Council services and facilities this Christmas

There will be a number of changes to the availability of council services and facilities this Christmas.

Council offices will close at 3pm on Friday, December 23 and re-open at 9am on Wednesday, December 28.  They will then close at 3pm on Friday, December 30 and re-open at 9am on Tuesday, January 3.

Christmas waste and recycling collections

There will be a number of changes to waste and recycling collections over the Christmas and New Year period.

Normal Collection Day	Actual Collection Day
Monday, December 26	Tuesday, December 27
Tuesday, December 27	Wednesday, December 28
Wednesday, December 28	Thursday, December 29
Thursday, December 29	Friday, December 30
Friday, December 30	Saturday, December 31
Monday, January 2	Tuesday, January 3
Tuesday, January 3	Wednesday, January 4
Wednesday, January 4	Thursday, January 5
Thursday, January 5	Friday, January 6
Friday, January 6	Saturday, January 7

If in doubt you can find your 2022/23 calendars or check your collection days at www.lancaster.gov.uk/bins  

Collection of large or bulky items

For large or bulky household items, residents can book a collection online at www.lancaster.gov.uk/bulkymatters or by calling customer services on 01524 582491

Alternatively, you can call upon recycling and reuse charity Freegle which offers a free internet-based service where people can give away and ask for things that would otherwise be thrown away – visit www.ilovefreegle.org  for more information. Don’t throw it away, give it away.

Batteries

Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without larger than normal supplies of batteries, so the council is urging everyone to use the council’s new battery recycling collection service.  For more information, visit www.lancaster.gov.uk/battery-recycling

Christmas tree recycling collection

For a small donation to St John’s Hospice, you can have your real Christmas trees collected from your doorstep by hospice volunteers in the new year. For more information or to book yourself a collection, visit www.sjhospice.org.uk/recycletrees   or call 01524 382538 during office hours.

For more information and top tips for recycling as much as possible over the festive season, visit www.recyclenow.com

Suspension of garden waste collections

Residents in the Lancaster district who have subscribed to the council’s garden waste collection service are being reminded that collections will be suspended over the winter months in what is traditionally the quietest time for gardeners.

There will be no collections from Monday, December 12 until the service resumes on Monday, January 27 2023.

During this time, residents can either compost the green waste or dispose of it at a local recycling centre.

Anyone wanting to subscribe online which is the quickest way to receive the service from April 1 2023, will be able to do as from January 30 2023.

Business waste collections

There will also be changes to our business refuse and recycling collections over the Christmas and New Year period.  For more information, visit www.lancaster.gov.uk/tradewaste

Markets

Festive opening times for the Charter Market and Assembly Rooms Emporium in Lancaster and Festival Market in Morecambe can be found at www.lancaster.gov.uk/markets

Salt Ayre Leisure Centre

Salt Ayre Leisure Centre will close for Christmas at noon on Christmas Eve and reopen at 6am on Wednesday, December 28.  The centre will close for New Year at noon on New Year’s Eve and re-open at 6am on Tuesday, January 3.

For more information on timetables, visit www.lancaster.gov.uk/saltayre  

Williamson Park

The Pavilion Café, shop and other attractions will close at 3pm on Saturday, December 24 and re-open as usual on Tuesday, 27th December.  They will close again at 3pm on New Year’s Eve and re-open as usual on Monday, January 2.

Visitors to the park will still be able to enjoy access to the park for walks and play throughout the festive season.

Cemeteries Service

The council’s Cemeteries Office will be open in line with council office opening hours and will close at 3pm on Friday, 23 and Friday, December 30.

However, all seven of the council’s cemeteries will be open as normal – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for visitors and their vehicles.

Funerals will continue to take place as booked.

For more information visit www.lancaster.gov.uk/cemeteries

For information on all council services and to report issues or pay for services online, visit www.lancaster.gov.uk

Last updated: 12 December 2022