Like most other London councils, waste collection schedules are adjusted over bank holidays so residents who usually have bins emptied on a Thursday or Friday will have collections postponed next week. The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) outlines the changes below as well as impacts on other council services.
Waste and recycling collections will take place as normal from Monday, December 22 to Wednesday, December 24. Those due to have waste collected on Thursday (December 25) or Friday (December 26) will have these collections moved to December 27 and 28 respectively.
Regular collections will continue to take place from Monday, December 29 to Wednesday, December 31. However, collections on New Year’s Day will be pushed back a day to January 2, and those expecting to get their bins taken on January 2 will have them collected on January 3.
All waste and recycling collections will return to normal on Monday, January 5. Bulky collections and deliveries will cease from December 24 and restart on January 5. Clinical waste collections will continue over the holiday period but will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
If you are signed up to the council’s garden waste collection service you can put your real Christmas tree in the bin and place outside on your normal collection day from January 6. You can also take them to the Greenwich Reuse And Recycling Centre in Nathan Way.
The centre is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6.30pm; Saturday, 8am to 5pm; and Sunday, 9am to 4.30pm. It will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
Repairs and caretaking services for Greenwich Council homes will operate as normal until December 24, after which an emergency out-of-hours service will run from December 25 to 28. For repairs, there will be an additional emergency out-of-hours service between January 1 and 4. Normal office hours will operate from January 5.
Tenants can report first-time repairs to the freephone line during office hours at 0808 175 6915 or request a repair online. A 24-hour emergency housing service is also available by calling 020 8854 8888.
The council’s tenancy services will be closed on bank holidays and weekends but open from 9am to 5pm otherwise. Housing inclusion—which provides support to homeless people—and temporary accommodation will provide emergency support to those in need from 9am to 5pm, December 22 to 31, excluding bank holidays and weekends.
Opening times at all Greenwich leisure centres may vary between December 24 and January 1, so the council has advised users to check ahead before visiting. All leisure centres will close on December 22, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
All Greenwich libraries will be closed on December 22, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Charlton House Library will be closed from December 22 to December 26 as well as December 28 To December 31.
On Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, all libraries (except Charlton House Library) will open with reduced hours. Thamesmere, Greenwich, and Plumstead Libraries will operate reduced hours on December, 23, 24 and 30. Eltham Library will operate reduced hours on December 23 and 24.
The Tarn, Fairy Hill Park, Southwood Park, Hornfair Park, St Alfege Park, St Mary’s and Plumstead Gardens will be closed on Christmas Day. All other parks and open spaces will remain open. The borough’s Adventure Play Centres will also close from December 22 to December 26.
Greenwich Council’s cemetery office will be closed from Christmas Day to December 27 and again on New Year’s Day. Outside these dates, it will operate with reduced hours.
Eltham Crematorium and Cemetery Grounds will be open from 9am to 4pm daily, including Christmas and New Year’s Day. The Chapel and Garden of Remembrance will close 15 minutes before site closure. Additionally, the Crematorium Office will close on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve at 2pm.
The Woolwich Centre will be open as normal apart from bank holidays and weekends. The Eltham Centre will be closed on December 22 and New Year’s Eve, and on Christmas Eve it will close early at 2pm. On other weekdays, it will be open as usual, excluding bank holidays and weekends.
When the centres are closed, an out-of-hours service will be available to contact the council on by calling 020 8854 8888.
Mental health support is also available by calling Live Well Greenwich on 0800 470 4831. Over Christmas the service is open Monday to Saturday, 9am to 3pm, but it will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
