News and updates
30 March
Coronavirus outbreak: Chesterfield Borough Council services update
Chesterfield Borough Council is continuing to prioritise the delivery of essential services but in line with the latest Government guidance we are asking residents to adjust the way in which they access these services.
Customer services
We are currently moving our Customer Services team to a homeworking arrangement.
This change, coupled with the increased number of calls, means that for the next few days it may take longer than normal to answer your call. We are hoping that by the end of the week all our call handlers will be working from home, and this should make it easier to answer customer enquiries.
Before you call the team please look at our website, as we have tried to answer the most commonly asked questions there, and all our services updates are also available to view.
You can reach our teams to talk about specific services and find out key information using the contact us form on our website.
You can also email the relevant team directly:
Business rates/council tax: revenues.billing@chesterfield.gov.uk
Homelessness: homelessness.prevention@chesterfield.gov.uk
Housing rents: revenues.rents@chesterfield.gov.uk
Housing repairs: repair.requests@chesterfield.gov.uk
Benefits: benefits@chesterfield.gov.uk
If you do not have access to the internet you can call the Customer Contact Centre on 01246 345345.
Payments
Many residents regularly make payments to the council, whether these be for rent, careline or council tax. The Council is still able to take payments without the need for face to face contact.
You can pay for any of our services online using our secure portal. Simply select the service you want to pay for, and it will take you to a secure checkout. You can find this portal on our website.
If you don’t have access to the internet, then you can call 0345 602 0214 which is our automated payment line. All you need are your account details and a valid debit or credit card.
Some of our customers make cash payments using PayPoint at local shops or at Post Offices using Transcash. Payments can still be made using these methods, but we would encourage you to use other ways to make payments where you can and please only use cash methods if you are visiting the shop for your essential shopping. Do not make a special journey to make payments to Chesterfield Borough Council.
Councillor Jean Innes, cabinet member for business transformation and customers, said: “I know lots of our tenants and other residents are worried about being able to afford to pay their rent or council tax due to the current situation. We can offer support to residents who are struggling to pay, please email us or if you don’t have internet access call our customer contact centre. For customers who are still able to pay please use our website or automated payment line.”
Parks and open spaces
Our parks and country parks will remain open for residents to get exercise and fresh air but please do not drive to these areas, unless it is absolutely necessary.
Government guidance is very clear that you should only drive for essential journeys, travelling to a park for exercise and fresh air is not an essential journey.
Please stay local and use open spaces near to your home.
When using our parks and country parks you must follow social distancing guidelines.
This means:
• Not meeting up with friends or family for games and parties
• Keeping at least two metres from anyone not in your household
• Not using play equipment or other facilities that are closed
• Sneezing or coughing into your arm or a tissue
We will continue to publish daily news updates that highlight all the key messages local residents need to know.
27 March
Coronavirus outbreak: Chesterfield Borough Council services update
Throughout the Coronavirus outbreak Chesterfield Borough Council have been responding to new requirements and updating the services provided in line with the latest Government guidance.
You can contact the council using our online form on our website.
The call centre is still open but due to a high number of enquiries it may take longer than normal to speak to an advisor. You can call the team on 01246 345345. However, if your query is not urgent, please contact the team through the website.
Community Response Unit
Chesterfield Borough Council is working closely with Derbyshire County Council and today has seen the launch of the Derbyshire Community Response Unit.
The aim of the Community Response Unit is to support anyone who needs help during this difficult time.
Councillor Amanda Serjeant, deputy leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “It’s very important that we’re able to come together to support this initiative at this difficult time. We all need to support those in our community who may require extra help. I would urge people who need support and those of you who are able to volunteer, to get in touch with this new Community Response Unit. I have every confidence that the strong community spirit we have seen emerge during this crisis will continue.”
Help is available for people across the county if they are:
- Self-isolating because either themselves or a member of the household is at risk
- Struggling to meet basic needs because of financial, social or health restrictions
- Pregnant
- Have underlying health conditions
- Aged 70 or over
Residents needing help should visit the Community Response Unit information on the Derbyshire County Council website or phone 01629 535 091. At this stage the phone line will only be available Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm and Saturdays 9am to 1pm.
