Christmas & New Year Arrangements 2021/22 (updated 2 December)
Moray Council has published its service arrangements for over the festive period.
All council offices closed
Friday 24 December at 3pm until Wednesday 5 January 2022 at 8.45am.
Emergency council services
Over the holiday period the emergency out-of-hours service will operate as normal on 03457 565 656 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.
Mobile covid-19 testing units
Close on 24 December and re-open 5 January 2022.
Lateral Flow Tests should be ordered and collected in plenty time to cover the holiday period. These can be ordered online here for home delivery or collected from a mobile testing unit prior to Christmas Eve.
Schools and education
All schools and council nurseries close on Thursday 23 December and reopen on Monday 10 January. Any queries during this time can be sent to education@moray.gov.uk.
Sports & Leisure Facilities
Any leisure facilities open between Christmas and New Year are open 10am-2pm.
Buckie Swimming Pool & Fitness Centre; Forres Swimming Pool & Fitness Centre; Keith Sports & Community Centre; Lossiemouth Sports & Community Centre; Speyside Sports & Community Centre
Closed: 25 and 26 December; 31 December to 2 January
Holiday timetable: 24 December; 27 and 30 December; 3 and 4 January 2022
Normal timetable: resumes 5 January 2022
Swimming lessons resume 10 January 2022
Elgin Sports & Community Centre; Milne’s Fitness Suite, Fochabers; Football pitches and pavilions
Closed: 22 December to 4 January
Normal timetable: resumes 5 January
Forres House Community Centre
Closed: 23 December to 4 January
Normal timetable: resumes 5 January
Elgin High Sports Centre
Closed: 24 December to 4 January
Normal timetable: resumes 5 January
Libraries
Aberlour
• Closed: 24 to 28 December, 31 December to 2 January
• Open: 29 December 10am-12pm, 30 December 2:30pm-5pm and 5:30pm-8pm
Buckie
• Closed: 24 to 28 December, 31 December to 2 January
• Open: 29 December 10am-8pm, 30 December 10am-5pm
Burghead
• Closed: 24 to 29 December, 31 December to 2 January
• Open: 30 December 5pm-8pm
Cullen
• Closed: 24 to 29 December, 31 December to 2 January
• Open: 30 December 2pm-5pm and 6pm-8pm
Dufftown
• Closed: 24 to 29 December, 31 December to 2 January
• Open: 30 December 2pm-4pm and 6pm-8pm
Elgin
• Closed: 25 to 28 December, 31 December to 2 January
• Open: 24 December 10am-3pm, 29 December 10am-8pm, 30 December 10am-8pm
Fochabers
• Closed: 24 to 29 December, 31 December to 2 January
• Open: 30 December 2pm-5pm
Forres
• Closed: 25 to 29 December, 31 December to 2 January
• Open: 29 December 10am-5pm, 30 December 10am-8pm
Keith
• Closed: 25 to 29 December, 31 December to 2 January
• Open: 24 December 10am-2pm, 30 December 10am-7pm
Lossiemouth
• Closed: 24 to 28 December, 31 December to 2 January
• Open: 29 December 10am-1pm, 30 December 10am-1pm
Tomintoul
• Closed: 25 to 28 December, 30 December to 2 January
• Open: 24 December 10am-12pm, 28 December 10am-1pm
All libraries return to normal opening times on Wednesday 5 January.
Mobile library
- Normal routes will operate up to and including Wednesday 22 December (route 23).
- The mobile library will NOT operate from Thursday 23 December until Wednesday 5 January inclusive.
- Normal routes will re-commence on Thursday 6 January (route 24).
- A schedule of Mobile Library visits is available here or by calling Elgin Library on 01343 562600.
Car parks
St Giles and Batchen Lane multi-storey car park.
Closed: Friday 24 December at 7pm to Sunday 26 December at 9am; Friday 31 December at 7pm to Sunday 2 January at 9am.
Alternative street level parking is available.
On Monday 27 December, Tuesday 28 December, Friday 31 December, Monday 3 January & Tuesday 4 January the multi storey car parks will open 9am-7pm.
Registrars
Elgin Office closed: Friday 24 December at 3pm until Wednesday 29 December at 9am, Thursday 30 December at 4.30pm until Wednesday 5 January at 9am.
Open: Strictly by appointment, Wednesday 29 and Thursday 30 December for death registration only.
Should a registrar require to be contacted urgently, call 07891 721414 or 07541 295181.
Refuse and recycling
Green and recycling bin collections will continue three-weekly, however there won’t be any collections on 27 December or 3 January. Revised dates are set out below. Collections may be carried out earlier than normal; please have all bins at their usual collection point by 7.30am. If there's any disruption to these collections, we'll post this on our service portal and set out when we'll return for missed bins.
There will be no brown bin collections from Monday 27 December to Friday 7 January inclusive. Real Christmas trees can be presented alongside your brown bin from Monday 10 January and will be uplifted regardless of whether you have a garden waste permit.
|
Area |
Scheduled collection |
Revised collection |
|
Kinloss/Findhorn (61) |
Monday 27 December |
Tuesday 28 December |
|
Elgin (1) |
Monday 27 December |
Wednesday 29 December |
|
Lhanbryde (11) |
Monday 27 December |
Thursday 30 December |
|
Dufftown (81) |
Monday 27 December |
Friday 31 December |
|
Clochan area (56) |
Monday 3 January |
Tuesday 4 January |
|
Lossiemouth (16) |
Monday 3 January |
Wednesday 5 January |
|
Forres (71) |
Monday 3 January |
Friday 7 January |
Example: If your green bin is due to be emptied on Monday 27 December and you live in Lhanbryde your green and recycling bins will all be emptied on Thursday 30 December. Route numbers are indicated in brackets, and can be found in the corner of your collection calendar.
The special collection and waste hotline will be closed from 3pm on Friday 24 December until 9am Wednesday 5 January.
Recycling centres
Closed: Saturday 25 to Monday 27 December inclusive; Saturday 1 to Monday 3 January inclusive.
Public conveniences
Closed: Saturday 25 to Monday 27 December inclusive; Saturday 1 to Monday 3 January inclusive.
Scottish Welfare Fund
Scottish Welfare Fund will close Friday 24 December at 3pm until Wednesday 29 December.
A skeleton Crisis Grant service will be provided on Wednesday 29 December, Thursday 30 December and Friday 31 December.
Applications can be made on-line www.moray.gov.uk/scottishwelfarefund or by telephoning 03457 565 656.
The service will close at 4pm on Friday 31 December until Wednesday 5 January at 8.45am.
Care at home service
Care at Home will operate:
Friday 24 December 8.45am-3pm
Wednesday 29 December 8.45am–5pm
Thursday 30 December 8.45am-5pm
Friday 31 December 8.45am-5pm
Wednesday 5 January 8.45am-5pm (Back to normal)
Existing care at home users will be provided with their normal level of service on 25 and 26 December, and 1 and 2 January.