PR Date: Wednesday, 4 November 2020 - 3:45pm
Further to the Prime Minister's announcement on 31 October 2020 that England will be going into a national lockdown from tomorrow (5 November), there will be some changes to a limited number of North Herts District Council’s (NHDC) services.
We are committed to keeping as many of our services running as possible, however our focus will be to maintain essential services to support the most vulnerable residents in North Herts.
In line with Government guidance, the following services will be affected:
Services that are closed until further notice
- Hitchin Town Hall
- North Herts Museum
- Leisure Centres - North Herts Leisure Centre, Archers, Hitchin Swim Centre, Royston Leisure Centre
- Customer Services Centre – remains closed to the public, however you can contact us on 01462 474000, or access many of our services through our website www.north-herts.gov.uk
Amended services
- Hitchin Market – partially open, restricted to essential stalls only on Fridays and Saturdays. Please see Hitchin Markets Ltd website for more information.
- Local plan hearings will go ahead – virtually
Playgrounds will remain open and services such as waste and recycling collections will continue to run as normal, unless we are faced with significant staffing shortages, or other COVID-19 related operational challenges.
Herts Careline - the team are still able to take calls for help, take on new customers via contact-less installations and Professionals can still refer to HertsCareline via their website.
Business grants
We are waiting for guidance from the government about Support Grants for those businesses that will be affected by the new lockdown restrictions. Look out for information on our website about how to apply.
Support for vulnerable people
If you are struggling, Herts Help, a countywide information and support service is available for people and families in crisis. This includes support with food, energy costs and other essentials for those who are in ongoing crisis, or who have come into crisis as a result of COVID 19. Herts Help are contactable from 8am-8pm Monday-Friday (10am-6pm weekends/bank hols). Call HertsHelp on 0300 123 4044, visit www.hertshelp.net or email info@hertshelp.net.
Cllr Martin Stears-Handscomb, Leader of NHDC said: “We are very sorry that we are having to close some of our popular services such as our leisure centres and Museum, however we must follow Government guidance to try and control the spread of the virus. By staying at home and avoiding higher risk activities we can all try and keep each other safe.
“Please be assured that we will continue to prioritise our essential services and provide support for vulnerable people. Our customer services team are still on the other end of the phone should you need us and you can access many of our services quickly and easily online.
“We will continue to adapt our advice, guidance and services as the situation changes. In the meantime, stay safe, stay at home and look after each other.”
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