Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Service Status

Due to coronavirus (COVID-19), whilst we will endeavour to maintain business as usual there may be changes to your usual recycling and waste collections over the coming weeks and months.

If your waste and recycling hasn’t been collected, please visit our missed bin page.

Precautions are being put in place to ensure coronavirus is not spread via your waste and recycling.

Advice for those who are self-isolating

Anyone who is asked to self-isolate, either as a precaution or because they are confirmed to have coronavirus, must follow this advice when disposing of their household waste:

• Put tissues, cleaning cloths, and disposable wipes in a plastic rubbish bag, which should then be tied when full
• The plastic bag should be placed in a second bin bag and tied
• The bag should be put in a suitable and secure place (away from children) and stored for a period of 72 hours (3 full days)
• After the 72 hour period has elapsed it is safe to treat the bagged tissues wipes etc as general waste even if anyone living at your address thinks they may have COVID-19

You should NOT put your waste in communal waste areas until waste has been stored for at least 72 hours. After 72 hours outside the body the virus is no longer viable and the double-bagged waste can be put in the general rubbish collection as normal.

Only waste that is heavily contaminated, such as tissues that have been coughed into and disposable cleaning cloths, need to be treated in this way. Regular household recycling and waste should be treated as normal.

Government advice states there is no need to offer a separate clinical collection for this type of waste at this stage.

Changes to collections

We will prioritise the collection of general waste and food waste collections.

Please continue to place your recycling and garden waste in the usual bins. Some recycling collections may be impacted due to staff shortages but we are monitoring the situation and will keep you informed.

We are working hard to minimise the impact on your recycling and waste collections and appreciate your understanding if services do change.

To protect the welfare of our staff and customers at this time, we have needed to make some changes to the way we carry out collections. This means that currently food waste is being collected separately from household waste and recycling.

Please ensure your food waste is presented by 6.00am on the day of your collection.

Thank you for your understanding at this time.

Garden Waste collections are operational.

Please note that we can now accept new Garden Waste customers. If you would like to sign up, please call – 01843 577115.

All residents who have subscribed to the service, please:

• Put your green bin out on your next scheduled collection day
• Don’t include extra bags of green waste at the side of your bins – these bags/sacks contaminate the recyclable green waste in the vehicle which causes us problems with rejected loads when we get to our recycling sites. 
• If you have extra green waste, it is important you do not have a bonfire. At this time, this could have a detrimental effect on other residents who have breathing difficulties. Please email environmental.health@thanet.gov.uk to report any nuisances of bonfires in your area.

In these unprecedented times, staff sickness, self-isolation and the need to protect the crews has placed significant pressure on our bin collections. Our resources have been directed to prioritise our most critical collection services, including refuse (black bins), food waste (small brown bins), and recycling (blue-lidded bins).

We understand the frustration this has caused and appreciate your patience.

Please continue to check our website for service updates and thank you for your understanding at this time.

Tips (Household Waste and Recycling Centres) are managed by Kent County Council (KCC). Slots can now be booked for Thanet’s Waste and Recycling centres via KCC’s website.

If your income has been affected by the recent Coronavirus outbreak, and you are unable to pay your Council Tax, there are several options:

• If your savings are below £6,000 (£16,000 for pensioners) you may be entitled to Council Tax Support. To estimate your entitlement you can use our online benefit calculator
• If you do qualify for help towards paying your Council Tax, you can make a claim online
• If you are still struggling to make payments during this time you can make an application for an exceptional hardship award. You need to qualify for Council Tax Support to make a claim for this.
• If your savings are above £6,000 or you don’t qualify for Council Tax Support, but your income has dropped or you are experiencing cash flow problems, you can contact us and we can spread them over 12 months rather than the usual 10 months. To discuss your Council Tax instalments please contact us on 01843 577558
• If you need to send us any documents including proof for your claim, please use our online proof form to do this
• You can also check if you could get a discount or exemption on your Council Tax.

As part of the response to coronavirus (COVID-19), the government announced a national £500 million hardship fund to provide council tax relief for vulnerable households. Find out more about the hardship fund

Our RISE team is providing support to rough sleepers. Anyone who is rough sleeping that is self-isolating either because they have symptoms or because they are in a vulnerable group is being provided with somewhere to stay. The recent Government funding announced specifically to support rough sleepers will help with this.

The Government has announced emergency legislation to:

• Stop any new possession claims (social and private tenancies) being issued at court for the next three months (at least).

This means, if your landlord has not already applied for court action, they will not be able to do so for at least three months. However it is important that you continue to search for alternative accommodation and pay your rent. This is only a temporary delay and possession of your property will be sought once normal business resumes.

We understand it is an anxious time for everyone. If required, we will automatically extend your prevention duty by three months to continue to work with you. In the meantime, please be patient with your housing officers who are doing everything what they can to continue to deliver our service and supply you with information as and when it is available.

