Coronavirus (COVID-19): See which Council services are affected (last updated 3.30pm, Thursday 2 July 2020)

1. Overview
2. See which Council services are affected
3. Support for people
4. Support for businesses
5. Volunteering
6. Public transport updates from Nexus
7. News and messages from the Council
8. School closures
9. Outbreak Management Plan

See which Council services are affected 

South Tyneside Council is continuing to monitor the situation closely, and follow national and regional advice.

We will update this page with details of disruptions to Council services.

You can also follow South Tyneside Council on Facebook for the latest updates.

Bins and recycling

• The Recycling Village is open, with new restrictions in place
• Green bin collections have restarted
• Bin collection information
• Please wash your hands both before and after handling your bin
• If you have closed your business, you can suspend your business waste collections
• We are still delivering new bins, and have introduced social distancing measures

Births, deaths and marriages

• Register Office services are affected (marriages, funerals, registering a birth or death)
• We have restarted our copy of birth, death or marriage certificate service, with some changes
• Birth registrations in South Tyneside have restarted, with changes in place
• Cemeteries and the crematorium are open (Roll of Remembrance Chapel and Flower Chapel at South Shields Crematorium are closed)
• Marriages and civil partnerships will be able to take place from Saturday 4 July and we are waiting for further guidance from government on how ceremonies can take place safely

Business and licensing

• The South Tyneside Small Business Recovery Fund has been launched for certain businesses which have fallen outside the scope of previous financial aid
• The proposed selective licensing scheme is postponed until further notice
• Taxi licensing information
• Emergency business grants are available to a significant number of small and medium-sized businesses
• Business rates for the coming financial year will be waived for all businesses within the retail, hospitality and leisure sector. Qualifying businesses will be advised shortly.
• We are processing payment to suppliers of Council goods and services as quickly as possible
• Business incubators and business centres are closed, except for a small number of businesses who service the health sector
• Trading Standards are investigating inflated pricing 

Care and health

• Support Hub for the most at risk - 0191 424 7575
• Advice for clinically extremely vulnerable people
• Adult Social Care Coronavirus (COVID-19) vacancies available
• Adult Social Care services are affected
• Funding update to care home providers
• Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) information
• Domestic abuse support
• Impact Family Services has a temporary phone number - 07375 788 835
• Sexual health home testing kits
• Carers - information, advice and support for informal carers 
• All new mums will be offered a face to face contact with their Health Visitor, further contacts will be conducted over the phone, but face to face support will also be offered based on need

Council and democracy

• Council meetings: All Council and Scrutiny committee meetings have been stood down until further notice. This does not include statutory, business-critical meetings (Cabinet, Planning and Licensing meetings) which will go ahead when needed. Some Council meetings will be available to watch live online, see watch Council meetings.
• Ward surgeries: South Tyneside Council is recommending that Elected Members cancel all ward surgeries until further notice, you can still contact your local ward councillor by phone or email.
• Community Area Forums (CAFs) are cancelled until further notice.

Council Tax

• All working age residents currently in receipt of Council Tax Support will receive an additional £150 reduction in their Council Tax Bill, with no further payment due until 1st October 2020.

Customer service

• Cash kiosks are currently closed and will reopen on Monday 6 July
• The Customer Service Centre at South Shields Town Hall and Jarrow Town Hall is open Monday to Friday, 10am to 3pm

Events

• South Tyneside Festival has been cancelled
• Events on Council land cancelled

Leisure, libraries, parks, markets

• Council owned libraries will reopen from Saturday 4 July, with limited services and changes in place
• Library books can be returned through drop off points
• Guidance for market traders to help keep everyone visiting and trading at the market safe
• The Council is making changes to the Borough's main shopping areas to make sure people can shop safely
• South Shields Market has started to reopen, with changes in place to help keep traders and shoppers safe
• Leisure centres and libraries are closed
• Playgrounds and sports courts are closed
• Grounds maintenance work will still be carried out, while observing strict social distancing rules
• Visit the RNLI website for information about lifeguard patrols
• Public rights of way and coastal trails are still open
• Some public toilets have reopened with new restrictions in place

Planning and environment

• Building control and planning services are affected
• General tree maintenance / inspections have been suspended, with resources directed toward emergency works
• The Pest Control Service is only dealing with certain types of pests
• Boat launching ramp closed until further notice
• The skip permit process is running as normal
• Local land searches are affected
• Personal searches of the Local Land Charges Register are affected
• Land Ownership queries about ownership of land/boundaries will be dealt with, but there will be a delay due to the need to enable remote access to certain data
• Guidance for dog walkers
• The South Tyneside Council garden tidy scheme is still taking place, but may take longer than usual. Please note, this is different to the garden tidy service provided by South Tyneside Homes.
• Information and advice on smoke from bonfires and wood-burners

Parking and roads

• Car parks are open - please use cashless payment where possible 
• To allow more space for shoppers to stay apart, parking bays closest to the shops will be temporarily suspended at:
  • the Nook, South Shields
• Parking permits are in place again
• Highways works have restarted
• We are still filling dangerous potholes and repairing dangerous defects
• Routine programmed non-safety works have all been suspended and made safe

Schools and learning

• Appeals for most schools in South Tyneside have restarted and appeal hearings will take place remotely until further notice
• Your child's school will be in touch with you about when the school will re-open. Read more about the phased reopening of schools
• Some STANLEY's Daycare Centres have started to reopen
• We are offering online music lessons for students who currently get lessons
• Disruptions to the Educational Psychology Service but schools can still contact them through email
• Skills South Tyneside continue to deliver courses. Face-to-face classroom delivery has been suspended, but you can still access courses through online delivery and support
• Free school meals will still be provided to eligible children
• Outdoor education and youth centres are closed
• Children's centres and early years are affected
• We are not currently providing a school crossing patrol service, due to the reduced numbers of schools open and limited use of the service

South Tyneside Homes

• Support and updates for South Tyneside Homes tenants
• Right To Buy sales are proceeding but it is likely completion will take longer