Christmas and New Year opening hours

Our telephone lines are open:

• Monday 22 December - 9am to 5pm
• Tuesday 23 December - 9am to 5pm
• Wednesday 24 December - 9am to 5pm
• Christmas Day and Boxing Day - closed
• Monday 29 December - 9am to 5pm
• Tuesday 30 December - 9am to 5pm
• Wednesday 31 December - 9am to 5pm
• New Year's Day - closed
• Friday 2 January 2026 - 9am to 5pm

Council tax helpline

The council tax helpline will be closed from 1pm on Wednesday 23 December to Friday 2 January 2026.

It will reopen as normal on Monday 5 January 2026.

Council housing repairs and other enquiries

Our Council housing lines (including repairs) will operate regular opening hours until Christmas Eve, when the lines will close at 3pm. The service will be closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day and reopen on Monday 29 December. Lines will close at 3pm on New Year's Eve.

Emergency calls received after 3pm will be supported by the out-of-hours service.

Laurence House

• Wednesday 24 December - 9am-2pm (last entry 1pm)
• Thursday 25 to Sunday 28 December - closed
• Monday 29 December - 9am to 5pm
• Tuesday 30 December - 9am to 5pm
• Wednesday 31 December - 9am-2pm (last entry 1pm) 
• Thursday 1 to Sunday 4 January - closed
• Monday 5 January - 9am to 5pm

Refuse and recycling, food and garden waste

Please make sure that your bin is out for collection on your revised collection date. Usual service will resume the week beginning Monday 5 January 2026.

Libraries

Markets (Catford, Deptford and Lewisham)

• Christmas Eve - normal trading
• Christmas Day - no trading
• Boxing Day - no trading
• New Year's Eve - normal trading
• New Year's Day - no trading

Markets Service telephone lines will be closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Parking enforcement 

Except on Christmas Day and Easter Sunday, we enforce parking in the following areas:

• double yellow lines
• footway/pavement parking
• where a loading ban is in operation (indicated by a single/double yellow line with adjacent kerb chevrons and a nearby sign stating the hours during which loading is not permitted)
• bus stops
• school zig-zag lines
• dropped kerb
• double parking
• car club bays
• coach bays
• dedicated disabled permit holder bays
• electric vehicle charging bays
• temporarily suspended bays 

Moving traffic enforcement by ANPR CCTV

Moving traffic contraventions will be enforced 24 hour hours, seven days a week, throughout any holiday period, except bus lanes and restrictions that are not permitted under the relevant Traffic Management Orders (TMO). Moving traffic restrictions, such as box junctions, low traffic neighbourhood, restricted vehicle entry, vehicle weight/width restriction and banned turns are enforced as usual on public and bank holidays. 

Adult learning centres and telephone lines

• centres will be closed from 4pm on Friday 19 December 2025 until Monday 5 January 2026 at 9am
• telephone lines will be closed from 4pm on Wednesday 24 December until Sunday 28 December and on Thursday 1 January
• telephone lines will be open as normal from Monday 29 to Wednesday 31 December and on Friday 2 January

Cemeteries and crematoriums

• Monday 22 December to Wednesday 24 December - cemeteries, crematorium and gardens 10am to 4pm (last entry 3.30pm)
• Christmas Day to Friday 26 December - cemeteries, crematorium and gardens 10am to 2pm (last entry 1.30pm)
• Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 December - cemeteries 10am to 4pm (last entry 3.30pm), crematorium and gardens 10am to 3.30pm (last entry 3pm)
• Monday 29 December to Wednesday 31 December - cemeteries, crematorium and gardens 10am to 4pm (last entry 3.30pm)
• New Year's Day (Thursday 1 January 2026) - cemeteries 10am to 2pm (last entry 1.30pm), crematorium and gardens 10am to 4pm (last entry 3.30pm)

Cemeteries and crematorium office

• Monday 22 to Tuesday 23 December - 8am to 4pm
• Wednesday 24 December - 8am to 12 noon
• Thursday 25 to Friday 26 December - closed
• Saturday and Sunday - closed
• Monday 29 to Wednesday 31 December - closed (staff working remotely and available for telephone enquiries during normal service hours)
• Thursday 1 January 2026 - closed
• Friday 2 January 2026 - closed (staff working remotely and available for telephone enquiries during normal service hours)

Chapel

During this season of remembrance and reflection, the crematorium chapel will be open on the following days for candle lighting and to place a card on the remembrance tree that will be installed on Monday 15 December 2025.

• Saturday 20 December - 10am to 2.30pm
• Sunday 21 December - 10am to 2.30pm
• Thursday 25 December - 10am-2pm
• Friday 26 December - 10am to 2pm
• Saturday 27 December - 10am to 2.30pm
• Sunday 28 December - 10am to 2.30pm

Register office

• Monday 22 December - 9am to 4.15pm
• Tuesday 23 December - 9am to 4.15pm
• Wednesday 24 December - 10am to 4.15pm
• Christmas Day and Boxing Day - closed
• Monday 29 December - 9am to 4.15pm
• Tuesday 30 December - 9am to 4.15pm
• Wednesday 31 December - 10am to 4.15pm
• New Year's Day - closed
• Friday 2 January 2026 - 9am to 4.15pm

We are operating an on-call service available on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays between 9am and 12 noon. This service is for urgent faith burials taking place within 24 hours.