Westmorland and Furness Council will continue to provide key services over the Easter period, but some of its offices – will be closed on Good Friday (29 March) and Easter Monday (1 April) 2024.
The main switchboard number (0300 373 3300) will close at 5pm on Thursday 28 March and reopen on Tuesday 2 April at 9am. There will be a recorded out-of-hours message advising of the closure period and contact numbers for Highways, Homelessness, Adults and Children’s Social Care should anyone be calling about an emergency. Our Westmorland and Furness Council website will provide all of these details too.
Here are details of opening times, out of hours contacts and other relevant information:
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 Good Friday (29 March) and reopen on Tuesday 2 April.
If you’re concerned about the welfare of an adult, please visit the Westmorland and Furness Council website or call 0300 373 3301.
When offices are closed, please use the out of hours number to report a safeguarding concern (01228 526 690) - this can be used 24 hours a day for adult social care emergencies.
Children's Services (for children's social care):
The Children's Services offices will be closed on Good Friday (29 March) and reopen on Tuesday 2 April.
During closure periods, the Emergency Duty Team can be contacted 24 hours a day for children’s social care emergencies on 0300 373 2724.
For more information about what to do if you’re concerned for the welfare of a child, please visit the Cumbria Safeguarding Children website.
Homelessness:
Young people or people providing support to young people who are at risk of homelessness or are homeless should visit the Westmorland and Furness Council website for more information.
People who are at risk of eviction or homelessness or need support with housing can find information and support by visiting westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk.
Domestic abuse:
Westmorland and Furness Council have a duty to assess the need for support and prepare strategies to provide services for victims in safe accommodation and to provide domestic abuse survivors with community in-reach services.
Visit the Westmorland and Furness Council website for more information on Domestic Abuse support
Recycling:
Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) will all be open as usual throughout the Easter Bank Holiday weekend and standard opening hours will not be affected by the Bank Holidays. Opening hours are as follows:
- Ambleside: 8am-6pm, Monday-Sunday
- Barrow: 8am-11am and 12pm-6pm, Monday-Sunday
- Grange-over-Sands: 8am-4pm, Thursday-Saturday
- Kendal: 8am-4pm, Monday-Sunday
- Kirkby Stephen: 8am-6pm. Friday, Saturday, Sunday & Monday
- Penrith (Flusco): 8am-6pm, Monday-Sunday
- Ulverston: 8am-6pm, Monday-Sunday
The HWRC permit helpline will be closed on bank holidays and weekends.
Household Recycling and Waste Collections:
If you live in the Eden or Barrow areas, there will be no changes to bin collections days across the Easter weekend. The waste collection teams in these areas will be working on Good Friday and Easter Monday to maintain services on their usual schedule.
In the South Lakeland area, collection teams will be working on Good Friday as normal and there will be no change to collections on this day. However, If your bin is scheduled to be collected on Easter Monday, your collection will be made on the following day (Tuesday 2 April). All collections through the week will then be one day later than normal.
Westmorland and Furness Highways:
The Highways Hotline (0300 373 3306) will not be monitored between Friday 29 March and Monday 1 April and will be diverted to an answerphone service with emergency out-of-hours contact information.
People can still report problems with potholes, road damage, flooding and drainage, traffic lights, streetlights, pedestrian crossings, trees, vegetation, bollards, manhole covers and more by visiting the Westmorland and Furness Council website.
Archives, Libraries and Local Link offices:
The Archive Centres and all libraries will be closed on Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday, and normal opening hours will apply on Saturday 30 March.
Registration Services:
The Registration Service will be closed on Friday 29 March and will reopen on Tuesday 2 April.
Trading Standards
Cumbria Trading Standards’ Consumer Direct helpline will be closed on Friday 29 March and will reopen on Tuesday 2 April.
Leisure Centres
Westmorland and Furness Council Leisure centres will be open over the Easter break but there may be some changes to usual opening hours. To find out the opening times and activities on offer, please visit the leisure centres’ websites.