All the Lancaster City Council services changing over Christmas including bin collections, recycling and market opening dates

Here’s a guide to all the venues and services the council offers and when they will be closed or operating over the festive period.

Christmas waste and recycling collections

Normal collection day: Monday, December 26. Actual collection day: Tuesday, December 27.

Normal collection day: Tuesday, December 27. Actual collection day: Wednesday, December 28.

Normal collection day: Wednesday, December 28. Actual collection day: Thursday, December 29.

Normal collection day: Thursday, December 29. Actual collection day: Friday, December 30.

Normal collection day: Friday, December 30. Actual collection day: Saturday, December 31.

Normal collection day: Monday, January 2. Actual collection day: Tuesday, January 3.

Normal collection day: Tuesday, January 3. Actual collection day: Wednesday, January 4.

Normal collection day: Wednesday, January 4. Actual collection day: Thursday, January 5.

Normal collection day: Thursday, January 5. Actual collection day: Friday, January 6.

Normal collection day: Friday, January 6. Actual collection day: 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 on 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.

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 so from January 30 2023.

Business waste collections

There will also be changes to 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 reopen 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 reopen as usual on Tuesday, December 27. They will close again at 3pm on New Year’s Eve and reopen as usual on Monday, January 2.

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

Lancaster City Council offices

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

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, seven 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