Residents are being reminded of the amended opening times and service changes of Braintree District Council services and venues over the Christmas and New Year period.
The council’s main offices at Causeway House will be closed from 3pm on Friday 22 December and will re-open at 9am on Thursday 28 December 2023, with usual opening hours on Thursday 28 December and Friday 29 December. They will also be closed on New Year’s Day Bank Holiday Monday 1 January and will re-open Tuesday 2 January 2024. These opening hours also apply to the customer services department.
Residents are still able to use the councils online services and access information, such as paying their Council tax, ordering recycling sacks or checking their waste collection dates by visiting www.braintree.gov.uk/ 24 hours per day, 7 days a week.
Key information and dates for the council services over the Christmas and New Year period are as follows:
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.
Those who would usually have their collection on Monday 25 December 2023 will have their waste collected on the earlier date of Saturday 23 December.
All other collections during the week commencing 25 December will be collected one day later than usual.
During the week commencing 1 January 2024, all collections will be one day later than usual. All collections will resume as normal from 8 January 2024.
To check collection dates, residents should refer to their collection calendar or check online: www.braintree.gov.uk/collectioncalendar.
Residents are encouraged to put their recycling and refuse out by 7am on their revised collection day. Any residents who need to check what to put into their clear recycling sacks, can visit the Love Essex website: www.loveessex.org/recycling-at-home/braintree/.
Information about Essex County Council’s Braintree and Witham Recycling Centres opening times and items accepted can be found on the Love Essex website at www.loveessex.org/find-your-nearest-recycling-centre/.
Braintree District Council is offering a collection service for real Christmas trees following the festive period. There will be collections from 10 locations across the district on Saturday 13 January 2024. Details can be found on the council’s website at www.braintree.gov.uk/christmas.
Similar to last year, Farleigh Hospice will also be running their Christmas tree door to door collections from properties in postcodes CM0, CM1, CM2, CM3, CM4 9, CM6 3, CM7, CM77, CM8, CM9. Collections needs to be booked by 4pm on 3 January 2024, and they will take place on 5, 6 and 7 January 2024. More information can be found at www.farleighhospice.org/events/trees-2024.
Leisure centres
From 21 December 2023 reduced opening hours will operate at all four leisure centres across the district, run by Fusion Lifestyle, and will be closed on 25 December, 26 December 2023 and 1 January 2024.
Normal opening hours will resume from 2 January 2024, but opening hours vary between different sites.
More information is available on www.fusion-lifestyle.com/.
Braintree and Witham markets
Braintree and Witham markets will run on Wednesdays and Saturdays as usual. More information about Braintree markets can be found at www.facebook.com/braintreemarkets.
Council owned car parks
Free car parking will be available in our 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 open from 7am until 7.30pm on 26 December 2023 and 1 January 2024.
More information can be found at https://www.braintree.gov.uk/streets-transport-parking.
Cllr Graham Butland, Leader of Braintree District Council, said: “All our key services will continue to be available over the festive period and we will ensure our residents are supported.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the staff at the council for the hard work they do, delivering frontline services on behalf of residents and businesses across the district. It has been a very challenging year yet again and our teams have delivered an outstanding service.
“I hope all our residents and businesses have very merry Christmas and a healthy and happy New Year.”