Already more than 200 groups across the county have signed up to support this effort.
Volunteers could be asked to help with food shopping and delivery, collecting and delivering prescriptions, checking up on people who are isolated with a phone call or online help to prevent loneliness and check whether there is anything they need.
Organisations are still looking to recruit more volunteers. Anyone who wants to help and is aged 18 to 70 and fit and well should visit the Derbyshire County Council website to register their interest.
Some organisations are also looking for volunteers to offer a befriending telephone service to help prevent loneliness, so anyone who wants to help but is unable to leave their house could offer this kind of assistance.
You can find out more about the Community Response Unit and register your interest here.
Social distancing
We would like to remind residents that it is crucial that they follow the current Government guidelines about staying at home and social distancing.
You should only leave your home to get groceries or medical supplies, to help vulnerable people by getting shopping, for one exercise session a day and for essential travel to work.
When you do leave the house, you must ensure that you follow social distancing guidelines.
This means:
- Keep a distance of at least 2 metres from anyone not in your household
- Wash your hands regularly
- Cough into a tissue or into your arm
- Avoid touching your face or nose
Property owners who have a habitable property available
If you are a property owner and might have habitable property available for individuals or households that find themselves with nowhere to live, please contact Decent and Safe Homes (DASH) services on 01332 641408 or email CB4YS@derby.gov.uk. Decent and Safe Homes (DASH) services are responsible for coordinating any responses. Those individuals that find themselves with nowhere to live will need access to accommodation not just now but over coming weeks.
26 March
Coronavirus outbreak: Chesterfield Borough Council services update
The council is continuing to prioritise the delivery of essential services across the borough, whilst following the latest Government guidance.
We are currently working very hard to respond to all enquiries, but we are receiving an extremely high number of phone calls. We would like to remind everyone that you can reach our teams to talk about specific services and find out key information using the contact us form on our website.
However, if your enquiry is urgent you can call the Customer Contact Centre on 01246 345 345.
Homelessness and rough sleeping
During this difficult time the council is prioritising delivery of essential services to ensure no one is homeless during this crisis and to make it possible for everyone to be able to self-isolate and follow social distancing guidelines.
Rough sleepers are vulnerable to contracting Covid-19 due to the inability to self-isolate and to comply with the guidance for social distancing.
The council is now operating a telephone interview service for homeless people or families in need of assistance.
Councillor Chris Ludlow, cabinet member for housing, said: “At this extremely difficult time it is important that we offer anyone who is struggling the help they require, especially if they are concerned about whether they have a roof over their head. The service is working very hard to reach anyone who needs this help, I would ask that anyone who needs assistance gets in touch as soon as possible.”
If you need support please call the homelessness contact number 07870 277 291or you can contact the team byemailing homelessness.prevention@chesterfield.gov.uk.
More information on our homelessness service is available on our website.
If you need assistance outside of office hours, please contact the out of hours team by calling 01629 533 190.
The service is experiencing high demand so please be patient – leave a message, with your contact details and we will get back in touch as soon as we can.
If you are sleeping rough or you are concerned about someone you’ve seen sleeping rough Pathways of Chesterfield and P3 offer outreach services for rough sleepers and this can be accessed by reporting a rough sleeper via www.streetlink.org.uk
Where we are able to place a rough sleeper in emergency accommodation, we will arrange for the provision of support to enable them to remain safely within the accommodation.
Work is ongoing to ensure that everyone is offered accommodation as soon as is reasonably possible.
We recognise that the requirements for social distancing and self-isolation, as set out in the Government’s guidance, may increase current and give rise to new tensions in households. If you experience domestic violence you should again contact the council’s homelessness service and we will do everything we can to assist and support you at this difficult time.
Chesterfield Borough Council would like to thank all its partner housing providers for their help in finding homes and providing support to homeless people and rough sleepers at this difficult time.
Planning applications
The Coronavirus outbreak is causing unprecedented disruption to all council services and the processing of planning applications is no exception.
We are doing everything we can to keep the service running, however, the team is now working remotely and there will be no site assessments, site notice erection or face to face meetings until further notice. This will inevitably delay both the processing of and decision-making on applications. Applicants are being contacted to agree time extensions where appropriate.
