There will be changes to the opening hours at the City Council’s St Aldate's Chambers customer services and telephone contact centre over the Christmas and New Year period.

Telephone contact centre details:

• 24 December: 8am – 3pm

• 25 December: closed Christmas Day

• 26 December: closed Boxing Day

• 27 December: closed Bank Holiday

• 28 December: closed Bank Holiday

• 29 December: 8am – 5pm

• 30 December: 8am – 5pm

• 31 December: 8am – 3pm

• 1 January: closed New Year’s Day

• 2 January: closed Sunday

• 3 January: closed Bank Holiday.

Face to face at St Aldate’s Chambers:

• 24 December: 10.30am – 3pm (closed for lunch 1-2pm)

• 25 December: closed Christmas Day

• 26 December: closed Boxing Day

• 27 December: closed Bank Holiday

• 28 December: closed Bank Holiday

• 29 December: 10.30am – 3.30pm (closed lunch 1-2pm)

• 30 December: closed

• 31 December: 10.30am – 3pm (closed for lunch 1-2pm)

• 1 January: closed New Year’s Day

• 2 January: closed Sunday

• 3 January: closed Bank Holiday.

Normal working hours resume from Tuesday 4 January.

Throughout the period many council services will be available online. Visit the Do it online page for details.

Oxford's parks and cemeteries will be open as normal during the Christmas period.

Out-of-hours emergencies

For out-of-hours we provide emergency cover. To be connected to Oxford City Council emergency services during the holiday period phone 01865 249811.

For emergency caretaking services for Plowman Tower, Foresters Tower, Evenlode Tower, Windrush Tower, Pound House and Riverside Court and Council owned Sheltered Accommodation phone 07932 762712.

For homelessness emergency enquiries phone 0800 833408.

If you smell gas call National Grid on a phone outside your home on 0800 111 999.

Recycling and rubbish collection day changes

Collections due on:

• 28 December will be on 29 December

• 29 December will be on 30 December

• 30 December will be on 31 December

• 31 December will be on 4 January

• 4 January will be on 5 January

• 5 January will be on 6 January

• 6 January will be on 7 January

• 7 January will be on 8 January.

If you have extra recycling over the festive period, such as wrapping paper and Christmas cards (non-glittery), please place this next to your blue bin in a clear plastic bag on your collection day.

We will collect real, bare Christmas trees (free from pots and decorations) on your green/brown bin collection day, from Wednesday 5 January until Friday 28 January. If you live in a flat, or want to recycle your real tree sooner, you can take it to one of our 12 collection points located across the city. These will be open after Christmas.

The collection points are at:

• Alexandra Tennis Courts

• Bury Knowle Park

• Cutteslowe Park

• Harbord Road car park

• Florence Park

• Long Lane, Littlemore

• Margaret Road Recreation Ground

• Meadow Lane Recreation Ground, Jackdaw Lane

• Oatlands Recreation Ground car park

• South Park

• Sunnymead Recreation Ground

• Hinksey Park

• Leys Pool and Leisure Centre.

The locations are also available on Google Maps

Garden waste

Garden waste collections will be suspended from Tuesday 21 December and will resume on Wednesday 5 January.

Small electrical items and batteries

Recycle your small broken electrical items and batteries by leaving them on top of your blue recycling, green rubbish or brown garden waste bin lid in separate clear bags on your collection day. If you live in a flat with shared bins, please recycle

small electrical items and batteries using collection banks located across the city.

For more information visit www.oxford.gov.uk/recycling