A-Z Search

Service changes due to coronavirus (COVID-19)

There have been changes to some of our services due to the recent outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19).

Please click on the links below for more information on how these services will run during this time:

Birth and death registration - Coronavirus updates

The latest information regarding birth and death registrations, and how the service is affected by Coronavirus (COVID-19).

This information was last updated on 27 May 2020.


Births
 
The Government has selected Northumberland to carry out a 3 week pilot for birth registrations to be completed via video call. At the moment birth registration in person at our offices is currently suspended.
 
 
Deaths
 
Due to the current guidelines regarding COVID-19, we are no longer offering face to face appointments to register a death.
 
The Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) will be scanned directly to the Registrars by the hospital or doctor. The death will then be registered via telephone. Please call 0345 600 6400 to make an appointment. 
 
A death must be registered within five days.

Bin collection - Coronavirus updates

The latest information regarding bin collections and how the service is affected by Coronavirus (COVID-19).

This information was last updated on 22 May 2020


Bank holiday bin collections

On the week starting Monday 25 May all bin collections will run one day later than normal, so collections due on Monday will take place on Tuesday and so on, with Thursday collections being done on Friday. Please have your bins out be 7am on the day of collection.

Check your bin collection date here

Our bin collection teams are still out and about, working to collect your normal household rubbish and recycling bins. We're also running our commercial waste service to businesses.

Please click here to see our alerts page, where we will update you on any issues we have with collecting your bins.

You can help by thoroughly washing your hands for at least 20 seconds before and after touching your bins. 

If someone in your household had symptoms for COVID-19, please make sure their waste is also double-bagged, the handles of each bag are tied, and is stored for 72 hours in a place not accessed by people/pets before putting in it your bin.

We will respond to advice from the government and Public Health England, and will keep residents informed of changes to our waste services. 

If you suspect that someone has the Coronavirus, here is the government advice on what to do with their waste, and how to clean any areas where they have been:

Household Waste Recovery Centres - Coronavirus updates

The latest information regarding Household Waste Recovery Centres (HWRCs), also known as 'tips', during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

This information was last updated 22 May 2020. 

Household Waste Recovery Centres (tips) reopened on Monday 4 May 2020.

Please click here for more details regarding the tips reopening, including opening times and site rules.

Please note that the Household Waste Permit Scheme has been suspended.

Parking - Coronavirus update

The latest information about parking in Northumberland and how it is affected by Coronavirus (COVID-19).

This information was last updated 22 May 2020.

 
The council is taking a phased approach to re-opening its coastal and visitor car parks as public safety remains a top priority.
 
Of the 53 car parks currently shut, 42 will re-open by 22 May 2020. The remainder will remain closed at this time. Public toilets may not meet the criteria to maintain social distancing, so some may not be opened immediately.
 
We have had to take into account:
  • the ability to socially distance both within the carpark and the surrounding area
  • the impact on and the views of the local community
  • where vehicles might otherwise park and cause problems if the car park remained shut
 
 
PLEASE NOTE: Meeting in groups is not permitted, and people are still being urged to stay at home as much as possible at this time.
 
Car parks that charge to park will continue to do so. The council will keep the car park openings under review and the situation may change depending on local or national developments. 
 
 
Car parks opening:
  • Amble, Island View
  • Amble, Beacon Hill
  • Amble, Togston Links
  • Amble, Links
  • Amble, Dunes
  • Amble, Braid
  • Ashington, Blackclose Dene
  • Ashington, Hirst Park
  • Ashington, Wansbeck Riverside Park
  • Berwick, Pier Field
  • Berwick, Sandy Beach
  • Spittal, South Greenwich road
  • Spittal Point
  • Spittal, Sandstell Road
  • Blyth, Beachway
  • Blyth, Mermaid
  • Blyth, The Ranch
  • Cambois, Buccaneer
  • Cambois, Outfall
  • Cambois, Level Crossing
  • Cambois, Beach House
  • Blyth, Ridley Park
  • East Cramlington LNR (both)
  • Cresswell, Dunes
  • Cresswell, Pond
  • Cresswell, Golden sands
  • Boulmer Village
  • Newbiggin Church Point 
  • Newton-By-The-Sea, Newton Steads
  • Newton-By-The-Sea,Low Newton
  • Seaton Sluice, Holywell Dene
  • Seaton Sluice, Old Hartley
  • Seaton Sluice, FountainHead
  • Warkworth, Dunes Road
  • Warkworth, Beach Road
  • Bedlington Country Park (both sites)
  • Hadston Scars
  • Dunston Steads
  • Beadnell 
  • Corbridge Village
 
