Affected council services

Coronavirus information for:

• Unpaid carers
• People who use our care services, including those on a direct payment
• Care providers
• Easement to the Care Act during Coronavirus

With England in a national lockdown, the Government advice is to stay at home. 

It is against the law to meet socially with family or friends unless

• they are part of your household or support bubble or
• you're on your own; you can meet with 1 person from another household. 

Visiting our parks should be for exercise only and not for the purpose of recreation or leisure (e.g. a picnic or a social meeting). 

If one of our country parks is local to you and you’re looking to use the space for outdoor exercise, please make sure you do so in line with the latest government guidance - limiting exercise outdoors to once per day, and not travelling outside your local village or town.

Beacon Hill Café, 1485 Tithe Barn and the Colliery Cafe, will continue to provide a takeaway service only. Opening hours will differ and you're encouraged to check social media channels for the latest information:

• Beacon Hill Café Facebook page
• 1485 Tithe Barn Facebook page
• Colliery Cafe Facebook page

To see the latest updates from a specific country park, please check the country parks website  and social media channels.

You might also be interested in:

• Country Parks in Leicestershire
• Where to walk in Leicestershire

Fostering

All scheduled ‘find out about fostering’ and ‘find out about adoption’ events have been cancelled until further notice. However, our team are still here to help if you would like to ask any questions or find out more about fostering or adoption. Please call 0116 305 05 05 or email fostering@leics.gov.uk

Participation Community Curators

Events run by and hosted by the participation team will be moved online where possible or postponed.

Available services

Council-run libraries are not currently open for browsing, borrowing and returning items.   

We are open for click and collect and PC access only.   

• Find out more about click and collect 
• Book a computer to use at a library 

Changes to loans

Any items on loan before the second lockdown should have been returned or renewed by Monday 7 December. 

Any current loans will be extended until 1 February 2021, with no overdues or hire charges as before. 

Online services

You can still visit our digital library and access thousands of books, audiobooks, magazines and newspapers on your phone, tablet or computer. If you’re not already a member, it’s quick and easy to join online.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for updates, or for further information call us on 0116 305 2695.

Community managed libraries

Please contact them directly for details.

Mobile libraries

We are currently only offering a click and collect service for existing mobile library customers. If you are a mobile library customer, please contact your mobile library route directly for more information.

Unfortunately, due to current Coronavirus restrictions, we are unable to serve customers who don't have a pre-booked appointment.

Please note: timetables may be subject to change and stops without any Click and Collect orders may not be covered. The driver will advise Click and Collect customers of any changes.

Events

Participation events will be postponed or move online.

You might also be interested in:

• Join the Library

The following museums remain closed in line with the latest government guidance.

• Melton Carnegie Museum
• Market Harborough Museum
• Charnwood Museum

The Park and Ride service is operating as usual for essential journeys.

Buses are operating from Birstall, Meynell's Gorse and Enderby terminals.

Capacity on buses will be limited to ensure social distancing. Customers are required to wear face coverings on public transport and are encouraged to use contactless payments where possible.

The Birstall bus service operates on the same site as the covid testing centre. Safety measures and one way systems are in place to ensure they run separately, but from the same space.  

All 14 of our recycling and household waste sites are open*

We encourage you to only visit our sites, if it's essential, and only if you have booked an appointment to visit a site.

If you're wanting to visit a waste site, all information about the types of waste accepted at each site, as well as links to the booking system, are available on our recycling and household waste pages.

*Bottesford site will be closed for essential maintenance work, from Monday 11 January 2021, for approximately 12 weeks.

Permits

Applications for waste permits remain suspended until further notice, for all sites.

Birth registrations are being offered but only where there are urgent or exceptional circumstances to reduce contact as much as possible.

If your appointment has been booked we will contact you to rearrange it.

Notices of marriage and civil partnership will be limited to ceremonies which are due imminently. 

Death registrations will continue by calling us 0116 305 6565.

Under current national restrictions, weddings and civil partnership ceremonies will not be permitted to take place, except in exceptional circumstances, and only up to 6 people, excluding anyone working. 

More information: Registration services and coronavirus updates

Any questions?

If you have questions or concerns regarding your citizenship ceremony, wedding, civil partnership or registering a birth, please get in touch with the registrars team directly on 0116 305 6565 or use our contact us form.

For the latest updates on schools, see Coronavirus - School information

You might also be interested in:

• Applying for a school place
• Apply to move school
• Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND)

The following venues remain closed in line with the latest government guidance:

• Century Theatre
• Beaumanor Hall – events and hire
• Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre
• 1620s House
• Charnwood Museum
• Melton Carnegie Museum
• Charnwood Museum
• Record Office for Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland at Wigston Magna

See latest updates under Recycling and household waste sites above.

Trade waste

We no longer be taking cash or cheque payments at the Whetstone Transfer Station weighbridge. There will also be a new process for credit cards where the driver will be asked to call the number displayed at the site and give the operative the card details. Receipts will then be sent via email.

Whetstone weighbridge will not be open on Saturday mornings (until further notice).

You might also be interested in:

• Where you can take business or commercial waste