Christmas and new year information

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 22 December 2023. It will reopen at 9am on Tuesday 2 January 2024. 

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

You can check your bin dates for the Christmas period online.

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 subscription collections between 18 December 2023 and 1 January 2024.

The Harlow Recycling Centre (the dump) is run by Essex County Council.

Christmas trees

You can book a real Christmas tree collection for January.

If you are signed up to the green waste subscription 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 8 December 2023, 22 December 2023 and 5 January 2024.

Payments will be made to landlords on 15 December 2023. 

Housing

Council housing

The bidding cycle over Christmas and the New Year on Harlow Homefinder website:

  • opens on Thursday 21 December 2023 at 9.30am
  • closes on Tuesday 2 January 2024 at 1am

The next bidding cycle will start on Thursday 4 January 2024 at 9.30am.

Homelessness

You can look at the help available for rough sleepers and our warm spaces.

You can also check what to do if you think you might become homeless.