Car parks remaining closed:
  • Amble, Paddlers Park
  • Bamburgh, Links Road 
  • Berwick, Castlegate Overflow 
  • Craster, Quarry 
  • Holy Island, Green Lane 
  • Holy Island, Chare Ends 
  • High Newton, Newton-By-The-Sea 
  • Seahouses, Station Yard 
  • Rothbury, Beggars Rigg 
  • Rothbury, Cowhaugh
  • Wylam (Tyne Riverside Country Park)

Music Partnership North - Coronavirus updates

The latest information about Music Partnership North and how our service is operating during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

This information was last updated on 19 May 2020

Coronavirus Information for Parents

If your child goes to school in Northumberland and has instrumental/vocal lessons with us: click here to apply for online lessons.

See the documents below for more information:
 

Coronavirus Information for Schools 

We have created some resources to help music in schools:
 

Maintenance of Instruments during school closures

We are unfortunately unable to offer our normal repair/replacement service for faulty instruments hired from us. In the event of students experiencing any issues with their instrument or needing advice on tuning string instruments, we ask that you take a look at the leaflets below (for string and brass instruments):
 

MPN Office Team

Our admin and management team are currently working remotely: contact details can be found here.

Bulky Waste - Coronavirus updates

The latest information regarding bulky waste collections and how this service is operating during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

This information was last updated on 15 May 2020.

 
PLEASE NOTE: Due to the current COVID-19 situation, a modified bulky waste collection service was re-introduced on Monday 4 May 2020 to help residents dispose of waste materials that cannot be stored at home without causing risk of injury or harm to health.
 
Unfortunately larger items can not currently be collected. 
 

Garden waste collection - Coronavirus updates

The latest information regarding garden waste collection in Northumberland during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

This information was last updated 14 May 2020

From 14 May 2020 we are able to accept new customer applications for the garden waste collection service in certain parts of Northumberland - click here to check if the service is available in your area.

Please put your bins out before 7am on your normal bin collection day. You can help us by thoroughly washing your hands for at least 20 seconds before and after touching your bins - as well as applying social distancing rules - this is really important.

Weddings - Coronavirus updates

The latest information regarding wedding Registration Services, in relation to the current coronavirus (COVID-19) situation.

This information was last updated 13 May 2020

COVID-19 - Important changes to Registration Services

Following Government guidance issued on 11 May 2020, regretfully the Registration Service remains unable to carry out any type of marriage or civil partnership ceremony during the present lockdown period. You may have noticed in the guidance issued that the government has advised that they hope to ‘permit small wedding ceremonies from 1 June 2020’. It is important you know that the Registration Service has not yet been advised how many guests this may involve, the costs which may apply or where such ceremonies can be held. Indeed, the resumption of any ceremonies from this date has yet to be formally confirmed by governments.  We continue to engage with the General Registration Office on this matter, and when further information is available we will update everyone accordingly as the earliest opportunity.  
 
Should you have any queries in relation to your ceremony, marriage and civil partnership in general, please contact us by email at Alnwickreg@northumberland.gov.uk. Please be aware that due to our ceremony team operating homeworking, email is the only form of contact to the office. Your patience at this time would be greatly appreciated, and be assured that we will aim to respond to all emails within two working days of receipt. 
 
