Moray Council's Christmas and New Year service arrangements 2023/24

Moray Council has published its service arrangements for the forthcoming festive period.
All council offices closed
Friday 22 December at 3pm until Wednesday 3 January 2024 at 8.45am.

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.

Housing Emergency Repairs
Over the holiday period the emergency out-of-hours service can be called at any time to report a council housing emergency repair on 03457 565656. Further guidance on emergency housing repairs can be found online.

Homelessness
Anyone experiencing homelessness with no other accommodation available can contact the housing team on 03457 565656.

Roads maintenance
Emergency road, footpath, drainage defects, lighting faults and winter gritting will be covered throughout the festive period. Winter maintenance information is available online.

Schools and education
All schools and council nurseries close on Friday 22 December and reopen on Monday 8 January 2024. Any queries during this time can be sent to education@moray.gov.uk but may not be responded to immediately.

Sports & Leisure Facilities
Buckie Swimming Pool & Fitness Centre; Forres Swimming Pool & Fitness Centre; Keith Sports & Community Centre; Lossiemouth Sports & Community Centre; Speyside Sports & Community Centre:

Holiday timetable: Saturday 23 & Sunday 24 December 2023.

Closed: Monday 25 & Tuesday 26 December 2023.

Holiday timetable: Wednesday 27 – Saturday 30 December 2023.

Closed: Sunday 31 December 2023 - Tuesday 2 January 2024 inclusive.

Normal timetable restarts Wednesday 3 January 2024 with swimming lessons starting from Monday 8 January 2024.

Elgin Sports & Community Centre:

Football pitches and pavilions: closed from Saturday 23 December 2023 to Sunday 7 January 2024 inclusive.

Normal timetable/staffing will restart on Monday 8 January 2024.

Forres House Community Centre; Milne’s Fitness Suite, Fochabers; Elgin High Sports Centre:

Closed from Saturday 23 December 2023 to Tuesday 2 January 2024 inclusive.

Normal timetable restarts on Wednesday 3 January 2024.

Libraries
All libraries: normal opening Saturday 23 December.

All libraries: closed 24-26 December; normal opening Wednesday 27 December (except Lossiemouth – closing at 4pm) & Thursday 28 December (except Milne’s – closing at 4pm); closed Friday 29 December until Tuesday 2 January 2023.

All libraries return to normal opening times on Wednesday 3 January 2023.

Mobile library
The mobile library is on the road up to and including Friday 22 December. Full service resumes as normal on Monday 8 January 2024.

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: Sunday 24 December at 6pm until Tuesday 26 December at 9am; Sunday 31 December at 6pm until Tuesday 2 January at 9am.

Alternative street level parking is available.

Registrars
Elgin Office closed: Friday 22 December at 3pm until 8.45am on Wednesday 3 January.

Open: Strictly by appointment, Wednesday 27 and Thursday 28 December for death registration only.

Should a registrar require to be contacted urgently, please call 07891 721414 or 07969 452399

Refuse and recycling
Green and recycling bin collections will continue three-weekly, with no collections on Monday 25 and Tuesday 26 December 2023 or Monday 1 and Tuesday 2 January 2024. Replacement collection dates for these are set out below – please note some of these are earlier than normal collection days. 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.

There will be no brown bin collections from Monday 25 December for two weeks. Collections restart on Monday 8 January 2024. Real Christmas trees can be put out alongside your brown bin from Monday 8 January and will be uplifted without the need for a garden waste permit.

The special collection and waste hotline will be closed from 3pm on Friday 22 December until 9am Wednesday 3 January.

Recycling centres
Saturday 23 and Saturday 30 December 2023 - all recycling centres will close at 12 noon.

Closed: 24, 25, 26 & 31 December 2023 and 1 & 2 January 2024.

Bookings are still required for Chanonry Recycling Centre, Elgin.

Public conveniences
Closed: 25 & 26 December 2023 and 1 & 2 January 2024.

Scottish Welfare Fund
Scottish Welfare Fund will close Friday 22 December at 3pm until Wednesday 27 December.

A skeleton Crisis Grant service will be provided on 27-29 December.

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 29 December until Wednesday 3 January 2024 at 8:45am.

Care at home service
Care at Home will operate with a skeleton staff during the council closure period 23 December until 3 January 2024.

Existing care at home users will receive their usual level of care throughout the festive period.

Children’s & Families and Justice services
Children & Families and Justice Services will be working on a ‘business as usual’ basis from 23 December through to 28 December 2022.

On 28 and 29 December 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 3 January 2024.

Justice Services will provide a service to Courts and ‘need to be seen’ clients on 28 and 29 December 2022.