Kent County Council services December 2020

Public Rights of Way stay open.  Country Parks also stay open with the visitor centres reopening with Covid secure retail sales and take-aways from the cafés.   The Community Warden Service will remain fully operational.

Libraries

A Select and Collect and public PC/Wi-fi offer will continue as per lockdown at the 27 COVID secure libraries listed below:
Allington Library
Ashford Gateway Plus
Broadstairs Library
Canterbury Beaney
Cliftonville Library
Coldharbour Library
Cranbrook Library
Dartford Library
Deal Library
Dover Discovery Centre
Faversham Library
Fleetdown Library
Folkestone Library
Gravesend Library
Herne Bay Library
Hythe Library
Kent History and Library Centre (Maidstone)
Larkfield Library
Sandgate Library
Sandwich Library
Sevenoaks Kaleidoscope
Sheerness Library
Showfields Library
Sittingbourne Library
Southborough Library
Swanley Library
Tonbridge Library

We will also be expanding our Select and Collect and essential PC use to the Eden Centre, Whitstable Library and Ramsgate Library over the course of week commencing 7th December.  PC use can be booked and customers can use the computers for 1 hour.  All other libraries will be closed to the public.  Book browsing will not be reintroduced at this time although this will be kept under review.

The on-line services including access to all our e-books, magazines and newspapers, plus online resources and virtual events are still available as well as the home library service and postal loan service.  The Mobile library Service will continue on a Select and Collect basis.

Registration

The Registration Service continues as during lockdown as well as the reintroduction of ceremonies.  Marriage or civil partnership ceremonies at both KCC register offices and external venues may have no more than 15 people attending and under tier 3 wedding receptions are not permitted.  All external venues have been advised that the Registration staff will come to deliver the ceremonies and it is the decision of the venues whether they wish for the ceremony to go ahead without the reception.  Delivery of ceremonies at KCC register offices will go ahead unless the couple wishes to change the date.

Citizenship ceremonies continue.

Notice of marriage and birth registration appointments continue face to face in our COVID secure buildings.

Death registrations continue over the phone.  There has been an increase in death registrations coming through including COVID19 cause of death registrations.  This is being monitored and the team are working well to meet the demand.

Archives

The Archive Search Room will be closed as per lockdown.  All the virtual forms of the service will be available as well as remote enquiries and back office collection work at the Kent History and Library Centre.  Booked sessions will not be reintroduced at this time but this will be kept under review