To keep up to date with developments, please follow Weddings In Northumberland on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram:

Parks - Coronavirus updates

The latest information about our Northumberland Parks and how they are affected by Coronavirus (COVID-19).

This information was last updated 12 May 2020

Public safety paramount as country parks re-open

Northumberland County Council has confirmed that its four country parks will open from Wednesday, May 13 - but the safety of the public remains its absolute priority.
 
Council Leader Cllr Peter Jackson, said: "Following revised guidance issued by the Government, the council needs to take time to fully understand what the Government’s plan means for Northumberland, and its impact on our residents.

"After careful consideration, the county's four country parks will reopen on the morning of Wednesday 13 May at:
  1. Druridge Bay country park
  2. Bolam Lake country park
  3. Plessey Woods country park
  4. Tyne Riverside country park.

The play areas will remain closed.

"The safety of the public is and must be our absolute priority.  We are currently undertaking further detailed risk assessments to understand how our car parks across the county can safely be opened, in order to apply social distancing, manage risk and avoid further spread of the virus.

"We feel this is the right thing to do to protect our communities, and further announcements will be made in the coming days once these are complete.

"We ask people to continue to make only essential journeys, stay home wherever possible and respect the safety of our communities."

Housing visits and repairs - Coronavirus updates

The latest information regarding housing visits and repairs in Northumberland and how this service is affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

This information was last updated 11 May 2020.


Gas servicing of council homes
As your landlord we are required by law to carry out an annual Gas Safety Inspection. Even during the current crisis, this is categorised by the Government as an essential activity and we must continue to carry out servicing visits in order to keep residents and their families safe in their home. 
 
In order to minimise the risk of infection for both residents and our gas servicing engineers, we will be taking the following approach:
 
  • Engineers will be practicing good hand hygiene and wearing appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in line with the advice from Public Health England. 
  • They will be adhering to social distancing and maintaining a minimum of 2 metre distance from residents whilst in the property. We will be seeking to carry out the inspection as quickly as possible but we would ask that you please respect this and if possible move to a different room while the inspection is taking place. 
  • Surfaces and any tools used will be wiped clean after the visit and PPE disposed of away from your home. 
  • If you or a member of your household is displaying symptoms of the Covid-19 please let us know and we will look to re-arrange the inspection after 14 days. 
  • If you or a member of your household is currently shielding or have received notification from the NHS that you are vulnerable, again please let us know and we will look to re-arrange the inspection at a later date.
We appreciate this is a very challenging time for everyone, but would please ask that you allow access and support us to carry out these essential works to maintain safety in your home.

Visits and repairs
In order to protect both our tenants and our housing staff from coming into contact with the Coronavirus, we will not be carrying out housing repair visits until further notice.
 
Only essential emergency repairs will be carried out. An emergency repair is an issue such as a major burst water pipe, or if you smell gas.
 
If you have no heating or hot water you need to check to see if your gas/electric meter has credit on it.
 
If you have a minor problem with your property this will be logged and addressed as soon as we are able.
 
As you can appreciate, Northumberland County Council is working very hard at this time to help vulnerable residents across the county.
 
If you have a genuine housing emergency please call  0345 600 6400.

Housing allocations
We will not be allocating council housing to new tenants during this time, unless it is for an emergency situation such as homelessness.

Contacting Customer Service, Information Centres & Registrars

The latest information about public access to Customer Service, Information Centres, and Registrars, in relation to coronavirus (COVID-19).

This information was last updated 11 May 2020.

Following the Government’s advice in relation to further measures regarding social distancing, it’s important we protect both our residents and our staff. The council has restricted public access to our buildings from Monday 23 March 2020.

Customer Service, Information Centres and Registrars will move to a first point of contact being a digital recommendation. We will not have any front of house staffing and facilities, and will only offer a limited face to face service available at our sites if it is safely managed, by appointment only, and after a risk assessment deems it necessary to do so.  
 
