Council services over Christmas and New Year
As many families take a break over the holidays many council staff and partners will be working over the holidays to support residents.
Our hard-working care staff in both children’s and adults’ care will be helping families when needed and care workers will be staffing care homes and supporting citizens with home care.
With temperatures still low our gritting crews will be out at all hours when needed, including on Christmas Day if required.
Regular services will be closed on Christmas Day and other bank holidays.
All libraries will be closed on all bank holidays. However, other days will vary according to each library. Please check out our dedicated web page.
There will be no bin collections on Christmas Day or Boxing Day. If you are due to have your recycling taken on Tuesday 27 December, those collections are scheduled as usual - but there will be no general waste (grey lid bin) collections on that day.
The city’s network of Household Recycling Centres are closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, but open at all other times. Check full details on all aspects of waste collection and disposal during the festive period.
Just like many people across the city and wider world, the animals at Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park will be taking a rest of their own during the Christmas season.
The park will be closed from Saturday 24 December until Saturday 30 December (inclusive).
Visitor Centres at our other parks will be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day only – they are open and working on all other days.
We recognise that too many families will be struggling this Christmas, worrying about how to pay the bills and put food on the table. You are not alone; the cost of living crisis is affecting many people. Read more information on help to access grants and debt advice and support getting all the money you are entitled.
Our Neighbourhood Advice and Information Centres at Erdington and Northfield will be open on both Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve from 10am-1pm for special sessions to help citizens with cost of living matters.
The location details are:
- Erdington Advice Centre, 67 Sutton New Road, Erdington, B23 6QT
- Northfield Customer Service Centre, 1a Vineyard Road, Northfield, B31 1PG
There is now a network of warm spaces across the city, with around a hundred places people can keep warm, get a hot drink for meal and meet other people. Check out individual spaces for what is on offer and opening times.
For anyone who sleeping rough on the streets, help and support is available 24/7 throughout the holiday. There is a place available for everyone at one of our hostels so please if you see someone sleeping rough report it to Streetlink.
As the largest social landlord in the country, our tenants can call on our repair services and emergency call out at any time during the holiday. For anyone finding themselves in need of emergency accommodation, our temporary accommodation including our purpose built facility at Oscott Gardens will be open throughout the holiday.
Housing Options, our service for people needing accommodation, will also be open every weekday as normal over the next two weeks apart from the bank holiday on 3 January. Birmingham Advice Aid, our digital service providing advice on all aspects of housing, will be available 24/7
Careline, our 24 hour emergency contact service for older people and anyone who feels vulnerable, has a disability or a medical need, will also be available.
Birmingham’s cemeteries and crematoria will have altered hours over Christmas and New Year period. There will be no burial services on Christmas Day. On Bank Holiday dates only Sutton New Hall Cemetery will have burial services.
All sites will be open for visitors between Christmas Eve and 2 January between 8.30am-4pm, except on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, when they will open between 8:30am and 1:30pm.
We have no burial Services Christmas day. Bank Holiday days, only Sutton New Hall Cemetery has burial services, all other cemeteries just open for visitors.
Details of the out-of-hours bereavement service can be found on the council website.
Also the city’s Register Office will be closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, then open 10am to 3pm on Christmas Eve and 10am to 12:30pm on 26, 27 December and 2 January. It will open as usual between 28 to 31 December (9am-4pm Monday to Friday, 10am to 3pm, Saturday).
For anyone who prefers to get in touch with the council by phone, the contact centre opening hours are as follows:
Christmas Eve – Cost of Living support only – 10am to 1pm
Christmas Day – all lines closed
Boxing Day – all lines closed
Tuesday 27 (Bank Holiday) – all lines closed
Wednesday 28 to Friday 30 – normal service
New Year’s Eve – Cost of Living support only – 10am-1pm
For the full range of ways to get in touch with the council, please visit our “contact us” webpage.
