Council services and opening times will be different over the festive period – with earlier bin collections than usual and changes due to new Tier 4 coronavirus restrictions.

Essential services will continue to run, including local testing and contact tracing and support for vulnerable residents shielding due to the pandemic. If you have coronavirus symptoms, it’s essential that you self-isolate immediately for 10 days and book a test on the NHS COVID-19 app, online, or by calling 119. 

The Council also continues to be disrupted by a serious cyberattack which is affecting how some services are operating. Council teams continue to work hard to restore affected services.

For full information on hours of service and out of hours emergency services visit hackney.gov.uk/festive-season-opening-times. A summary of key services is below. 

Contacting the Council

The Council will operate an emergency-only phone line throughout the Christmas period, on 020 8356 3000.

The Council’s general contact centre will be closed between 5pm on Christmas Eve and Tuesday 29 October, and again between Friday 1 January and Sunday 3 January. It will operate between Tuesday 29 December and Thursday 31 December for adult social care and coronavirus support issues only.

The Council will continue to operate a repairs service for urgent and emergency repairs for Council tenants throughout the Christmas period, which is available by calling 020 8356 3691.

Recycling and waste collections

Waste and recycling collection are taking place a day earlier than normal between Monday 21 December and Friday 25 December and will return to normal from 28 December, except for collections due to take place on Friday 1 January which will instead take place on Saturday 2 January.

Residents can recycle Christmas trees by leaving them outside their home between 4-15 January on their rubbish and recycling day. Trees can also be taken to Millfields Depot, Millfields Road, E5 0AR from 4 to 31 January, 8am–3pm, Mondays to Fridays, or 8am–12 noon on Saturdays.

Normal garden waste collections are suspended between 4-15 January, with standard services resuming on 18 January.

Libraries, leisure centres and cultural venues 

In line with the government’s Tier 4 coronavirus restrictions the Hackney Museum remains closed. Click and collect, and IT and digital services, at all Hackney libraries will close from Christmas Eve until Tuesday 5 January.