Looking for accommodation

For those that are looking for alternative accommodation, please be advised that some agents are now limiting viewings during the pandemic.

Letting agents we understand are still operating business as usual:

• Miles & Barr
• MANN Lettings
• Lovetts Ramsgate
• Cooke & Co
• Appleton
• Oakwood Homes

Letting agents who have suspended viewings until further notice:

• Lovetts Margate
• Prospects UK
• Regency Properties
• Cockett Henderson

This may change on a daily basis, so we recommend you continue to monitor online sites such as:

• www.rightmove.co.uk  
• www.zoopla.co.uk  
• www.spareroom.co.uk 
• www.homefinderuk.org
• https://www.primelocation.com/to-rent/

Your housing officer will continue to contact you with any properties that may become available.

Maintaining your current tenancy

During this period of uncertainty, please continue to pay your current rent and try hard to save if possible. Should you fall into financial hardship you will need to contact Universal Credit who can explore options with you.

The Homeless Prevention Tool may be able to assist you with budgeting and assessing what benefits you may be entitled to.

Please contact your agent or landlord if you have any issues making your monthly rent payments due to any loss of income/work. It is important to be open and honest with them to prevent falling into unmanageable debt once the pandemic has passed.

Debt and financial assistance

If you need any debt assistance, citizens advice services are now running by telephone or online. Please see below contact details:

Telephone: 01843 228642

• http://thanetcitizensadvice.org/
• enquiries@thanetcitizensadvice.co.uk

Due to the current national lockdown restrictions any new non-urgent mutual exchange applications received during the lockdown period (5 November – 2 December 2020) will not be processed until after the restrictions have been lifted.

Thanet District Council knows our Cemeteries and Crematorium are important places for those who have lost loved ones and our services are open. However to ensure all visitors remain safe additional measures have been put in place.

Crematorium Office, Grounds and Remembrance Chapel 

The crematorium office is now closed and any enquiries can be made via email at crematorium@thanet.gov.uk

Thanet Crematorium, Margate and Ramsgate Cemeteries grounds are now closed except for those attending services or paying their respects to a loved one. The gates will be open at 9.00am and close at 4.30pm, including Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New year’s Day.

When entering the remembrance chapel, we ask that you wait before entering if there are already people inside to enable a social distance to be maintained.

Interment of Cremated Remains

The interment of cremated remains which had been suspended has now resumed, with a maximum number of family members being 6. Times can be booked either by telephoning 01843 577333, email crematorium@thanet.gov.uk or by contacting your funeral director.

Important information for all visitors to the crematorium

As the situation regarding the Coronavirus continues to change, we want to assure you that staff at the crematorium will continue to provide a dignified service for all those attending, whilst ensuring the wellbeing and health of both staff and visitors alike. Guidance from both the government and bereavement institutes is being closely followed and implemented.

Therefore we request that:

When entering the building a face mask is worn.

Thanet Crematorium can accommodate up to a maximum of 24 people in the service chapel allowing for social distancing and we do request social distancing is maintained with those that you do not usually meet. All services which are streamed online are made available to watch for seven days following the service. Please speak to the crematorium or funeral director for more information regarding live streaming.

On arrival at the crematorium, mourners should be asked to stay in their cars or wait outside. Hand sanitiser is available upon entry into the chapel and we ask that the opening and closing of doors is restricted to staff, minimising the number of people touching these.

At present, service and hymn books are not available in the chapel and any wording required for the service should be included in service sheets. We request that any service sheets are taken with you following the service. The singing of hymns and the playing of instruments which are blown is not permitted. Following each service, all hard surfaces will be wiped down paying attention to frequently touched objects and surfaces, using regular cleaning products.

An additional lectern has been placed in the chapel and families who are speaking at a service are asked to use the microphone to the left hand side of the chapel, funeral celebrants and ministers, the one on the right.

Please note that our waiting room remains closed and the crematorium building is only open to those attending services.

It is important that funerals are not delayed. We understand how difficult this will be for the families and friends of lost loved ones, however the current guidance will be in place for the foreseeable future for the safety of the public.

Track and Trace

During the current COVID outbreak, it may be necessary for us to share your data on request from NHS Test and Trace workers. This is to ensure the safety of those attending services and visiting reception.

We also request you ask all those attending the service to notify NHS Test and Trace without delay if you contract COVID 19 within 21 days of attending a service or visiting reception and also to notify the crematorium office.

Help with Bereavement

We understand that coping with bereavement is difficult in normal circumstances and with current social distancing measures in place, this can mean that some may not be able to say goodbye in the way they wish. There is advice available for those who feel they would benefit from additional support at:

the NHS

Cruse Bereavement

Careataloss.org

Childhood Bereavement Network

Other Temporary Changes

As new guidance is issued, our services are continually reviewed, however certain services are still suspended as below:

• Open coffins and the viewing of charging the coffin is still suspended.
• Mourners will not be permitted to help with carrying the coffin.
• Mourners will not be permitted to help with the practice of back-filling the grave of the deceased due to health and safety reasons, and to ensure no spread of the disease through cross-contamination of equipment handling.
• Soil boxes or scattering of any items in the grave for the committal should not be used due to the possibility of cross-contamination increasing the risk of infection to other attendees and ground staff.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us. From everyone in the team, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for working with us during these difficult times.

