Our services over Christmas and New Year

We are closed from 2pm Friday 24 December until 8:30am Tuesday 4 January.

There will be access to emergency support and services during that time – details below.

Covid support

There is information on how you can find help and support on our Community Hub pages: whitehorsedc.gov.uk/communityhub

Our Community Hub will reopen at 9am on Tuesday 4 January

If you urgently need support, contact our emergency out of hours service on 01235 422420

For information and advice on what to do if you if you have Covid-19 symptoms visit the NHS website: nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/ 

For general Covid advice: gov.uk/coronavirus 

NHS Volunteer Responders

The NHS Volunteer Responders programme is available to help support those who need it. Volunteers can collect and deliver shopping, medication and other essential supplies and can also provide a regular friendly phone call

If you, or someone you know, or someone you care for would like to register for support from NHS Volunteer Responders during the Christmas period, please call: 

0808 196 3646 (8am to 8pm, 7 days a week)

For more information visit:  nhsvolunteerresponders.org.uk/services

Waste collections

Our colleagues at Biffa are on hand between Christmas and New Year to answer your waste collection queries

Please call them on 03000 610610:

24 December – 9am-3pm

29 and 30 December – 9am-5pm

31 December 9am – 3pm

For information about changes to your Christmas waste collections please head to our Christmas waste webpage whitehorsedc.gov.uk/christmaswaste

If bad weather means your bin is not emptied, please leave it out for up to three days and we will try and catch up with collections.

Housing

If you are at immediate risk of being made homeless while our offices are closed, contact our out of hours service, which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The number to call for the Vale of White Horse is 01235 422420

Council tax and benefits services

If you need urgent help with council tax or benefits during the holidays, Capita’s phone lines will be open as normal between 29 and 31 December.

Planning

Any planning applications or post submitted after we close for Christmas, including electronic submissions, will be treated as having been received on our next working day, Tuesday 4 January 2022.

Emergency Situations

There are details of what to do and who to contact during an emergency on our website:

whitehorsedc.gov.uk/emergency-situations 

Mental health and wellbeing

We know that this time of year can be hard for some people.

There is help available throughout the Christmas and new year period, please don’t suffer alone.

We have details of charities and organisations you can speak to on our website.