Changes to council services over Christmas and New Year

Rochdale Borough Council has confirmed the details of service changes and opening times for the Christmas and New Year period.

Some non-critical services will not be available from 4pm on Thursday 24 December until Monday 4 January, although emergency phonelines will be in operation throughout. To contact the council urgently during the holidays the emergency number is 0300 303 8875.

Plans are in place to ensure roads are gritted and kept clear, should the wintry weather take a turn for the worst, and staff are always on standby in the event of an emergency.

Some waste and recycling collection dates will change:

• Bins due to be collected on Friday 25 December will be collected on Monday 28 December.
• Bins normally collected on Friday 1 January will be collected on Monday 4 January.

The council will collect extra recycling waste ONLY - extra bags of general waste will not be collected.

 

Please ensure paper and cardboard are flattened and secured next to your bin and that mixed recycling (glass, plastic bottles, and cans) are in a clear container next to the bin. Large items such as cardboard boxes should be folded down to make them as manageable as possible.

After Christmas you can recycle your real tree by putting it inside your brown bin. Remove the base and decorations and chop it down so it fits in your bin. The trunk must be thinner than your wrist and the bin lid needs to close. Alternatively, you can take it to one of 9 recycling points located across the borough, or to one of the household waste and recycling centres. 

Christmas tree recycling points are as follows:

• Castleton Community Centre Car Park, Manchester Road, Castleton
• Bentley Street, opposite Clarence Street, Rochdale - spare ground
• Bank Top or Cherwell Avenue, Heywood - open space
• Kirkway, just off Grimshaw Lane, Middleton
• Norden Bus Terminus Play Area, Edenfield Road, Rochdale
• Norden Road, Bamford, Rochdale
• Halifax Road, Smalbridge
• Milnrow Memorial Car Park
• Wildhouse Lane, Milnrow - lay-by area

 

 

The council’s contact centre will be open from 8.30am to 4pm on Thursday 24 December and then on 29 and 31 December. Between these dates the emergency phone line will be staffed.

You can access many services online, get support and information, advice, and report things 24 hours a day via the Rochdale Council website.

Coronavirus test centres will open as normal apart from Friday 25 December, Monday 28 December, and Friday 1 January when they will open for reduced hours - 9am-3pm. You must have an appointment, so phone 119 or visit www.nhs.uk/coronavirus to book a test.

Libraries that have re-opened and customer services at Number One Riverside will be open until 4pm on Thursday 24 December then close until Monday 4 January.

Adult Care will continue to deliver services for vulnerable people throughout. A team of staff will be working to deal with emergencies and ensure people are supported and cared for in an emergency.

Sure Start Children’s Centres are open as usual up to Thursday 24 December (please check timetables for the individual centres) and then closed - with the exception of well-baby clinics and pre-booked antenatal/post-natal appointments - until Monday 4 January 2021.

Children’s social care services will continue to operate throughout and can be contacted on 0300 303 0440. To report a concern about a child or adult outside of working hours, at weekends or during Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year’s Day contact the Emergency Duty Team on 0300 303 8875. If it is an emergency, dial 999 and ask for the police.

Household Waste Centres (Chichester Street, Rochdale and Spring Vale, Middleton) are open every day apart from Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

There will be changes to the opening hours of Link4Life leisure centres – together with Touchstones Arts and Heritage Centre. For more details contact your local centre or visit www.link4life.org

Hollingworth Lake cafés are open for takeaway only every day except Christmas day (weather dependant). Toilets at Lake Bank and the pavilion are open every day except Christmas Day. The visitor centre remains closed due to the pandemic.

Rochdale Register Office is closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day. On 29 and 30 December it will be open from 9am – 4.45pm and on 31 December from 9am – 3pm. If you require a Registrar urgently when the office is closed, phone 0300 303 8875. Normal service resumes on Monday 4 January. The office moves to Number One Riverside, Rochdale from 23 December.

Council Leader Allen Brett said: “I know things are different this year, but many of our services continue to operate over the festive season and I want to reassure residents that we are still here for them, especially the emergency front-line services that people rely on most.

“I want to thank everyone who has helped look after vulnerable neighbours and supported our communities during the pandemic. You have all made a massive difference to people’s lives at an incredibly worrying time. I would also like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a safe and healthy Christmas and New Year. Hopefully, it will be a much brighter picture as we head into 2021 with the vaccine roll-out being delivered here in the borough and across the country.”

Full details of service changes are available at www.rochdale.gov.uk/christmas