In line with advice from the Government’s chief planner we will continue to provide the best service possible and are prioritising decision making to ensure the planning system continues to function and supports the local economy.
The council has suspended normal elected member decision making processes to ensure that proper social distancing measures can be maintained. This means that the planning committee will not meet for the coming weeks and the opportunity for public speaking at the committee has been suspended. Instead, decisions will be taken by the development management and conservation manager or the assistant director for economic growth, and where appropriate in consultation with the committee membership.
Where possible, the team is responding to public safety concerns in relation to trees on private land.
Enforcement of new restrictions
To ensure the coordinated and consistent enforcement of the Coronavirus Business Closure Regulations, Chesterfield Borough Council along with other local authorities, Derbyshire County Council trading standards and the police have agreed investigation and enforcement protocols in relation to any breaches of these regulations.
Trading standards will be the lead agency to deal with non-licensed premises, and the borough council will deal with licensed premises. The police will support both organisations as required and will carry out closures if there is a need to do so.
Delegated authority to enforce the new regulations has been approved to enable officers to act where they consider it necessary to close businesses.
Enforcement will be undertaken in line with the councils existing enforcement policy to ensure the most efficient and robust method of enforcement; the service will also be complying with social distancing requirements to prevent the spread of the virus.
If you have concerns regarding premises that may be in breach of the order then please contact: food@chesterfield.gov.uk
Guidance on the operation of the expanded retail discount scheme
Guidance on the operation of expanded retail discount 2020 to 2021 coronavirus response, announced at Budget 2020.
Drivers hours relaxed
This document provides further advice on the relaxation of drivers’ hours rules, in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak. This document should be considered in conjunction with the extensive existing guidance provided on drivers’ hours
Fraud control guidance for those operating emergency programmes
Guidance for leaders and fraud experts in government bodies and local authorities that are administering emergency programmes on behalf of the UK Government.
Updated guidance on businesses/community spaces to close
This document provides guidance on the closure of all retailers that sell non-essential goods and other non-essential premises, as part of further social distancing measures.
Government launches new WhatsApp service for support on coronavirus
The new free to use service aims to provide official, trustworthy and timely information and advice about coronavirus (COVID-19), and will further reduce the burden on NHS services.
This will help combat the spread of coronavirus misinformation in the UK, as well as helping ensure people stay home, protect the NHS and save lives.
The GOV.UK Coronavirus Information Service is an automated ‘chatbot’ service which will allow the British public to get answers to the most common questions about coronavirus direct from government.
The service will provide information on topics such as coronavirus prevention and symptoms, the latest number of cases in the UK, advice on staying at home, travel advice and myth busting.
The service will also allow the government to send messages to all opted-in users if required.
To use the free GOV.UK Coronavirus Information Service on WhatsApp, simply add 07860 064422 in your phone contacts and then message the word ‘hi’ in a WhatsApp message to get started.
A set of menu options is then presented which the user can choose from and then be sent relevant guidance from GOV.UK pages as well as links to GOV.UK for further information.
Online form for those with medical conditions
Please fill out this online form if you have a medical condition that makes you extremely vulnerable to coronavirus. You will be able to ask for help in getting deliveries of essential supplies like food.
If you are not sure whether your medical condition makes you extremely vulnerable, please register anyway.
You can register yourself, or for someone else.
Coronavirus outbreak: Support for Chesterfield businesses
In response to the outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19), the Government has confirmed a number of financial measures to help support businesses.
Chesterfield Borough Council is currently following the Government guidance to identify local businesses that may be eligible to access business grants and business rate relief. The council will be contacting these businesses directly.
The financial support measures outlined by central Government include:
- Small business grants of up to £10,000 for all businesses in receipt of small business rate relief, rural rate relief or tapered relief
- 100% business rate relief has been extended to all retail, hospitality and leisure properties (such as cafes, restaurants, bars, theatres, gyms and hotels) for the whole of 2020/21
- Grant funding of up to £25,000 will also be available to retail, hospitality and leisure businesses with property where the rateable value is between £15,000 and £51,000.