The safest way for you to contact the council is via our website at www.northumberland.gov.uk/contact - You can also call us on 0345 600 6400 during office hours.

We now have dedicated #Coronavirus section on our website dedicated to provide you with the information and updates on our services. Click here to view our coronavirus infromation and updates.

Cemeteries and crematorium - Coronavirus updates

The latest information regarding burials and cremations and how these are operating during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

This information was last updated on 7 May 2020.

 

Cremations

Due to the government guidelines, we have introduced some temporary measures to ensure that mourners are able to follow Government guidelines on social distancing.

A maximum of up to 10 people should attend a cremation service in person and they should be;
  • members of the person’s household,
  • close family members,
  • if the above are unable to attend, close friends,
  • attendance of a celebrant of choice, should the bereaved request this.
Webcasting:
To support loved ones who can not attend in person, we have made webcasting of the service available free of charge. Details of how families can access each service remotely via the internet has been sent to Funeral Directors who will be able to advise the family.
 

 

Burials

A maximum of up to 10 people should be present at the graveside and they should be;

  • members of the person’s household,
  • close family members,
  • if the above are unable to attend, close friends,
  • attendance of a celebrant of choice, should the bereaved request this.
 
Remember - it's really important everyone adheres to the social distancing guidance for the safety of themselves, families and our staff.
 
We understand that these restrictions may be difficult for families that are already going through a difficult time but urge people to follow the guidance to protect themselves and their loved ones. 
 
The link below details current government guidance regarding funerals:

Libraries update - Coronavirus updates

Keep up to date with the latest library news here.

This information was last updated 29 April 2020.

All our libraries closed to the public at 12 noon on Monday 23 March 2020. The libraries remain closed to protect both our residents and staff. 

Our library service is providing easy access to a wide range of eBooks and eAudiobooks, as well as a selection of eMagazines via the BorrowBox and RB Digital apps, which can be downloaded from the library website. 
  •  Visit ww.mylibrary.co.uk by clicking here.
  • The My Library website offers lots of book related activities and links to resources for all ages and interests. Now might be the time to find your family history using Ancestery and Find My Past with our help. 
  • Support your child's learning by referring to World Book Online. 
  • Enjoy reading about books, listening to storytime, or watching a performance using the links we have pulled together for you on the website above. 
  • Our Telephone Befriending service is underway; we are checking in with all our customers over 70.
  • We are seeking ways to provide a doorstep delivery service for those who have run out of reading material.
You can keep up to date via our website www.mylibrary.co.uk or via social media:
Or sign up for our weekly newsletter - just email mylibrary@northumberland.gov.uk to subscribe.

Pest control - Coronavirus updates

The latest information regarding pest control in Northumberland, and how this service is operating during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

This information was last updated 24 April 2020.

Due to the recent pandemic, we are only able to make bookings for pests which pose a threat to public health. 
These pests include:
  • Rats and mice (both inside and outside)
  • Fleas and bedbugs (inside)
In the best interests of our customers and staff, we must close all other bookings. 

Street care & cleaning - Coronavirus updates

The latest information about maintenance work carried out by the council and how this is operating during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

This information was last updated 23 April 2020.

As we enter the warmer months we'll be continuing with our grass cutting to keep our county clean, green and safe. 
 
Remember - it's really important everyone sticks to the social distancing rules - so please keep away from our teams if you see them working - and we'll do likewise.
 
The grass cutting will continue for as long as we're able to. 

Coroner's service - Coronavirus updates

The latest information regarding the coroner's service in Northumberland, and how this service is operating during the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation.

This information was last updated on 23 April 2020.

The Northumberland Coroner's Office remains open, however we are working remotely in response to the COVID-19 virus. 

All information concerning case referals, queries, and any other business should now be sent to our email address: This email address is monitored between 8am and 4pm (Monday to Friday) and we will respond as soon as possible.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to the circumstances, all hearings have been adjourned (postponed) until 28 August 2020, as the courts in Northumberland will be closed until then. The Coroner's Officers will be writing out to families on specific matters.

