Braintree District Council customer services and Causeway House
The council’s main offices at Causeway House will be closed from 3pm on Wednesday 24 December and will re-open at 9am on Monday 29 December 2025, with usual opening hours on that day. On Wednesday 31 December offices will close at 3pm, and will re-open Monday 5 January 2026.
These opening hours also apply to the customer services department.
You can still use our online services and access information, such as paying your council tax, ordering recycling sacks or checking your waste collection dates by visiting the Braintree District Council website 24 hours per day, 7 days a week.
Recycling and refuse collections
There will be some changes to recycling and refuse collection days over the festive period this year due to the Christmas and New Years Day Bank Holidays.
Collections may be taking place two or three days later than usual, and residents can visit the Braintree District Council service updates page to see all collection changes.
Collections will resume as normal from Monday 12 January 2026.
Garden waste collections will be suspended from Monday 22 December 2025 until Tuesday 6 January 2026. Normal garden waste subscription service will resume from Monday 12 January 2026.
To check collection dates, you should refer to their collection calendar. You can also view your collection calendar online.
You can put your recycling and refuse out by 7am on the revised collection day. You can check what to put into your clear recycling sacks visiting the Love Essex website.
Information about Essex County Council’s Braintree and Witham Recycling Centres opening times and items accepted can be found on the Love Essex website.
Similar to last year, Farleigh Hospice will be running their Christmas tree door to door collections from many properties in the Braintree District. Collections need to be registered by 4pm on 6 January 2026, and they will take place on 9, 10, 11 and 12 January 2026. Visit the Farleigh Hospice website for more information.
The Halstead Young Farmers will be running a similar scheme, collecting on 11 January 2026. Visit the Halstead Young Farmers event page for more information.
Leisure centres
From 24 December 2025, reduced opening hours will operate at all four leisure centres across the district, run by Freedom Leisure, and will be closed on 25 December, 26 December 2025 and 1 January 2026.
Normal opening hours will resume from 2 January 2026, but opening hours vary between different sites.
Visit the Freedom Leisure website for more information. Residents are encouraged to check before they visit.
Braintree and Witham markets
Braintree and Witham markets will run as usual on Monday 22 December, Tuesday 23 December, Wednesday 24 December and Saturday 27 December 2025. The last Street Market for 2025 will be on Saturday 10 December 2025.
There will be no market on Saturday 3 January 2026.
Usual market dates will resume on Wednesday 7 January 2026.
Visit the Facebook Braintree Markets page for more information.
Council owned car parks
Free car parking will be available in council-owned pay and display car parks in Braintree and Witham on the Bank Holidays.
George Yard multi-storey car park in Braintree will be closed on 25 December and will be open on all other days.
Visit our Streets, Transport and Parking page for more information.
