Changes to city council services following further coronavirus restrictions
Following the Prime Minister’s announcement last night, bringing in more stringent measures to curb the spread of coronavirus, there have been a number of changes made to Lancaster City Council’s services.
People must now only leave their home for essential travel, so:
• The customer service centres at Lancaster and Morecambe town halls are now closed to the public. Please refer to the website Lancaster.gov.uk, email customerservices@lancaster.gov.uk or telephone 01524 582000.
• All of the district’s children’s playgrounds are now closed. Signage will be installed today and the gates locked.
• Morecambe promenade and the council’s parks remain open, but only for people using them for one form of exercise. Please follow social distancing guidelines and remain two metres apart. Any weddings due to take place at Williamson Park have been cancelled.
• The Festival Market in Morecambe and the Assembly Rooms in Lancaster are now fully closed. The Charter Market is now also closed along with other regular street traders.
• To provide vital frontline services such as refuse collection and protecting the most vulnerable, some non-essential activities, such as some grounds maintenance, will not take place.
Councillor Dr Erica Lewis, leader of Lancaster City Council, said: “The new rules announced by the Prime Minister are the most stringent restrictions placed on the British public outside of the two world wars. It is vitally important that we all adhere to them and stop any further spread of coronavirus in its tracks.
“We are in this for the long haul. We are working closely with our partners in the community and business sector to implement measures now that will provide immediate help, as well as assistance in rebuilding once this terrible pandemic has come to an end.
“We all need to pull together and remember - stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives.”
Any small businesses that have not already done so should register with the council’s economic development team by email to econdev@lancaster.gov.uk, for details of the financial support packages that are available to them.
Mutual aid groups within the district that are not already working with the city council should email civilcontingencies@lancaster.gov.uk so they can be included in ongoing work to protect vulnerable groups through food parcels and support.
The council’s dedicated webpage has also been updated to include links to the latest government guidance and links to useful information, such as advice for people in the most vulnerable groups.
Last updated: 26 March 2020