 

The National Bereavement Partnership - COVID-19 Hub

This hub was created to provide support to all affected by the COVID-19 pandemic by working closely with the NHS Trusts and other relevant organisations.

Please click here for more information about The National Bereavement Partnership.

You can call their free helpline on 0800 448 0800, open every day from 7am - 10pm.

Business waste collections - Coronavirus updates

There have been changes to business waste collections due to the recent coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

This information was last updated on 23 April 2020.

If you are a business who currently has a waste collection contract with Northumberland County Council, and you have had to temporarily close due to the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19), you may not need us for the time being.

If you no longer need your bins to be emptied, or if you require a reduced service, we are asking you to let us know using the simple form below:
 
 
Please let us know as soon as possible, so we can discuss different options for you, or arrange to suspend your current contract.
 

 

Contact us

If you need to speak to a Waste Management Officer, please see the email addresses below for who to contact in your area:

Please note that the following email addresses are for business waste enquiries only.
 
For the Northern area, please contact Julie Case at julie.case@northumberland.gov.uk.
 
For the West and Central area, please contact Kevin Ferrol at 
 
For the South East area, please contact Matthew Swaddle at 

Northumberland archives service - Coronavirus updates

The latest information about Northumberland Archives and how this service is affected by Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Archives - Service Updates

This information was last updated 23 April 2020.

To help protect public and staff the Northumberland Archives, study centres at both Woodhorn and Berwick will closed on 20 March 2020 until further notice.

In line with government advice and the recommendations of our professional body regarding COVID-19, the public areas of the archive are not open.

We will continue to answer emails and post on social media. Please check our twitter and FaceBook pages for updates.

As many staff will be working from home, we hope that researchers will understand that we can't offer our normal range of services. Response times might be a little longer than usual and we will be unable to provide copies of documents. We are very sorry for any disruption that this may cause. Thank you for your patience.

Although original documents aren't available at the moment, please do have a look at some our online resources:

Museums - Coronavirus updates

The latest information about Museums Northumberland and how they are affected by Coronavirus (COVID-19).

This information was last updated 22 April 2020

In line with current Government guidelines, all Museums Northumberland venues and grounds remain closed to the public until further notice. 

Until further notice, Museums Northumberland is unable to accept donations to collections. Please do not bring items to our sites for donation or identification. If you would like help with identifying an item, or would like to speak to one of the Collections team, click here to complete the contact form on the website and someone will get in touch. 

Please check our website (linked below) and our social media channels for the latest information and updates.
Thank you for your understanding during this time. 

Schools - Coronavirus (COVID-19)

The latest information about schools in Northumberland affected by Coronavirus (COVID-19).

This information was last updated on 21 April 2020.

  • Schools have been closed since Friday 20 March to all children except those with key worker parents or carers, and the most vulnerable children.
  • Key workers include NHS staff, police and delivery drivers who need to be able to go to work. Please click here for a detailed list of key workers.
  • Vulnerable children include those who have a social worker and those with educational health and care plans.
Please click here to view our news report, issued 18 March 2020.

Major changes were announced for schools from the end of the school day on Friday 20 March and for the foreseeable future. If children can stay safely at home, they should, to limit the chance of the virus spreading. This is why the government has asked parents to keep their children at home, wherever possible, and has asked schools to remain open only for those children who absolutely need to attend.

It is important to underline that schools, all childcare settings (including early years settings, childminders and providers of childcare for school-age children), colleges and other educational establishments, remain safe places for children. But the fewer children making the journey to school, and the fewer children in educational settings, the lower the risk will be that the virus can spread and infect vulnerable individuals in wider society.

In line with Public Health England's guidance, the best place for your child, wherever possible, is at home with you, helping to maintain good social distancing for our wider community.
 
The government has confirmed that schools will close to all pupils except the children of key workers (such as NHS staff) and vulnerable children (such as those with a social worker and children with Education Health Care Plans) and published new guidance about who a key worker is.

