubble. 

From April 12 the number of people able to attend a wake rises to 15. 

Benefits, community support and help with self-isolation grants 

• The latest information about self-isolation payments can be found on our website at https://www.allerdale.gov.uk/en/coronavirus/coronavirus-council-tax-benefits-and-financial-support/. 

• There is a range of other financial support for eligible individuals in Allerdale. More information on these schemes can be found at https://www.allerdale.gov.uk/en/coronavirus/coronavirus-council-tax-benefits-and-financial-support/. 

• Eligible businesses can now take advantage of the Restart Grants Scheme. This scheme is broken down into two strands and supports businesses in the non-essential retail, hospitality, leisure, personal care and accommodation sectors. The grant amounts will be a one-off payment for each eligible property, based on the rateable value. Due to the government increasing the information we need to collect from each business and the level of checks required to carry out before payment, you will have to apply for the grant even if we have already paid you one of the other business grants. More information can be found at https://www.allerdale.gov.uk/en/coronavirus/coronavirus-business-grants-claims/. 

Waste services 

Our waste and recycling collections are continuing as normal and garden waste collections resumed in March. Please continue to help keep our bin crews and your neighbours safe by cleaning bin handles, lids and any black boxes you may have. And remember to wash your hands after putting your bin out and collecting it back in too. 

For more information about go to: https://www.allerdale.gov.uk/en/coronavirus/coronavirus-waste-services/. 

Play areas and parks 

Allerdale Borough Council manages some play areas in the borough and these are open for use. The council urges everyone to practice social distancing and keep hands clean when using them. 

 The play areas we manage are:   

• Hunter’s Drive, Seaton   

• Recreation Ground, Flimby   

• Camp Road, Maryport   

• Ennerdale Road, Maryport   

• Bellbrigg Lonning, Cockermouth 

• Harris Park, Cockermouth 

The council is aware that the surface at Harris Park play area is in a poor condition and apologise for the inconvenience. However, we will soon be installing new wet-pour surfacing to address this problem and a new piece of multi-play equipment will be installed to replace an existing item. The play area will be closed for two or three weeks while the refurbishment works takes place, which is likely to be in the second half of April. A date will be confirmed in due course. 

If a play area does not appear on the above list, it is not owned or managed by Allerdale Borough Council and is likely to be the responsibility of your local town or parish council or alternatively a housing association. 

• The tennis courts in Harris Park, Cockermouth have reopened as of March 29. 

• Horse Close Skate Park, Hall Park, Workington has reopened as of March 29. 

Our parks and open spaces (including Harris Park in Cockermouth, Hall Park in Workington, Harrington Nature Reserve and Siddick Ponds) are open for public use, but we ask users to behave responsibly in line with government directives, in particular those around social distancing.