Residents across the Royal Borough of Greenwich are being urged to take note of significant changes to council services over the festive period. The local authority has published its annual holiday schedule, detailing revised operating times for waste collection, leisure facilities, libraries, and housing support.
Revised Waste and Recycling Collection Dates
Waste and recycling collections will run as normal from Monday, December 22 to Wednesday, December 24. However, changes will come into effect for the bank holidays. Households whose bins are usually emptied on Thursday, December 25 (Christmas Day) will have their collection moved to Saturday, December 27. Those with a regular Friday, December 26 (Boxing Day) collection will see their service shifted to Sunday, December 28.
Normal schedules resume from Monday, December 29 to Wednesday, December 31. Another adjustment follows for New Year's Day: collections due on Thursday, January 1 will be collected on Friday, January 2, and Friday, January 2's collections will move to Saturday, January 3. All services return to their standard timetables from Monday, January 5.
Bulky waste collections and deliveries will pause from December 24, restarting on January 5. Clinical waste collections will continue over the holidays but will not operate on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, or New Year's Day. Subscribers to the garden waste service can dispose of real Christmas trees in their garden waste bin from January 6, on their normal collection day. Alternatively, trees can be taken to the Greenwich Reuse and Recycling Centre in Nathan Way, which will be closed on December 25, 26, and January 1.
Leisure, Library and Park Closures
Opening hours at all Greenwich leisure centres may vary between December 24 and January 1, with the council advising users to check directly before visiting. All leisure centres will be closed on December 22, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day.
All borough libraries will shut on December 22, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. Charlton House Library faces an extended closure from December 22 to 26, and again from December 28 to 31. On Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, most libraries will operate reduced hours, with specific shorter schedules at Thamesmere, Greenwich, Plumstead, and Eltham Libraries on various days leading up to the holidays.
Several parks, including The Tarn and Fairy Hill Park, will close on Christmas Day, though most open spaces will remain accessible. The borough's Adventure Play Centres will shut from December 22 to 26.
Housing, Support and Essential Contacts
Repairs and caretaking services for council homes will operate normally until Christmas Eve. An emergency out-of-hours service will then run from December 25 to 28, with an additional emergency repair service in place from January 1 to 4. Normal office hours resume on January 5.
Tenants can report first-time repairs via the freephone line 0808 175 6915 during office hours or online. A 24-hour emergency housing service remains available on 020 8854 8888. The council's tenancy services will be closed on bank holidays and weekends.
Critical support for homeless residents and those in temporary accommodation will be provided by Housing Inclusion from 9am to 5pm, December 22 to 31, excluding bank holidays and weekends.
Mental health support is available through Live Well Greenwich on 0800 470 4831. The service will be open Monday to Saturday, 9am to 3pm, over the festive period, but closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year's Day.
The Woolwich Centre will open as usual except on bank holidays and weekends. The Eltham Centre will close on December 22 and New Year's Eve, and close early at 2pm on Christmas Eve. When centres are closed, the public can contact the council's out-of-hours service on 020 8854 8888.
Eltham Crematorium and Cemetery Grounds will be open daily from 9am to 4pm, including on Christmas and New Year's Day, though the Crematorium Office will close at 2pm on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.