PLEASE NOTE: Each school may handle this situation differently based on demand, in order to ensure the welfare of all staff, support workers, and children.

 

Click on the drop down boxes below to find the answers to some of your school related COVID-19 questions:

The vast majority of schools in Northumberland will remain open for the children of key workers or the most vulnerable children.

All schools are contacting parents and carers to understand how many children and young people will be attending school as from Monday 23rd March onwards. We are working with each of our schools to ensure that there is enough staffing in place to support and work with children and young people and that school meals will continue to be available. If your child receives transport to school from the council, then they will continue to do so.
 
If you are not clear on what is happening with your child, please get in touch with your school to find out more.
The guidance from government says that parents and carers should do everything they can to ensure children are not mixing socially in a way which can continue to spread the virus and should observe the same social distancing principles as adults.

Although your local school is likely to be open for vulnerable and key worker children, all other children must stay at home. If your child is not in this category and turns up at school on Monday, they will be sent home.

Please click here for the Northumberland School Closure List.
For any children currently entitled to school transport (who are children of key workers or the most vulnerable children), this will run as normal and will be continually reviewed
 
If there are any issues with the school transport in the coming days please report it to the contact centre on 0345 600 6400.
The latest guidance states that children are better off at home, however the vast majority of schools are remaining open to look after children of key workers and the most vulnerable children. 

There are no fines for parents, including key workers and parents of vulnerable children, who choose to keep their children at home during this period. This is a parental choice. 

This information was last updated 1 April 2020.

Provision is being put in place to ensure that children receiving free school meals do not suffer unnecessarily, now that the government has closed schools. 
 
The vast majority of schools in Northumberland are remaining open to look after children of key workers or the most vulnerable children. 
 
Schools were asked to identify their vulnerable students, so that the required level of support could be identified.  All schools are making their own arrangements with the support of the Northumberland County Council school meals service. 
 
Guidance has now been received on the National Free School Meals Voucher Scheme:

Please click here to see the guidance for schools on free school meals.

The scheme outlines that if a school catering service cannot provide meals or food parcels, they should offer pupils from families that are eligible for benefits-related free school meals an alternative.
 
We are continuing to accept free school meal applications at this time. If you think your child is eligible but you are not currently claiming, you can contact us on 0345 600 6400 (Monday-Thursday 8.30am-5pm, Fridays 8.30am-4.30pm), or apply by submitting this application form:

Please click here to view the free school meals application form.
This concern relates particularly to isolated communities with poor internet connections. 

Schools are reviewing methods of supporting students across the country. The vast majority have learning platforms and students/parents will be enabled to access these if they have Wi-Fi. If they do not, work can be printed and distributed to children and young people.

Both national and local resources are being shared for children to maintain learning. 

Disabled parking - Coronavirus updates

The latest information about blue badge renewal during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic:

This information was last updated on 9 April 2020.

 

The Government has relaxed the enforcement against expired blue badges where a blue badge has an expiry date of 1 January 2020 onwards. This relaxation of enforcement against expired blue badges will continue initially until 30 September 2020.

PLEASE NOTE: THIS APPLIES TO LOCAL AUTHORITY PARKING ONLY AND NOT PRIVATE CAR PARKS. For parking at hospitals you will need to check with the individual hospital whether or not you can use an expired badge at the present time.  
 
If your blue badge is due for renewal, and you are unable to renew online or provide your supporting information/photograph to us, you can continue to use your existing blue badge until 30 September 2020, but only if your blue badge has an expiry date of 1 January 2020 onwards.

You can continue to renew your blue badge online at www.gov.uk/apply-blue-badge, and upload supporting information and your photograph at the same time. Or you can download an application from our website under “renewing your blue badge”.
 
If we can’t renew your blue badge, as you are unable to supply the supporting information at the moment, you can still renew your badge and send any supporting information to us later.

Animal welfare - Coronavirus updates

The latest information regarding animal welfare issues during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

This information was last updated 1 April 2020.

