Moray Council announces service arrangements for festive period, with news on bins, schools and more
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MORAY Council has announced its service arrangements for the festive period.
Information on school closures, bins, recycling centres and sports facilities have been confirmed.
Schools and education
All schools and council nurseries will close on Thursday, December 22, and reopen on Monday, January 9.
Any queries during this time can be sent to education@moray.gov.uk.
Council offices
All council offices will be closed from Friday, December 23, at 3pm, until the morning of Wednesday, January 4.
Refuse and recycling
Green and recycling bin collections will continue three-weekly. However there won’t be any collections on Monday, December 26, or Monday, January 2, 2023.
Bins scheduled to be collected on Boxing Day in Clochan and Fife Keith will be picked up on December 27.
Bins in Lossiemouth will be collected on December 28 and in Forres it will be December 30.
Several towns were due to see a bin collection on January 2. In Buckie and Portknockie, that has changed to January 3, Tomintoul is January 4, Alves and Roseisle is January 5 and Elgin is January 6.
Collections may be carried out earlier than normal. Residents are urged to have all bins at their usual collection point by 7.30am.
If there's any disruption to these collections, Moray Council will post this on their service portal.
There will be no brown bin collections from Monday, December 26, for a two-week period. Collections resume on Monday, January 9, 2023.
Real Christmas trees can be presented alongside brown bins from Monday, January 9, and will be uplifted regardless of whether residents have a garden waste permit.
The special collection and waste hotline will be closed from 3pm on Friday, December 23, until 9am on Wednesday, January 4.
Recycling centres
All recycling centres will close at noon on Saturday, December 24 and Saturday, December 31.
They will be closed all day on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day and January 2.
Bookings are still required for Chanonry Recycling Centre in Elgin.
Sports and Leisure Facilities
Buckie Swimming Pool and Fitness Centre; Forres Swimming Pool and Fitness Centre; Keith Sports and Community Centre; Lossiemouth Sports and Community Centre; Speyside Sports and Community Centre:
Normal timetable: Friday, December 23, 2022.
Holiday timetable: Saturday, December 24, 2022.
Closed: Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Holiday timetable: Tuesday, December 27 – Friday, December 30, 2022.
Closed: Saturday December 31, 2022 – Monday January 2, 2023.
Holiday timetable: Tuesday 3 January 2023.
Normal timetable resumes: Wednesday 4 January 2023 with swimming lessons starting from Monday, January 9, 2023.
Elgin Sports & Community Centre:
Closed from Thursday, December 22, 2022 until Sunday, January 8, 2023.
Normal timetable resumes on Monday, January 9, 2023.
Milne’s Fitness Suite, Fochabers:
Closed: Saturday, December 24, 2022 – Tuesday, January 3, 2023.
Normal timetable resumes on Wednesday, January 4, 2023.
Football pitches and pavilions; Elgin High Sports Centre; Forres House Community Centre:
Closed from Christmas Day until Tuesday, January 3, 2023.
Normal timetable resumes on Wednesday, January 4, 2023.
Car parks
St Giles and Batchen Lane multi-storey car park will be closed on Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
Libraries
All libraries will remain open as normal on Saturday, December 24, except Elgin, which will close at 2pm.
All libraries will be closed on Monday, December 26, and Tuesday, December 27.
Normal opening hours will return on Wednesday, December 28, and Thursday, December 29.
Libraries will be closed on Friday, December 30, until Tuesday January 3, 2023.
All libraries return to normal opening times on Wednesday 4 January 2023.
The mobile library is on the road up to and including Friday, December 23. Full service resumes as normal on Monday, January 9, 2023.
A schedule of Mobile Library visits is available by calling Elgin Library on 01343 562600.
Toilets
Public conveniences will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day and January 2.
Registrars
The Elgin Office is closed from Friday, December 23, at 3pm until Wednesday, January 4.
However it is open, strictly by appointment, on Wednesday, December 28, and Thursday, December 29, for death registration only.
Should a registrar require to be contacted urgently, please call 07891 721414 or 07742 716 586.
Emergency council services
Over the holiday period the emergency out-of-hours service will operate as normal on 03457 565656 for all council services, including matters of child protection.
You can make payments, report non-emergency faults and submit certain requests at www.moray.gov.uk.
Scottish Welfare Fund
The Scottish Welfare Fund will close Friday, December 23, at 3pm until Wednesday, December 28.
A skeleton Crisis Grant service will be provided between December 28 and 30.
Applications can be made online at www.moray.gov.uk/scottishwelfarefund or by phoning 03457 565 656.
The service will close at 4pm on Friday, December 30, until Wednesday, January 4, at 8:45am.
Care at home service
Care at Home will operate with a skeleton staff during the council closure period from December 24 until January 3.
Existing care at home users will receive their usual level of care throughout the festive period.
Children’s and Families and Justice services
Children and Families and Justice Services will be working on a ‘business as usual’ basis from December 23, through to December 28, 2022.
On December 28 and 29, 2022, Social Work teams will provide a scaled-down service covering planned and statutory work and respond to incoming referrals and public protection concerns.
This service can be accessed by phoning 01343 554370. Placement Services can be accessed on 01343 563325.
Out of Hours Social Work Services will cover all other dates up to January 4, 2023.
Justice Services will provide a service to Courts and ‘need to be seen’ clients on December 28 and 29, 2022.
