Changes to council services

Due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Housing Service has amended its procedures to keep members of the public and staff safe. We will only be seeing people by appointment.

• If you're homeless today and have not been in contact with us already, call 020 3821 1769 for advice about what to do and how we can help
• If you need help with a housing problem or are at risk of becoming homeless (or have been given a notice by your landlord or a court), call 020 3821 1769
• If we are already working with you and you need to speak to your caseworker, call them on the number they have given you. If they are not available, your call will be forwarded to another officer who will assist you. We are likely to be very busy. Unless your query is urgent (you're due to be evicted in the next 14 days, or you have found a new property), you should email your case officer and only call if you don't hear from them in three working days.
• If you need to submit information, use your smartphone to take pictures of the documents that you have been asked to provide. Photograph all the relevant pages/sides of your documents and include your housing application reference in the email subject line. These can be emailed to:
  • hoa@enfield.gov.uk if you have an application with us because you're threatened with homelessness or have become homeless
  • housing.assessment.team@enfield.gov.uk if you're applying to join the housing register
• If someone has asked you to come in for an appointment, make a note of the person's name. When you arrive, let the security guard know your name and the name of the person who has asked you to come in.
• If a change to your income has affected your ability to pay Council Tax, rent, mortgage and other household bills, check our advice and information page to help you during this difficult time. If after reading this you're still unsure what to do and need further help, you can complete our financial support referral form. Our Welfare Advice and Debt Support team will then contact you to help.
• If you're in crisis now and can't afford food or essential items, or need help completing the financial support referral form, ring 020 8379 1000 (select option 7), Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm

If you're worried about becoming homeless and need advice, visit our Housing Advisory Service page.

Full housing repairs service resumes

We are restarting our standard repairs service from 12 April 2021. All work will be carried out in line with the government’s latest COVID-19 secure working guidance.

This change means that in addition to essential repairs (emergency and urgent), appointments for routine repairs such as a leaking tap, plastering and decorating or mould washing are now available.

Works completed during the pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, our repairs staff have been focusing on essential work to help protect everyone and make sure your home remains a safe place to live.

Gas servicing and safety-critical repairs and major works projects have continued throughout the outbreak.

Nearly all routine repairs booked before the national lockdown announced on 4 January have been completed. We are now able to take on new appointments for routine repairs.

How to report a repair

You can report a repair as normal by:

• visiting our repairs page
• emailing us at housingrepairs@enfield.gov.uk
• calling 020 8379 1000 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) and selecting option 4

If you have an out of hours emergency repair, call 020 8379 1000 (this line is open 24 hours a day).

We will do our best to meet our repair target completion times. However, we expect a high demand for our service in the coming weeks, especially for routine repairs. We ask for your patience if we are unable to keep to our usual timescales.

Safety

Our repairs staff and contractors are completing COVID-19 screening tests regularly. They will always maintain social distance and wear face coverings in line with government guidelines.

Here are some things you can do to help us complete your repair quickly and safely:

• tell us when reporting your repair if you have had a positive COVID-19 test, or if you or someone in your home is self-isolating
• ensure people in your household stay in a different room to where our operative is working
• if it’s not possible to stay in a different room, you should keep a distance of two metres between you and the operative at all times during the visit

We'd like to thank everyone for their patience as we adapt council services to ensure that residents, staff and contractors remain safe.

From 12 April, some national restrictions will ease as part of the government’s recovery roadmap. The services outlined below will be available in our libraries.

Library opening hours

The following libraries will remain open with reduced services:

• Enfield Town - Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm (ground floor or first floor only)
• Edmonton Green - Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm (ground floor or first floor only)
• Ordnance Unity Centre - Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
• Palmers Green - Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm

All other libraries in the borough are closed.

Our services will look different for the foreseeable future. Our main priority is the safety of staff and customers. Face coverings must be worn inside all library buildings in line with current government guidance and you will be required to provide your details for NHS track and trace purposes.

Services available

The following library services will be available:

• ‘Grab and Go’ - shelf browsing and selection as a walk in self-service. Numbers will be limited to ensure that our libraries are kept Covid-safe.
• Click and collect - available at Enfield Town, Edmonton Green, Ordnance Unity Centre and Palmers Green libraries by reserving items online or by phone
• Return of library items
• Use of library computers (initially one-hour session per person)
• Help for customers needing additional support to access council information and services (available Monday to Friday only at Enfield Town and Edmonton Green libraries)
• Home delivery services
• Use of Children's Library areas by family bubbles, reservation is recommended
• Use of study spaces for up to two hours, reservation is recommended

More services will become available as England progresses through the government’s roadmap. The health and safety of our library staff and visitors is our highest priority.

Renewals

All items will be automatically renewed for an additional loan period (books 3 weeks, CDs 2 weeks, and DVDs 1 week).

Please be aware that reserved items won’t be automatically renewed. Before the date of return, borrowers will be contacted by email asking them to return the item, if possible, as there is a request for it.

There are currently no charges for overdue items.