Please keep your dogs safe and secure during this national crisis. If your dog strays or runs away, there will not be as many members of the public out and about to help locate your dog as normal.
 
Help your local animal welfare team out by:
  • Making sure your dog is always wearing a collar and tag with current contact details (and check microchip details are up to date)
  • Not leaving your dog unattended in the garden or while on walks
  • Checking garden fencing and gates are secure
  • Keeping your dog on a lead while exercising, in case they get spooked or run off
If you are concerned about the welfare of a pet – report an animal welfare issue.
 
This is not to be used for reporting problems with wild animals such as birds, rodents, foxes, etc. There are various organisations, such as the RSPB and the RSPCA, which can help in these cases.

If you have lost your dog, or have found a stray dog, please click here to report lost/stray dog.

Planning Services - Coronavirus updates

Guidance for our customers on Planning Service Business Continuity during the COVID-19 outbreak.

There have been changes to some of our services due to Coronavirus (COVID-19). For the latest up-to-date information please read our Planning Services Frequently Asked Questions - Covid-19 Guidance Document.

Questions and advice

Before contacting us please read the information on our planning webpages as these may answer your query. We cannot give you advice on whether or not permission is required over the phone or by email because it takes time and further detail to assess this properly, for step by step advice read our Do I need planning permission guidance.

For the protection of residents and staff we do not currently have any front of house/reception facilities and the duty planner 'drop in' service is suspended. However the duty planner telephone service will be available from 9:30am - 4:30pm via the Customer Services number 0345 600 6400. You may be asked to leave a message if the duty planner is on another call so please include any application reference and your email address with your message so we can provide an informed response. 

To submit an application please use the Planning Portal (you will need to pay the fee via their website) or email application documents to us at planning@northumberland.gov.uk (download application forms, pay the fee online and include proof of payment/receipt number with your email). Please send documents electronically rather than by post, at this time we are consulting electronically so do not require hard copies of applications despite what the application form states.

Questions about specific applications should be directed to the Case Officer for that application. Their name can be found using the reference number on our Public Access system where you can also submit comments online. For anything else if you know the name of the person/team within Planning Services you need to contact please send your correspondence directly to them. View a list of email addresses for specific planning teams. If you are emailing us about a specific site or application please include the address/reference number so we can find it.

Taxi licensing - Coronavirus updates

The latest information regarding taxi licensing in Northumberland, and how this is impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

Important coronavirus update - Hackney carriage/Private hire licensing

Due to emergency steps being taken in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, Northumberland County Council has introduced a simplified process for the renewal of driver and vehicle licences. This simplified process will remain in place until it is considered reasonable to return to standard operating procedures.

As a temporary measure, driver badges and vehicle plates will not be issued. Instead, an acknowledgement will be e-mailed to you. You must carry this with you whenever you are working in order to prove that you, or your vehicle, are still licensed.

Drivers
Currently drivers can only apply for a one-year licence. 
 
Under this process there is currently no requirement to produce a DBS check or medical certificate at this time. You will be required to submit further information once we are in a position to produce the licence. 

Vehicles
Under this process there is currently no requirement to produce a certificate of compliance at this time. You will be required to submit further information once we are in a position to produce the licence. 
 
At this current time Northumberland County Council cannot carry out any MOTs or compliance tests as all garages are closed. There is no requirement to submit the MOT due to the extension for MOTs that the Government has put in place as of 25 March 2020, however all vehicles must continue to have the appropriate insurance.
 
Unfortunately at the current time, no new applications will be accepted.

All contact with the licensing department must be made by e-mail:

Our partners

Menu

Contact Us Privacy Policy Translate Page Accessibility Staff Resources Councillor Resources North of Tyne Combined Authority Discover our Land

Our local area councils

Ashington and Blyth Castle Morpeth Cramlington, Bedlington and Seaton Valley North Northumberland Tynedale

Social Media

© Northumberland County Council