Tendring District Council has released details of revised waste and recycling collections over the Christmas and New Year period.

Waste and recycling collections will not take place on the Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year’s Day bank holidays. Changes are as below, and are also included on residents’ collection calendars:

Collections week commencing 1 January 2024 will be two days later, with Friday’s households collected on the following Monday (8 January).

For week beginning Monday, 8 January 2024 collections will be a day later than usual, with Friday collections taking place on Saturday (13 January). Collections resume as normal from Monday, 15 January 2024.

For households’ first black bin collection after Christmas each home can put out an extra two black bags of side waste, in recognition of the additional waste and recycling generated over the festive period.

Households subscribed to the garden waste brown bin service are reminded there are no collections over the Christmas and New Year period, but they can leave a Christmas tree out with their bin for their first collection afterwards. The collection day of the week for garden waste is unchanged – so if residents usually have their garden waste bin collected on a Monday, that remains the same.

People can find updated information on TDC’s Christmas services web page, which has full details of seasonal changes to services across the authority: www.tendringdc.uk/pages/christmas.

Christmas Trees

St Helena Hospice is again running its Treecycle service for Brightlingsea and other Tendring residents. Households can book for their tree to be collected on the weekend of 6-7 January in return for a donation to the charity. To find out more and to book visit sthelena.org.uk/how-you-can-help-us/events-and-challenges/treecycle-2024 – bookings must be made by 1 January 2024.

Health Services

• Some pharmacies will be open on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. For details see Find a pharmacy – NHS (www.nhs.uk).
• GP practices will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. 
• The NHS 111 service is available online and by ‘phone 24/7 for help and advice if you or a family member is feeling unwell. The local NHS trust is urging people to use the online service first if possible.
• Mental health crisis support is accessible round-the-clock by calling NHS 111 and choosing the mental health option.
• COVID vaccination clinics are still taking place. Visit www.sneevaccine.org.uk for more information
• Flu vaccinations are still on offer and those eligible should contact their GP practice.
• The Keep Well This Winter website –www.sneewellbeing.org.uk/winter – has information and advice about keeping well over winter.