Council services over the Christmas holidays
Opening times
Here you can find the details of opening times for council services including:
- Christmas tree recycling
- Bin collections
- Civic Centre
- Housing options
- Community support services
- Centres for the Community
- Car parks
- Public halls
- Cemeteries
- Parks and recreation grounds
- Xcel Leisure complex
- Hurst pool
- Christmas lights
Christmas tree recycling
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Friday 6, Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 January 2023, Princess Alice Hospice are offering a Christmas tree collection service (please consider making a donation in return)
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Individual Christmas trees can be taken to Garsons Garden Centre on 7 January to be recycled
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Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 January 2033, 1st Weston Green Scout Group will be collecting trees from Molesey, Thames Ditton, Weston Green and Hinchley Wood, in return for a donation. www.collectmytree.co.uk
- Multiple trees can be recycled at your local community recycling centre
- Garden waste customers can recycle their Christmas trees in their brown lidded bin – however, they must be cut up and the lid of the bin must be closed.
Bin collections
There are some changes to bin collections over the Christmas/New Year period, please make sure your bin is out by 6.30am on the day of collection.
See below for further details:
Normal collection day > Revised collection day
- Monday 19 December > no change
- Tuesday 20 December > no change
- Wednesday 21 December > no change
- Thursday 22 December > no change
- Friday 23 December > no change
- Monday 26 December > Tuesday 27 December
- Tuesday 27 December > Wednesday 28 December
- Wednesday 28 December > Thursday 29 December
- Thursday 29 December > Friday 30 December
- Friday 30 December > Saturday 31 December
- Monday 2 January > no change
- Tuesday 3 January > no change
- Wednesday 4 January > no change
- Thursday 5 January > no change
- Friday 6 January > no change
Should bad weather disrupt collections over the festive period please keep your refuse/recycling bins out. We will try to collect any missed bins as soon as we can. You can check our website and Twitter feed @elmbridgebc for up-to-date information.
Christmas recycling tips
- Wrapping paper and cards - only those not lined with foil or plastic and that don't have glitter or batteries can be recycled, so please buy carefully.
- Cardboard - flatten boxes to create more space in your recycling bin.
- Only put recyclable items into your recycling bin, otherwise the entire lorry could be rejected and not recycled. Thank you.
Civic Centre
The Civic Centre will be closed from 5pm Friday 23 December and re-open 9am Tuesday 3 January 2023.
Housing: if you are homeless and need assistance
From 4.45pm on 23 December to 9am on Tuesday 3 January, if you are homeless and need assistance, please call our out of hours service on 0300 123 7718.
During normal opening hours if you at risk of being homeless call 01372 474590.
Community support services
- Meals on wheels service - The seven days a week Meals on Wheels service will continue to operate throughout the Christmas and New Year period with a special service provided on Christmas Day. Customers will be contacted to confirm their meal requirements. For any emergency changes during the holiday period, customers will need to ring the Meals on Wheels line, 01372 474 552 between 10am-12pm, Tuesday 27 to Friday 30 December.
- Community alarm - The service will be monitored, and emergencies will be responded to throughout the Christmas period. For any issues with equipment, please contact the Community Alarm Team on 01372 474 560. Phonelines will be open 9am-5pm Monday to Friday, excluding Bank Holidays. All voicemail messages will be responded to.
- Community transport - Dial-a-Ride services will be closed between 24 December and 2 January inclusiveclosed between 24 December and 2 January inclusi. Contact 01372 474 944 for more information.
- Dementia services will be suspending services for the holiday period, closing social groups on the 23 December and reopening on the 3 January. Contact the Dementia Services team for more information: 01372 474 547.
- Cobham Link will be suspending services for the holiday period, closing services on the 23 December and reopening on the 3 January. Please contact Cobham Link on 01932 596 030 for more information.
Centres for the Community
All the centres will be closed between 26 December 2022 and 2 January 2023 inclusive. Last day of opening before Christmas will be Friday 23 December, and the first day of opening in the New Year will be Tuesday, 3 January, 2023.
This applies for all centres except Thames Ditton which operates on Mondays and Thursdays only. Thames Ditton Centre’s last day of operating will be Thursday 22 December, and the first day of opening in the New Year will be Thursday, 5 January, 2023.
For details of each Centre’s programme of events and activities leading up to Christmas and the New Year, visit our Centres Webpage, or contact your local Centre:
Car parks
All council car parks will be open to the public over the holiday period.
To support local shops and businesses, there will be no charges in the town and village car parks on 3 December.
Charges will also not apply in all council-run town centre and village and commuter car parks on Sunday 25 to Tuesday 27 December 2022 (inclusive) and Sunday 1 to Monday 2 January 2023.
Please remember to drive slowly and safely in our car parks when there are icy conditions.
Public halls
To enquire about the Cecil Hepworth Playhouse in Walton-on-Thames, please email bookings@cecilhepworthplayhouse.co.uk
For Vine hall in Molesey, please email bookings@vine-hall.org.uk or visit the Vine hall website.
Parks, recreation grounds and cemeteries
Parks, recreation grounds, cemeteries and open spaces are open 24 hours a day. The only exceptions are:
- Cobham recreation ground
- Ditton Reach open space, Thames Ditton
Opening times for both:
Saturday 24 December: 9am – 4.30pm
Sunday 25 December: Closed
Monday 26 December: 9am – 4.30pm
Tuesday 27 December to Friday 30 December: 7.30am to 4.30pm
Saturday 31 December: 9am-4.30pm
Sunday 1 January: Closed
Monday 2 January: 9am-4.30pm
Tuesday 3 January: 7 am-4.30pm
Cemeteries office
The cemeteries office, based at the Civic Centre, will be open for enquiries between 8.45am and 5pm up to and including Friday 24 December and will resume on Tuesday 3 January. It will be closed from Monday 26 December to Friday 30 December and re-open on Tuesday 3 January 2023.
Christmas bin collection service in parks and open spaces
There will be a reduced bin collection service in parks and open spaces over the Christmas period. Please help by taking litter home with you to dispose of when bins are full.
Elmbridge Xcel Leisure Complex
Saturday 24 December: 7 am – 1pm
Sunday 25 and Monday 26 December: Closed
Tuesday 27 December: 8am – 7pm
Wednesday 28 to Friday 30 December: 6am – 9pm
Saturday 31 December: 7am – 1pm
Sunday 1 January: Closed
Monday 2 January: 8am – 7pm
Tuesday 3 January: normal hours
Hurst Pool
Saturday 24 December – 8am-1pm
Sunday 25 and Monday 26 December – Closed
Tuesday 27 December – 8am-7pm
Wednesday 28 December – 7am-7pm
Thursday 29 and Friday 30 December – 7am-7pm
Saturday 31 December – 7am-1pm
Sunday 1 January – Closed
Monday 2 January – 8am-7pm
Tuesday 3 January - Normal hours
Christmas lights
Elmbridge Borough Council oversee the installation of the Christmas lights in the following areas.
- Esher
- East Molesey
- West Molesey
- Walton on Thames
- Hersham
- Oxshott
- Weybridge
- Oatlands
All other installations, including Christmas trees, are managed locally through the various Business Guild’s within those areas.
If you have any questions please contact buildingmaintenance@elmbridge.gov.uk
Emergency advice
Keeping you safe in an emergency
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