Most of Harlow Council’s services will shut down between Christmas and new year, which saves money on energy and building costs.
Christmas opening times
The contact centre will be open until 4.45pm on Friday 24 December 2020. It will reopen at 9am on Tuesday 4 January 2022.
The contact centre is usually very busy before Christmas and during the few days after the new year, so you might have to wait longer than usual if you call us.
While we are closed, you can still access many services online, like booking a bulky waste collection, reporting noise or litter.
Whilst we are closed, you can also still make payments online.
You can also pay using the 24 hour, automated telephone payments line 01279 446600
In an emergency, when the contact centre is closed, you can contact us by calling 01279 446666
Bins and recycling
Extra waste
Harlow Council will collect one extra bag of non-recycling on your first non-recycling collection after Christmas.
Extra recycling should be put out as normal.
Extra food waste can be placed in compostable liners on top of your caddy or in a cardboard box.
Missed or disrupted bin collections
If your bin collections get missed you can report it to us online.
If bin collections are disrupted due to adverse weather conditions, please check the website for the latest collection information. You can put the bins out for collection as normal and leave them until collected or told otherwise.
There are no green waste premium collections between 27 December 2021 and 7 January 2022.
The Harlow Recycling Centre (the dump) is run by Essex County Council.
Christmas trees
If you are signed up to the green waste premium service just put your real tree out on your January collection day.
If you have an artificial Christmas tree, you can use our bulky collection service
Benefits
Payments will be made to claimants on 10 December 2021, 24 December 2021 and 7 January 2022.
Payments will be made to landlords on 17 December 2021.
Housing
Council housing
The bidding cycle over Christmas and the New Year on Harlow Homefinder website:
- opens on Thursday 23 December 2021 at 9.30am
- closes on Tuesday 4 January 2022 at 1am
The next bidding cycle will start on Thursday 6 January 2022 at 9.30am.
Homelessness
You can look at the help available for rough sleepers over the Christmas period
You can also check what to do if you think you might become homeles