As part of Cumberland Council’s commitment to modern, resident focused services, the authority is relocating its customer service provision in Wigton and Keswick to the towns’ libraries.
This move ensures local people can access help, advice and council services more conveniently and forms a key step in improving access for residents and strengthening the council's community-based offer.
In Wigton, the council's customer services will move from The Market Hall into Wigton Library on High Street from 1 April 2026. The Market Hall is independently operated by North Allerdale Development Trust (NADT) and continues to accommodate a range of other tenants and services.
In Keswick, customer services has now been relocated from the Town Hall on Main Street into Keswick Library on Heads Lane.
The changes are being made following feedback from residents and local organisations, with the council taking steps to relocate some essential services to better support those who need them.
The customer services team is at the heart of these changes; which are designed to further enhance the authority's commitment to provide well utilised library spaces that are accessible and community centred.
By bringing these teams together under one roof, the council can offer a warmer, more joined up experience for residents - supporting everything from reporting issues, applying for permits, and seeking advice on waste or council tax, to accessing the full range of library services. More face-to-face support will be available, with the option to move to an appointment system in the future.
The feedback about more integrated services came as part of the council’s Fit for the Future programme, which aims ensure Cumberland’s library service meets the needs of people now and in the future. The programme is a key part of the authority’s wider transformation work and its prevention-focused approach to supporting residents.
Last summer, more than 1,800 residents and partners shared their views on how they use Cumberland’s libraries and what they want from them in future. Further information on the Libraries Fit for the Future engagement outcomes and next steps will be published in the spring.
Bringing services together is already proving successful as part of the pilot of the ‘Community Hub’ in Workington Library, a collaboration between the libraries, customer services, other council-run services and third sector partners.
Cllr Anne Quilter, Executive Member for vibrant and healthy places, which includes libraries, said: “Residents have told us they value easy, local access to council services in warm, welcoming spaces. In response, we are bringing our customer services offer into Wigton Library and Keswick Library.
“Our vision is to empower every resident — and those acting on their behalf — to build independence and resilience at every stage of life. Customer service is central to the council’s prevention focused approach, ensuring people can get the right support early, confidently and in a way that works for them.
“More and more people are choosing to use our website to report issues or access support, which means we can focus our face-to-face services on those who need tailored help.
“While we continue to invest in our online and phone services, we remain committed to offering face-to-face support, with opportunities to move to an appointment system in the future as well as still having the opportunity to use our digital channels.”
