Sefton Council restricted services over Christmas and New Year

Sefton Council restricted services over Christmas and New Year.

During Christmas and New Year, Sefton Council will provide restricted services as most staff are required to take unpaid leave as part of a series of cost-saving measures.

But residents can still access a range of information and transactions via the council website.

This includes checking bin collections, applying for licences, reporting environmental issues or paying Council Tax and business rates.

As a result of the unpaid leave, to be taken on December 23, 28, 29, and 30, most council buildings will be closed, contributing to significant savings as part of the budget setting process.

Services that will continue to operate include critical social care services for adults and children, a limited street cleaning service, commercial waste collection and urgent highways issues, including gritting.

Wheelie bin and refuse sack collections will not change at all over the festive period and residents are reminded to put their bins out on the usual days and recycle as much waste as possible.

Similar to other years, the green wheelie bin collection for garden waste will be suspended from December and will return in 2017.

Some Sefton Council-run leisure centres will be open at varying times during these dates and users are advised to check sefton.gov.uk for opening times.

A list of social care emergency phone numbers is detailed below.

Cllr Ian Maher, Labour Leader of Sefton Council, said: “We have been running the Christmas shutdown for a number of years now and this contributes to the savings we have had to make due significant reductions in Government funding.

“Throughout the year staff have had their pay reduced in order to take four days unpaid leave. Other savings from the closure period come from the reduced need for heating, lighting and running buildings, equipment and vehicles.

“Unfortunately these continuing cuts are having an increasing impact on all our communities right across the borough with further significant savings planned for the next three years.”

To access a range of service and transactions online, visit sefton.gov.uk. An automated phone service will be in place between December 23 and January 3, 2017 on 0345 140 0845 and most service requests will only be actioned beyond January.

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