Anyone using a pay and display area (on and off street) should note that these are still chargeable when parking. 

Anyone with a valid resident’s parking permit can park in the council’s off-street car parks free of charge during the coronavirus outbreak.

This will help ease the pressure on many local roads and in many town centre locations. We would recommend that residents continue to renew their parking permits as normal to allow them to use the council’s off-street car parks as an overflow facility.

Parking for critical health and social care workers

Parking charges are suspended for health and social care workers for on-street parking and off-street car parks. An official Government permit must be on display in the vehicle.

A temporary parking enforcement strategy was introduced on Friday 27 March 2020 in response to Government lockdown instructions.

The increase of visitors and dangerous parking has resulted in issues with traffic flow around the district. Our parking strategy is now being amended with immediate effect. 

• All pay and display areas on street and within car parks will be chargeable. 
• All time limited parking bays will be enforced in line with the times permitted. 
• Any illegal or dangerous parking on enforceable lines will be patrolled and enforced. 

Parking charges are suspended for health and social care workers for on-street parking and off-street car parks. An official Government permit must be on display in the vehicle.

Holders of a current residents’ parking permit can also use off-street car parks free of charge.

Guidance for local authorities on the business rates holiday and cash grant schemes has been published – further information is available in our Business Rates section

Please go to thanet.gov.uk/reopening for the latest information and guidance.

The Licensing Department is operating business as usual, although it may take a little longer than normal to respond to emails and telephone messages.

At the moment, visuals are not being conducted in the normal way.

If you are wishing to licence a vehicle, a video/pictures of the vehicle must be uploaded and sent to licensing@thanet.gov.uk, these photos must be taken on the day you are sending them and must include all four sides and the interior. Once this is accepted, compliance paperwork will be sent to you via email.

A check on the vehicle will be made at a later date.

Application paperwork can be scanned and emailed to licensing@thanet.gov.uk. Please indicate what your enquiry is about in the subject line of the email. You can then make payment by bank transfer – the details are as follows:

National Westminster Bank PLC

Sort Code – 60 14 05

Bank Account – 67834000

Payee – Thanet District Council

Your reference – your licence number ie LN/ or your plate number and whether HC or PH or your full name

Driver applications, whether new or renewals, will need to be submitted by post. Please include original documents in order for us to verify identities. DBS application forms will be available at main reception while the TDC offices remain open.

The Knowledge Test currently arranged for Tuesday 07 April 2020 has been cancelled and attendees have been notified.

Please visit our Advice and Support for Businesses section for more information.

Currently 23 of the 33 play areas in the district are open. Ahead of allowing the public to use these areas they have been deep cleaned, with weekly cleans scheduled using a diluted disinfectant.

Play areas opening from Monday 6 July are as follows:

• Minnis Bay Birchington,
• Crispe Park Birchington,
• Westgate Lymington Rec,
• Dane Park Margate,
• Northdown Park,
• Viking Playground Cliftonville,
• Pierremont Park Broadstairs,
• Memorial Rec Broadstairs,
• King George VI Park Ramsgate,
• Ellington Park Ramsgate,
• Courtstairs Play Area.

Open from 24 August:

• Birchington Recreation Ground
• Garlinge Recreation Ground
• Hartsdown
• Tivoli 
• St Peter’s Rec
• Vincent Close
• Jackey Bakers
• Coleman Crescent
• Newington
• Warre Rec
• Nethercourt
• Cliffsend

Parks remain open but we ask that you adhere to the current social distancing guidance.

A statement on our open spaces following updated Government guidance from 10 May can be found here.

Visitor Information Centre – will be closed until further notice due to the National Lockdown

During the current national lockdown, we have closed some of our public toilets. 10 remain open to ensure that each area of the district has at least one facility open.

Please view the public toilet page for more information.

Thanet District Council run allotments are currently still open. However, we have closed the toilets at these sites to help keep users safe. If using the allotments, please ensure you follow the government’s social distancing advice:

– Keep two metres away from other allotment users
– If you display any symptoms – self isolate at home
– Wash your hands before and after entering the allotments

On 3 April, local authorities in England were handed new powers to hold public meetings virtually by either video or telephone conferencing technology. Meetings are now being live streamed. Live streams from public council meetings will be recorded and available to view again on our YouTube page shortly after.

Applications to register to vote via www.gov.uk/register-to-vote or by post will be processed as usual. All scheduled elections are postponed for 12 months. No by-elections will be held until further notice.

Appointments to view the electoral register will not be available until further notice.

Thanet Gateway is closed.  If you need urgent advice please call 01843 577000

You can also access a number of council services online.