Today a new 24 hour telephone service for dealing with all flood, weather and highway related enquiries has been established on
0845 6096609
There is also a dedicated information website available at www.cumbriaalert.info
This number is for flood, weather and highway related issues only for all normal council services please contact your local council direct - telephone numbers can be found in your local phone book.
This number has been set up in partnership by Cumbria County Council, Carlisle City Council, Eden District Council, South Lakes District Council, Barrow Borough Council and CAPITA. It will be staffed by CAPITA, Carlisle City and County Council employees.
Carlisle City have also today announced a series of new helplines for specific services these are open from 2pm on Tuesday 11th January
Services - 01228 817200 - Council Tax, Business Rates, Car Parking, Planning, Licensing, Homelessness, Environmental Health
Benefits - 01228 625602 - Council Tax Benefits, Housing Benefits
Carlisle City Staff enquiries - 01228 625068
Free collection of furniture and debris from houses affected by the flood
01228 625065/01228 625039/01228 625108/01228 625070
Please note: Debris should be placed on the footpath or in the garden, not on the street or highway.
Free Sand Bags
Carlisle City Council are giving away free sand bags. They can be collected from: Bousteads Grassing, Rome Street, Carlisle - from 8am to 5pm
Allerdale Borough Council has also established a dedicated 24 hour Emergency Hotline to help local people on issues relating to flood and storm damage. The number to call is 01900 871080
Copeland Borough Council advises customers that it can be contacted on 01946 815500 available 24 hours in an emergency situation and all other routine enquires should be directed to its customer services line 0845 0952100.
Anyone who needs to contact the County Council about county council services should do so either by using the telephone numbers advertised on the phone book and via the website www.cumbria.gov.uk or by contacting the council's switchboard on 01228 606060.
Tim Stoddard Leader of Cumbria County Council says:
"To help ensure that everyone has access to as much information as possible we have, together with all of our district partners, Capita and a wide range of other organisations now set up a dedicated helpline to deal with all calls relating to the severe flood and weather conditions experienced by Cumbria this weekend. This is 0845 6096609.
I would also like to take this opportunity of saying how brilliant all of the county’s emergency services staff have been over the last few days. There has been tremendous cooperation between a wide range of organisations, too many to mention, who have pulled together provide a fantastic frontline response to help all those affected by the weather and severe flooding which has ravaged our county.
Despite all of the work undertaken there is still many months of work to be done and residents can rest assured that we will all continue to work together to restore Cumbria as quickly as possible. We will also continue to work together to provide a united front to government to enable us all to plan together to try and ensure that such a disaster does not occur again."