The city council’s main offices and phone lines will be closed from 4pm on Wednesday 24 December and will reopen at 9am on Monday 5 January 2026.
We’re still available if you need us, with many of our services available online. All online forms will remain available over the closure period, but those which need processing by council staff will be dealt with after the holiday.
In case of emergencies during the festive closure, that cannot wait until we re-open, please call our out of hours service 01603 412180.
You can still continue to report issues and request services using our online forms. However, please note that any non-urgent enquiries will be processed from Monday 5 January.
Tenants or leaseholders who have a heating or hot water emergency on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, Sunday 28 December or New Year’s Day please contact our out-of-hours number, 01603 412180.
On any other day please contact Gasway direct on 01603 258617 (lines open 8-6pm and 8.30-12.30 pm on Saturday 27 December).
You can still make payments online. Alternatively, please call our freephone, automated payments line on 0800 021 7784.
There will be delays with posting money to accounts over the closure period (for example residents paying rent or council tax).
This will mean that any payments made over the Christmas period will not appear on customer accounts until the first week of January.
Bulky waste collections will stop at the end of the day on Friday 19 December and resume on Friday 2 January.
To help keep traffic flowing during this busy time, civil enforcement officers will continue to patrol over the festive period, so please be aware of on-street parking restrictions.
The city council’s pay and display and multi-storey car parks will be open as usual during the festive period.
The last garden waste collection will be on Friday 19 December. The first collection after the new year will be on Monday 5 January.
The pest control service will be closed on 25 and 26 December. It will reopen between 27 and 31 December and then be closed until it reopens on 2 January.
Riverside Leisure Centre will be closed 25, 26 December and 1 January. For opening hours, visit Riverside Leisure Centre.
The Halls are currently being refurbished and are due to reopen in Spring 2026.
The Norman Centre will close at 6pm on 24 December and will reopen at 9am on Friday 2 January.
There will be changes to waste and recycling collections. Check your revised collection dates.