- Business rate relief for nurseries - 100% relief will be paid to all premises occupied by providers on Ofsted’s Early Years Register and wholly or mainly used for the provision of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which are subject to business rates in the year 2020/21
Councillor Terry Gilby, cabinet member for economic growth, said: “We understand this will be a worrying time for business owners of all sizes and it is important that we do what we can to support them during this difficult time.
“We expect to receive the funding for the business grants from Government in early April. As soon as we get this, we will be able to issue the grants to help support our local businesses.
“In the meantime, and to help speed up the process of making payments to those eligible, we will be contacting those businesses directly and asking them to provide us with further information to enable us to make the payment. More information about the process is available on our website.
“Given the current demands on our Customer Contact Centre, we would request that all contact relating to this matter is via email. Please check our website first, and if you need more information, please email us at revenues.billing@chesterfield.gov.uk. A member of our team will then respond to you as soon as possible.”
We are regularly updating the dedicated Coronavirus section of our website. All the latest information will be posted to this information hub.
Further information on the eligibility criteria for business grant and business rates can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19
25 March
Staying safe from scammers during coronavirus outbreak
On the doorstep
- Anyone offering to carry out a coronavirus test at your home or sell you a self-testing kit is bogus. Neither the police nor the NHS are offering such a service
- Companies that offer to clean your drives and doorways to kill bacteria and help prevent the spread of the virus are also bogus
- Don’t hand over cash or bank cards to strangers offering to do your shopping or other errands so that you can stay at home. You may not see them again
- Only answer the door to people you trust
- Make sure doors and windows are locked, even when you’re home
- If someone visits and claims to be from a utility service, the health service or similar, ask to see their ID. Ask them to wait while you close the door, call their employer and check their credentials. If they’re a genuine caller, they won’t mind
- Some people are putting notices in their windows asking for help which may make them vulnerable. It’s better to use trusted channels of support.
On the phone
- Remember your bank will never call and ask you for your PIN number or to transfer money from your account to another. If you receive such a call, hang up.
Refund scams
- Companies offering fake holiday refunds for people who have been forced to cancel their trips. If you’re seeking a refund also be wary of fake websites set up to claim holiday refunds.
Online
The general online advice applies at this time. Do make sure you have the latest software protection on your devices and don’t click on the links or attachments in suspicious emails. Never respond to unsolicited messages and calls that ask for your personal or financial details. There are some coronavirus specific scams to be aware of:
- The biggest area of these is people ordering protective face masks, hand sanitiser, and other products, which never arrive. Don’t be tempted by these sites. For any online purchases use a credit card if possible for better protection in case of fraud
- Another area of concern is ‘phishing’ emails. These attempt to trick people into opening malicious attachments which could lead to fraudsters stealing people’s personal information, email logins and passwords, and banking details. While these are always a threat there are some specifically coronavirus-themed ones to look out for:
- These include fraudsters pretending to have detailed information of coronavirus infections in your area. They will offer you details and updates which will either be bogus or never arrive. Delete them
- Likewise delete emails offering investment scheme and trading advice to take advantage of the coronavirus downturn
- Also look out for fraudsters pretending to be from the HMRC tax office offering a tax refund. They set up fake websites, often using the HMRC logo, where they aim to get you to hand over personal and financial details.
Relatives, friends and neighbours are being asked to keep an eye on anyone who may be vulnerable and report anything suspicious. Derbyshire Police can be contacted on Facebook or @DerPolContact on Twitter. People who can’t report via social media should call on someone else to do it for them. If this isn’t possible they should call 101 although there may be a longer wait than usual before calls are answered.
You can help to protect your neighbours by joining Friends Against Scams. Their website provides free online training modules to empower people to take a stand against scams.
There are other sources of support including:
Coronavirus outbreak: Chesterfield Borough Council services update
At this difficult and challenging time for us all, the council is continuing to prioritise the delivery of essential services across the borough, whilst following the latest Government guidance.
We are currently working very hard to respond to all enquiries, but we are receiving an extremely high number of phone calls. We would like to remind everyone that you can reach our teams to talk about specific services and find out key information using our online enquiry form.