Safety measures

To ensure the library stays a safe space for our staff and visitors, and to prevent the spread of coronavirus, a range of measures have been introduced:

• Social distancing will be strictly enforced
• Limited capacity in our buildings
• Extra cleaning measures

Libraries cannot be used for recreational or social use, but this will be reviewed ahead of forthcoming guidelines.

Online resources

We will continue to develop our online digital offer so you have plenty of choice. You can become a new member and access a full range of online resources and eBooks without having to physically visit a library. To do this, visit the digital library service.

If you have any further questions, call:

• Edmonton Green Library on 020 8379 2610
• Enfield Town Library on 020 8379 8341
• Ordnance Unity Centre Library on 020 8379 2688
• Palmers Green Library on 020 8379 2711

Controlled parking zones (CPZs)

NHS and health and social care staff, and NHS COVID-19 volunteers (critical care workers), currently receive free parking in CPZs when displaying the HM Government Coronavirus (COVID-19) Parking Pass.

Important information for pass holders:

• When possible, use off-street parking (except Palace Gardens Multi-Storey Car Park)
• Park in marked bays (except loading, disabled and business bays) and not on yellow lines
• At North Middlesex Hospital, on roads around the hospital, only vehicles with a HM Government Coronavirus (COVID-19) Parking Pass, administered by the hospital, can park in marked bays (except loading, disabled and business bays)
• At the Civic Centre, we ask that pass holders park in Little Park Gardens Car Park, EN2 6PD

South Edmonton (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium) controlled parking zone

There will be no enforcement of South Edmonton (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium) CPZ when football matches are played behind closed doors at the stadium.

Taxi Card Scheme

Taxi Card Scheme members can use the Taxi Card service for the collection of groceries and medicines, by a driver or a person nominated by the Taxi Card member, without travelling themselves until 30 June 2021.

For information on the use of face coverings and travel, visit GOV.UK and Transport for London.

There are a limited number of things you can do in parks and open spaces in Enfield, in line with the government’s COVID-19 recovery roadmap. Read the latest guidance on GOV.UK - COVID-19 Response Spring 2021.

According to the latest guidance, you can meet outdoors in a group of six, or in a group of any size from up to two households. You can meet for recreation purposes as well as for exercise.

We urge everyone to continue to respect the social distancing guidelines that stay in place. You should observe the advice given on signs or banners, or instructions from council staff. We will change these arrangements if people fail to observe these restrictions and put the health and wellbeing of others at risk.

If you're showing coronavirus symptoms, or if you or any of your household are self-isolating, you should stay at home. This is critical to staying safe and saving lives.

Enfield Register Office

Marriages and civil partnerships

Weddings and civil partnership ceremonies are permitted but restrictions remain in place.

The planned changes are:

• Step 1: From 29 March - the legal limit remains at six attendees but ceremonies are no longer limited to 'exceptional circumstances'
• Step 2: No earlier than 12 April - legal limit of 15 attendees (where venues can accommodate safely)
• Step 3: No earlier than 17 May - legal limit of 30 attendees (where venues can accommodate safely)
• Step 4: No earlier than 21 June - no legal limit on attendees (subject to advice from the government)

The number of attendees allowed includes the couple, witnesses and all guests.

The above dates are subject to the four tests outlined in the government's roadmap being met at each step.

For full guidance on small marriages and civil ceremonies, visit GOV.UK.

If you had a wedding or civil partnership that was previously cancelled during the national lockdown, or you have called to enquire about booking a wedding or civil partnership, there is no need to email or call again. We have your details and will contact you shortly.

Death registrations

Death registrations are available over the telephone, so there is no need for you to travel to the office in person.

Before you book an appointment to register a death, please make sure the medical certificate of cause of death has been emailed to us by the hospital or GP, as we won't be able to proceed without it.

You can book an appointment online.

Keep up-to-date

Check our website before calling or emailing us about registrations. We will continue to update this page when new information is available.

Sports facilities

Sports facilities will reopen in line with the government's spring 2021 roadmap.

You are now able to take part in formally organised outdoor sports with any number of people. Outdoor sports venues and facilities, such as tennis courts, sports courts, golf courses and riding centres are open. Some indoor leisure facilities such as gyms will reopen from 12 April, although restrictions will apply, as per the roadmap.

Leisure centres

Indoor leisure facilities will reopen from 12 April at Albany Leisure Centre, Edmonton Leisure Centre, Southbury Leisure Centre and Southgate Leisure Centre. Swimming clubs at Arnos Pool will also start on 12 April, with swim school to follow soon after. The swimming pool at Edmonton Leisure Centre is undergoing refurbishment works and is expected to open later in April.

Outdoor group exercise classes will continue at Southbury Leisure Centre and Southgate Leisure Centre until indoor classes are allowed, which will be no earlier than 17 May.

For the latest information and details of classes, visit Fusion Lifestyle.

Active Enfield

All face-to-face physical activity sessions organised by the council's Active Enfield Team have stopped. If you have already made a booking, you will be contacted by email. For updates, follow Active Enfield on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.

Read further advice on using parks and open spaces.