Cumberland Council festive arrangements

Cumberland Council is reminding residents how to access its services over Christmas and New Year.

Building opening times:

• Civic Centre, Carlisle: closed to the public from 4pm on Christmas Eve. Reopens at 9am on Friday 2 January.

• Cumbria House, Carlisle: closed to the public from 3pm on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. Closed on bank holidays (Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day).

• Allerdale House, Workington: closed from 12noon on Wednesday 24 December. Reopens at 9am on Friday 2 January.

• Market Hall, Whitehaven: closed from 1pm on Wednesday 24 December. Reopens at 9am on Friday 2 January.

Online services will be available at www.cumberland.gov.uk 

The main customer number (0300 373 3730) will be available until Wednesday 24 December but there will be a reduction in service from 12pm onwards.

It will reopen on Monday 29 December at 9am. Between Monday 29 December and Wednesday 31 December there will also be a reduction in service.

There will be a recorded message advising of the closure period and out of hours contact numbers for highways, registration, ceremonies, homelessness, and adults and children’s social care, should anyone be calling in an emergency.  

Other opening times, out of hours arrangements, and relevant information, is as follows:

Household waste and recycling collections
Residents can check collection dates at www.cumberland.gov.uk/waste/binday 

There will be no waste and kerbside recycling collections on Christmas Day (Thursday 25 December), Boxing Day (Friday 26 December), and New Year’s Day (Thursday 1 January). Collections will take place on the following dates:

Collections will return to their normal schedule on Monday 5 January. For further details, please visit the Cumberland Council website.

Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRC)

All HWRCs will close at 4pm on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. They will also be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. 

For opening times and locations visit https://www.cumberland.gov.uk/bins-recycling-and-street-cleaning/recycling/household-waste-recycling-centres-hwrcs

The permit helpline is closed on bank holidays and weekends.

For information on recycling centres, visit https://www.cumberland.gov.uk/bins-recycling-and-street-cleaning/recycling/recycling-bank

Cumberland Highways 

The Highways Hotline (0300 373 3736) will be available throughout the Christmas period, including Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day, to respond to emergency highways issues only.

Duty highways staff will be on standby across the bank holidays to deal with urgent problems such as serious flooding, dangerous road damage, or traffic signal failures.

We kindly ask residents to use the Cumberland Council website to report non-emergency issues, such as potholes, streetlight faults, drainage concerns, damaged signs, or overgrown vegetation. This helps our teams respond more efficiently and ensures your report goes directly to the right place.

Please visit: www.cumberland.gov.uk/parking-roads-and-transport/streets-roads-and-pavements 

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 Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. Contact the social care out of hours emergency service (01228 526690), 24-hours a day, for adult social care emergencies. Further information is available at https://www.cumberland.gov.uk/health-and-social-care 

Children's Services (for children's social care)

Children's services offices will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. The Emergency Duty Team (0333 240 1727) can be contacted 24 hours a day for children’s social care emergencies. 

Libraries 

Cumberland Libraries will continue to offer its library services throughout the festive period and, although some service points may have adjusted opening hours, its Borrowbox service of e-books, audiobooks and newspapers/ magazines will be available to all library members 24/7. 

Cumberland’s three main libraries in Carlisle, Whitehaven and Workington will continue to offer the full range of library services when open, including book browsing, borrowing, returns and renewals. Please check the Cumberland Council website for details of opening hours and available services at your local library. 

Carlisle Library will be open on the following days

Wednesday 24 December 2025: 9am - 1pm

Monday 29 December 2025: 9am - 5.30pm

Tuesday 30 December 2025: 10am - 5.30pm 

Wednesday 31 December 2025: 9am - 1pm

Whitehaven Library will be open on the following days:

Wednesday 24 December 2025: 9am - 1pm 

Monday 29 December 2025:  9am - 5pm

Tuesday 30 December 2025: 9am - 6pm 

Wednesday 31 December 2025: 9am - 1pm

Workington Library will be open on the following days:

Wednesday 24 December 2025: 9am - 1pm 

Monday 29 December 2025:  9am - 5pm

Tuesday 30 December 2025: 9am - 5pm 

Wednesday 31 December 2025: 9am - 1pm

All other libraries will be closed for the duration of the Christmas period.

Normal hours resume from Friday 2 January.

For details of the opening times and services available, please visit https://www.cumberland.gov.uk/libraries-and-archives 

Registration Services
The Registration Service will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

Trading Standards
Cumbria Trading Standards’ Consumer Direct helpline (08454 04 05 06) will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. 

Leisure Centres

For leisure centre opening times and information, visit https://www.better.org.uk/leisure-centre/cumberland

Storm and weather advice

Advice and guidance on what to do in the event of wintry or stormy weather can be found at www.cumberland.gov.uk/weather-ready