However, if your enquiry is urgent you can call the Customer Contact Centre on 01246 345345.
Waste and recycling
We are currently receiving a high number of enquiries about our waste collection and recycling service. We will be continuing to operate as close to a normal service for as long as we possibly can. Any updates about this service will be shared on our website and social media.
If your bin is missed please report it through our online form or call 01246 345345. Please ensure that you state clearly where you live, the service can then rearrange collection.
Councillor Jill Mannion-Brunt, cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “Collecting waste and recycling is one of the most important services we provide, and we will do everything we can to maintain this service during the current crisis. Please ensure you continue putting your bin out for your scheduled collection.
“I’d also like to ask residents to make sure that they are following the latest Government guidance when disposing of waste that may be contaminated with coronavirus as it will make a real impact in reducing the spread of infection.”
Anyone who has coronavirus or are self-isolating because of illness in the household, should be extra careful when disposing of personal waste like tissues and cleaning cloths.
When throwing away personal waste, people must place this in a sealed plastic bag, then double bag this before storing for 72 hours. The bag can then be placed in the general waste bin. Personal waste must not be put in recycling bins.
Streetscene
Our Streetscene service will continue to empty litter bins that are located around the borough and will continue to collect hazardous waste, such as used needles. However, until further notice, other tasks like cleaning graffiti and other non-essential works will not be completed. You can still report these issues and we can then prioritise them for when services return to normal. Please report any of these issues online.
Grounds Maintenance
Our work maintaining green spaces around the borough will also be reduced in order to prioritise essential services.
At the present time we are continuing to ensure parks are accessible for residents who wish to use them for daily exercise, whilst ensuring proper social distancing measures are followed. However, until further notice, we will not be cutting grass, maintaining flower beds or undertaking similar work.
Chesterfield Borough Council housing tenant services
Housing tenant services
We recognise that this is a very concerning time for individuals and families with regards to the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) and its impact on our daily lives.
Information is changing rapidly and we encourage all our tenants to follow the latest health guidance, which is continually updated on the NHS website.
Our focus, as always, is on maintaining customer safety and providing high quality services, but in the short term we will need to change the way we deliver some services in order to respond to Government guidance. We will therefore only be undertaking home visits in emergency situations.
Housing tenants can continue to contact the housing service during this difficult time on 01246 345000, or by visiting the dedicated housing related pages on our website and using the online enquiry form on our website.
Block cleaning
We are currently undertaking all our block cleaning as normal, but it is essential that our tenants and residents support this effort by maintaining high standards of cleanliness and hygiene in the shared spaces. Please also keep all communal areas free of rubbish and household items.
We will be continually reviewing cleaning routines as staff availability and other competing priorities change over the coming weeks. At that point we may have to prioritise health and safety and emergency requests to clear waste. You can find all of the latest information relating to service changes on our Coronavirus information hub and social media channels.
Garden assistance scheme
We know the growing season is just about to start, but unfortunately, we need to suspend the garden assistance scheme. We need to prioritise our resources to address health and safety concerns and move staff across to the delivery of essential services.
We will continue to respond to emergency situations where access to your home is blocked or it is dangerous. If you currently pay for this service, we will ensure you are not charged during the period of suspension. Anyone affected by this will be contacted and informed of the changes to the service directly.
Contacting the homelessness prevention team
You can contact us on 07870 277291. Leave your name, contact details and a short message and we will call you back.
If you have access to the internet, enter your details so that the duty officer can contact you when the office opens.
Our homelessness prevention service is open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 8.30am to 5pm, Wednesday 10am to 5pm, and Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm.
Alternatively you can email us at homelessness.prevention@chesterfield.gov.uk.
24 March
Coronavirus outbreak: Chesterfield Borough Council services update
Following the latest Government guidance, we have taken further difficult, but responsible, decisions to change our service provision.
All of the latest service-related updates can be found in the Coronavirus information hub.
Beat the Street
Together with our partners we have had to end our Beat the Street game.
Councillor Jill Mannion-Brunt, cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “We have seen lots of people get more active thanks to Beat the Street, so we’re very sad to see this end, however, we must assist the government in ensuring people follow the latest guidance to stay at home to stop the coronavirus spreading.
