Published: Tuesday, 13 December 2022

There will be changes to the opening hours at the City Council’s Customer Service Centre and Telephone Contact Centre, Town Hall, and Museum over the Christmas and New Year period.

Telephone contact centre details

  • 22 December: normal opening hours
  • 23 December: 8am to 5pm
  • 24 December: closed
  • 25 December: closed
  • 26 December: closed
  • 27 December: closed
  • 28 December: 8am to 5pm
  • 29 December: 8am to 5pm
  • 30 December: 8am to 5pm
  • 31 December: Closed
  • 1 January: closed
  • 2 January: closed
  • 3 January: normal opening hours

Face to face 

  • 22 December: closed
  • 23 December: closed
  • 24 December: closed
  • 25 December: closed
  • 26 December: closed
  • 27 December: closed
  • 28 December: 10am to 3pm
  • 29 December: closed
  • 30 December: 10am to 1pm
  • 31 December: closed
  • 1 January: closed
  • 2 January: closed
  • 3 January: closed

Town Hall

  • 22 December: normal opening hours
  • 23 December: 9am to 5pm
  • 24 December: closed
  • 25 December: closed
  • 26 December: closed
  • 27 December: closed
  • 28 December: 10am to 5pm
  • 29 December: 10am to 5pm
  • 30 December: 10am to 5pm
  • 31 December: closed
  • 1 January: closed
  • 2 January: closed
  • 3 January: normal opening hours

Museum of Oxford

  • 22 December: normal opening hours
  • 23 December: 10am to 5pm
  • 24 December: closed
  • 25 December: closed
  • 26 December: closed
  • 27 December: closed
  • 28 December: 10am to 5pm
  • 29 December: 10am to 5pm
  • 30 December: 10am to 5pm
  • 31 December: closed
  • 1 January: closed
  • 2 January: closed
  • 3 January: normal opening hours

Throughout the period many council services will be available online.

Oxford's parks and cemeteries will be open as normal during the Christmas period.

Out-of-hours emergencies

We provide emergency cover out-of-hours. To be connected to Oxford City Council emergency services during the holiday period phone 01865 249811.

For emergency caretaking services for Plowman Tower, Foresters Tower, Evenlode Tower, Windrush Tower, Pound House and Riverside Court and Council owned Housing for Older People phone 07932 762712.

For homelessness emergency enquiries phone 0800 833408.

If you smell gas call National Grid on a phone outside your home on 0800 111 999. 

Recycling and rubbish collection day changes

With the exception of garden and bulky waste, collections continue as normal throughout the festive period. Garden and bulky waste collections will be suspended between 26 December and 8 January.

Extra Recycling

If you have extra recycling over the festive period, such as wrapping paper and Christmas cards (non-glittery), please place this next to your blue bin in a clear plastic bag on your collection day.

Real Christmas trees

We will collect real, bare Christmas trees (free from tinsel, decorations or treats) on your green/brown bin collection day, from 10 January until 3 February. You do not need a garden waste subscription.  If you live in a flat, or want to recycle your real tree sooner, you can take it to one of our 12 collection points located across the city. These will be open after Christmas on 26 December and will close on 3 February.

The collection points are at:

  • Alexandra Tennis Courts, Middle Way
  • Bury Knowle Park, North Place
  • Cutteslowe Park, Harbord Road
  • Florence Park, Cornwallis Road
  • Junction of Long Lane & Cowley Road, Littlemore
  • Margaret Road Recreation Ground, Margaret Road
  • Meadow Lane Recreation Ground, Jackdaw Lane
  • Oatlands Recreation Ground car park, Ferry Hinksey Road
  • South Park, Morrell Avenue
  • Sunnymead Recreation Ground, Wren Road
  • Hinksey Park, Abingdon Road
  • Leys Pool and Leisure Centre, Pegasus Road

The locations are also available on Google Maps or available the Recycling at Christmas page.

Food recycling

Christmas is a great time to start recycling food waste (e.g. vegetable peelings and bones). You can line your food caddy with compostable bags, plastic bags (excluding black plastic bags), newspaper, or you can place food in your caddy loose. In partnership with Oxford County Council you can get free food caddy liners at various locations across Oxfordshire. Find out more on the County Council's Food and Garden Waste page.

Small electrical items and batteries

If you have unwanted but working electricals try selling or give them away on a second hand site or to a charity shop. If they are broken, try fixing them at a Repair Café or recycling them on your collection day.

Place your small electricals and batteries in a separate clear bags on top of your recycling, rubbish or garden waste bin.

If you live in a flat with shared bins, please recycle electrical items and batteries using collection banks and drop off points located across the city. 

For more information, visit the Recycling pages.

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