Changes To Waltham Forest Services

Due to Coronavirus, there are changes to services locally as both Waltham Forest and Redbridge Council prioritise dealing with Coronavirus and related issues with older residents, vulnerable people, children, housing etc.

You can find changes to local Services here.

Redbridge https://www.redbridge.gov.uk/coronavirus-information-hub/changes-to-services/

Waltham Forest https://walthamforest.gov.uk/content/coronavirus-latest-information

As of 11am 25 March 2020

In line with government advice, the following establishments in Waltham Forest are closed until further notice:

• Vestry House Museum

• William Morris Gallery

• Chingford Assembly Hall

• Walthamstow Wetlands Café (Please note: the Wetlands themselves will remain open for the time being)

• All GLL (Better) leisure centre facilities.

Please see GLL (Better)’s full statement regarding their closures - link below:

The Adult Learning Service will be suspending face-to-face classroom learning. The Service will move to remote learning, in keeping with the national guidance.

This impacts the Queens Road Learning Centre, The Junction, and other community-based centres.

We will support existing learners where we can to complete their courses using online learning but during this time there will be no new learners enrolled from today. We will review this regularly and issue further updates as we receive local and national guidance.

For more information, please visit the Adult Learning Services website.

The following services are closed until further notice.

• Chingford Children and Family Centre, 5 Oaks Grove E4 6EY

• Walthamstow Children and Family Centre, 313 Billet Road E17 5PX

• Leytonstone Children and Family Centre, The Junction 2- 8 Cathall Road Leytonstone E11  4LF

Leyton Children and Family Centre will remain open at  215 Queens road  E17 8PJ for:

• Pre-booked Midwife appointments by either Homerton Hospital or North Middlesex Hospital.

• A domestic Abuse ONE STOP SHOP will also take place Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm – this is a drop in service.

Please do not enter the building if you have either been in contact with a person who has COVID-19 or are displaying symptoms. If you need support around domestic abuse then please call the freephone, 24 hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline 080 8200 0247.

Waltham Forest Housing has closed the reception area at Cedar Wood House.

During this period of closure all our services will be conducted via email and telephone. In order to safeguard our residents we are asking only those that require immediate assistance to contact us.

• For homelessness issues please contact 020 8496 3000 or Housing.advice@walthamforest.gov.uk. Do not try and visit with documents.

• For temporary accommodation queries email temporaryaccommodation@walthamforest.gov.uk

• For Emergency Repairs (Council Tenants) please continue to contact us as normal on 020 8496 4197.

• For Urgent Housing Management Issues contact wfdirect@walthamforest.gov.uk or 020 4896 4197.

• If you come across someone sleeping rough- please contact Streetlink.

• If you need to communicate with one of our Rent Team rents@walthamforest.gov.uk or call 020 8496 4197.

• If you need to communicate with one of our Home Ownership Team rtb.lease@walthamforest.gov.uk or call 020 8496 4197.

We have had to make the difficult decision to close the below libraries:

> Higham Hill

> Hale End

> Lea Bridge

> Wood Street

> Chingford

> Leyton

> Leytonstone

> Walthamstow Library

Walthamstow Library is closed but we are still running a birth and death registration service from Walthamstow library. A maximum of two adults per appointment will be allowed in.

We have made a number of changes to our online and home delivery offer so that our library service can support our residents at this challenging time.

People will be able to join a library online without needing to visit, we are increasing home deliveries and all late fines will be waived for the next three months.

Markets

Walthamstow Market is closed for all goods except stalls selling fruit and veg and grocery items until further notice. All other markets have been closed until further notice.

To enforce social distancing, from 23 March, we will be closing playground areas and outdoor gyms.

Parks will be open as we feel that the health and wellbeing benefits of being outdoor are vital for our residents, but please make sure you observe social distancing rules, staying two metres apart at all times, this will prevent the virus spreading further and save lives.

We are constantly reviewing the situation and if needed will make further changes to these restrictions.

As per Government guidelines, all public ceremonies have had to be postponed until further notice.

The Register Office will be offering limited services and residents will also not be able to obtain a wedding or civil partnership licence until further notice.

If this has affected you, a member of the register office we will contact once the current regulations have been relaxed.

Residents who wish to register a birth, stillbirth or death, will still be able to book an appointment online.

> Register a birth

> Register a stillbirth

> Register a death

All appointment slots are open and will take place at Walthamstow Library until further notice.

Appointment slots for registrar services at Leytonstone Library will be moved to Walthamstow from Friday 27 March.

All appointments made for Leytonstone Library until Thursday 26 March will be honoured.

A maximum of two adults per appointment will be allowed in.

Reuse and Recycling centres have now closed. We are working with contractors and borough partners to make sure we maintain crucial waste services.

> What can be recycled in household collection services

> Public Health England guidance on waste that is potentially contaminated by COVID-19

Tissues and sanitary waste, such as face masks, should never be put in the recycling. Contaminated or potentially contaminated tissues and sanitary waste should be double bagged, the bags closed, and left for 72 hours before being put out with the general household waste. This is to reduce the risk of infection to collection and disposal crews. We are monitoring the developing situation around the COVID-19 outbreak. Further updates will be available on wiseuptowaste.org.uk

Large item collections

All charity collections taken through our reuse collections have been cancelled until further notice. Ensuring none of our contractors enter peoples homes to collect goods.

Other large item collections where items are usually left to be collected from front gardens are running as normal. Following government guidance we can not enter your home to provide assistance with removing items.