“Even though Beat the Street is ending early, our partners and game operator, Intelligent Health would still love to know what you thought of the game. Please complete our Beat the Street survey and you could be in with a chance of winning prizes.”
Beat Boxes will no longer function, and the leader board has been frozen. Winners will be announced on social media and prizes will be sent out via email and post.
Derbyshire Community Response Unit
Derbyshire County Council are currently organising a county-wide Community Response Unit. If you belong to a community group, a voluntary organisation or business and want to offer help during this crisis you should contact them directly.
The Community Response Unit will provide the following services for vulnerable residents:
- food shopping and delivery
- checking up on people who are isolated with a phone call or through providing online help to prevent loneliness and check whether there is anything they need
- collecting and delivering prescriptions
- preparing meals
Register your organisation with the Community Response Unit.
Town Hall reception
The Town Hall reception is closed until further notice, following the government’s latest announcements about social distancing.
If you are intending to visit the Register Office or the Coroner’s Court, please follow the below guidance:
The Register Office is open for essential business only, and the Coroner’s Court can be contacted via phone or email.
For further information about the Register Office call 01629 533 110 or 01629 533 111 or via email at chesterfield.registrars@derbyshire.gov.uk or by visiting Derbyshire County Council.
For further information about visiting the Coroner’s Court call 01246 533 405 or email chesterfield.coroner@derbyshire.gov.uk
If you need to speak to Chesterfield Borough Council, please call 01246 345345.
Stonegravels depot reception
The reception desk at the Stone Gravels Maintenance Depot is also closed until further notice.
If you have any specific questions you may have visited the reception for, please instead contact Chesterfield Borough Council on 01246 345345.
Parks and open spaces
In line with the Government’s guidance, residents and visitors must not use the play equipment or outdoor gyms that are situated in our parks. All toilet facilities in parks are also closed.
Our parks remain open, but you must ensure that you are following social distancing guidelines when exercising in our parks:
- washing your hands before and after visiting
- keep a safe distance from people outside your household (at least 2m)
- do not gather in groups of more than two people, excluding people you live with
- sneeze or cough into your sleeve or a tissue
- avoid touching your face or eyes
- do not use play equipment or outdoor gyms
Market, Market Hall and Pavements Shopping Centre
In the Town Centre, all shops that are not classified by the Government as essential are now closed.
The Market Hall is closed apart from the butchers, pet food store and Cheese Factor, which remain open from 10am-2pm in order to provide essential supplies. A limited number of customers will be allowed into the Market Hall at any one time so that social distancing guidance is followed.
On the outdoor market, all stall holders selling non-essential items will no longer be able to trade until further notice, but stallholders that sell essential items such as fruit and vegetables and pet food will be able to continue trading..
Only essential retailers including the supermarket and post office are open in the Pavements Shopping Centre.
Customer Contact Centre
Although we have had to close our face to face customer services, you can still contact the council in a number of ways including telephone 01246 345 345, email enquiries@chesterfield.gov.uk or by completing our online form.
The Customer Contact Centre is currently experiencing a high volume of calls. If your call is not urgent, please contact us online or by email enquiries@chesterfield.gov.uk if possible to help us to manage the level of enquiries we are receiving effectively.
Crematorium
The crematorium remains open for funerals to take place, however, due to strict social distancing guidance a number of temporary restrictions have been put in place.
If you are attending the crematorium, please adhere to the following guidance:
- in the chapel, please sit a respectful distance away from others, a maximum of three people per row; the chapel capacity is now reduced to 24 people in total
- webcasting can be organised via your funeral director; this is a free service and outside speakers can be provided on request
- only immediate family should attend funeral services
- services will be a maximum of 25 minutes each to allow for extra cleaning to take place in between services
- mourners are advised not to touch the coffin when leaving the chapel
- strictly one person can enter the office to collect cremated remains at any one time, this is to protect both our staff and visitors
- if you are in one of the Government’s vulnerable groups or have any symptoms of coronavirus please do not attend services to protect both yourself and others
- hand sanitiser is available for everyone attending funeral services at the crematorium
23 March
Coronavirus outbreak: Chesterfield Borough Council services update
Following the latest Government guidance, we have taken further difficult, but responsible, decisions to change some of our service provision.
