Customer Access Points and most other council buildings in County Durham will be closed over the Christmas and New Year holidays. They will close at 4.30pm on Friday, 23 December and reopen at 8.30am on Tuesday, 3 January 2017. In the event of an emergency, residents can still contact the council on 03000 260 000 or use the 24/7 automated payments line on 0300 456 2771. Online services will still be accessible over the festive period but requests will not be processed until council offices reopen on Tuesday, 3 January.
Leisure centres will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, Tuesday, 27 December, New Year’s Day and Monday, 2 January. They will also close early at 4pm on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. Library opening times vary. Visitors are advised to contact their local library or visit the council’s website to check times. Day centres for adults will be closed on Bank Holidays, including Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. Children’s centres, meanwhile, will close or have restricted opening times over the Christmas period. Users are advised to contact their local centre or One Point hub to check whether it is open. Register offices will be closed on all Bank Holidays – Christmas Day, Boxing Day, Tuesday, 27 December, New Year’s Day and Monday, 2 January.
They will close at 12.45pm on Christmas Council Xmas & New Year Opening Times Eve and New Year’s Eve. Offices in Bishop Auckland, Barnard Castle, Chester-le-Street and Aykley Heads, in Durham, will be open between Christmas and New Year but will operate on an appointments basis only. To make an appointment, call 03000 266 000. Sevenhills research centre, in Spennymoor, will close at 3pm on Thursday, 22 December and reopen at 10am on Tuesday, 3 January. Durham County Record Office has now closed for collections management and will reopen at 8.45am on Tuesday, 3 January. The Park and Ride service will not operate during any of the bank holidays, including Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
It will operate as normal, from 7am to 7pm, on all other days. Bin collections will take place as normal, with residents asked to make sure their rubbish and recycling bins are placed at the kerbside by 7am on the usual collection day. Residents can arrange to have their real Christmas tree collected for free in the New Year by visiting www.durham. gov.uk before Sunday, 8 January. Alternatively, call 03000 261 000 during normal office hours. Visit www.durham.gov.uk/ festive for more information and updates on Durham County Council services during the festive period. Residents can also keep upto-date with any changes to council services by following @durhamcouncil on twitter or / durhamcouncil on Facebook
