Due to the ongoing Coronavirus situation, our services are prioritising key areas of delivery to ensure that we meet the needs of our society's most vulnerable.

To prevent unnecessary risk to you, our staff and others you may come into contact with, customer-facing public buildings in the Falkirk area will now be closed (except for Falkirk Council staff).

Some services will now operate by appointment only, with social distancing measures encouraged.

Services affected

Housing Needs Service

We are prioritising our services to those experiencing homelessness, particularly those requiring temporary accommodation. We have identified these key areas of service delivery in line with Scottish Government guidance on critical service. We will therefore be focusing our available resources on the following areas:

• Homeless Assessments
• Provision of Temporary Accommodation
• Provision of Supported Accommodation (The Castings)
• Providing support to partners to deliver supported services on our behalf (Loretto)

We are working with the Health and Social Care Partnership to provide accommodation to help people leaving hospital.

In order to deliver these priorities, we are proposing to temporarily suspend the Housing Allocations and Housing Options services until further notice. This will be effective from Tuesday 24 March 2020. As a result of this decision:

• No current void properties will be available for general allocation
• These properties will be used as temporary accommodation and hospital discharges where this is necessary

Advice & Support Hubs

Homeless presentations can be done entirely by phone/freephone/call-back and arrangements are in place. Payments can be made online, by phone, at a Post Office or PayPoint outlet. Customers can phone 01324 506070 or email revenues1@falkirk.gov.uk to notify of any changes or requests for information.

Applications for benefits, discounts and exemptions can all be done online.

Licences & Permits

Licencing services cannot currently be delivered online or by phone. We're working on advice for licence holders and applicants. We are currently collating a list of all those who have licences to renew over the next 3 months and we're considering the best way of dealing with this. 

All taxi knowledge tests have been cancelled for the foreseeable future.

For taxi and private hire operators, there is information on the website about the closure of Fleet Services and the alternative arrangements that have been put in place for hackney MOT tests.  People who want to make an appointment with Licensing should phone directly on 01324 501575.  We can also be contacted by email: licensing@falkirk.gov.uk

Birth & death registrations, wedding ceremonies

Emergency legislation is anticipated shortly which will enable remote registration of deaths and still-births, so no face-to-face appointment will be required. The position with birth registrations is not yet clear, but the Registrar General has indicated that the normal 21-day timeframe for in-person registration will be suspended.

The registration office will take no further registration appointments. All planned ceremonies are cancelled.

Operational Depots (Development Services)

Our operational depots at Earls Road (Roads) & Dalgrain (Waste & Fleet) must remain open to operational contractors to ensure that essential materials and services are received. These are critical to ensuring the continued delivery of certain Category 1 and 2 functions.

All interactions with Roads and Waste in respect of permits and licences can be applied for online, including through the national GOV.UK site.

MOT inspections have been suspended.

Bereavement Services – Camelon Cemetery Office

Our office at Camelon cemetery is operational. As a precaution public visits have been restricted for the immediate future.

The primary visitors to the office are funeral directors and stonemasons who have been advised that paperwork can be posted through our office door or emailed to bereavement@falkirk.gov.uk.

Should you need information or advice from Bereavement Services, call 01324 503650 or email the address above. Any application forms for our Book of Remembrance or Lair Transfers can be posted to the address stated on the forms.

Falkirk Crematorium

With effect from Monday 23 March 2020, increased social distancing measures are being put in place at Falkirk Crematorium. From this time a maximum of 50 mourners only will be accommodated in the service chapel. 

From 24 March 2020 the cost of a webcast will be reduced by 50% as numbers of mourners in the service chapel are being limited to a maximum of 50 only.

Play areas

Newly announced Coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions now mean that all play areas are closed until further notice. The closures have been made to assist in reducing the spread of COVID-19.

In the interest of public safety, routine safety inspections of play equipment have also been suspended. Please assist with the reduction of the spread of COVID-19 by not using these areas.