All of the latest service-related updates can be found on the Coronavirus information hub.
Customer Service Centre and On The Move
Cllr Jean Innes, cabinet member for business transformation, said: “We are taking the difficult decision to close both the Customer Service Centre and On The Move housing options centre to customers from tomorrow (Tuesday 24 March) until further notice, in order to protect the safety of the public and our staff.
“We know that this is a worrying time and want to assure you that our council services can continue to be accessed through our other contact channels.”
Many of the council’s services can be accessed online through our website. You can also reach our services including benefits, council tax, licensing and many more via email, these are listed on our Coronavirus information hub.
The customer service call centre can also still be reached by calling 01246 345345 between 8.30am to 5.00pm, Monday to Friday.
If you are homeless and need urgent support, our homelessness service can be reached on 07870 277291.
If you need to apply for an emergency payment from the Derbyshire Discretionary Fund, you can call Derbyshire County Council directly on 01629 533399.
We are happy to accept copies of forms and documents online and encourage you to use this method to provide us with information. If you need support to do this, please call us on 01246 345345 and we will be pleased to help you.
Payments can be made online at www.chesterfield.gov.uk/pay or by using our automated telephone number 0345 602 0214. If you are unable to use these methods, please contact us on 01246 345345 and we will do all we can to help.
The Market Hall Café and Artisan Market
In line with the latest Government guidance we have today closed the Market Hall café until further notice.
The Chesterfield Artisan Market which was due to be held on Sunday 29 March is also cancelled. There will be no artisan markets in the town centre until further notice.
Housing repairs and safety checks
We are currently only carrying out emergency repairs to our council houses and when doing so the council’s staff will be following the Government’s guidance regarding social distancing. All other repairs are on hold until further notice.
Our tenants can report their urgent repair needs by calling our repairs hotline for free on 0800 587 56 59 or by visiting the repairs page of our website.
Annual checks of your gas and electrical systems will continue, so it is important that if you are self-isolating because you have coronavirus symptoms or are in a vulnerable health category you advise staff before they enter your home.
All tenants will be asked a number of questions by the staff member who will be visiting you at home, this is to keep you and them safe.
20 March
Coronavirus outbreak: Chesterfield Borough Council services update
Following the latest Government guidance, we have taken further difficult, but responsible, decisions to change some of our service provision.
The latest information relating to COVID-19 and any changes to council services can be found on our Coronavirus information hub.
Chesterfield Borough Council housing tenants
We recognise that this is a very concerning time for individuals and families with regards to the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) and its impact on our daily lives.
Information is changing rapidly and we encourage all our tenants to follow the latest health guidance, which is continually updated on the NHS website.
Our focus, as always, is on maintaining customer safety and providing high quality services, but in the short term we will need to change the way we deliver some services in line with Government guidance.
Contacting the housing service
Housing tenants can continue to contact the housing service during this difficult time on 01246 345000 or by visiting our dedicated housing pages.
As more stringent social distancing measures are expected to be introduced in the coming days, we will only be undertaking home visits in emergency situations.
We have also taken the decision to relocate our ‘On the Move’ services into the Customer Service Centre from 23 March 2020.
The Customer Service Centre is currently open as normal, but only visit in person if it is absolutely necessary; please ring the service on the above number or use our website forms or email addresses in the first instance.
Housing repairs, improvements and safety checks
We are currently prioritising the delivery of the emergency repairs service to keep you safe.
We have a large modernisation and improvement programme for council housing. This is being suspended until further notice, but we will not leave jobs unfinished and expect to complete these in the next couple of weeks.
We will restart the improvement programme as soon as it is practical to do so and will contact you at that time.
Annual checks of your gas and electrical systems will continue, so it is important that if you are self-isolating because you have coronavirus symptoms or are in a vulnerable health category you advise staff before they enter your home.
All tenants will be asked a number of questions by the staff member who will be visiting you at home, this is to keep you and them safe.
Paying rent
If your circumstances change due to the coronavirus and you are concerned about your ability to p
