Changes to Council services over Christmas

Wakefield Council is focusing on providing essential services to those who need them the most over Christmas and New Year.

All non-essential services will be closed from 5pm on Friday 21 December and will re-open on Wednesday 2 January. The main council buildings, Wakefield One, County Hall and the Town Hall will be closed during this time. The Licensing department will also close.

Plans are also in place to ensure the roads are gritted and kept clear, should the wintry weather take a turn for the worse, and staff are on standby in the event of an emergency.

Merran McRae, Chief Executive of Wakefield Council said: “As part of our continued drive to reduce costs, we are focusing on providing essential services for people who need them most between Christmas and New Year.

“Our staff will be working throughout the holiday to ensure our residents, who need care at home, in residential care or children’s social work are supported over the holiday season.

“Our other priorities are to keep the roads open in wintry weather and collect household waste. We will also have staff on standby in the event of any emergencies or severe weather.”

Bin collections will run as usual over the festive period, except for those who have collections which fall on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. Letters and calendars have been distributed to all households with collection dates during these this time.

If anyone is expecting a collection during these days the advice is to double-check their bin calendar, or have a look on the Where I Live   page.

Household Waste Recycling Centres are open as normal over the festive period, except for Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day, when they will be closed.

 “We know that many of our services are hardly used during this time which is why we are closing or reducing opening times for many of our little used services. By shutting most council buildings we can save money on costs such has lighting and heating” added Mrs McRae.

The last day of opening for all of the Council’s libraries and museums will be Saturday 22 December. This includes Wakefield Library at Wakefield One.

The Registration Service will be open as usual. They are closed on Sundays and Bank Holidays but on those days there is an on-call team available between 9am-10am for emergency burials.

Wakefield and Pontefract Crematoria will be open, except on Bank Holidays. The grounds and Chapel of Remembrance will stay open throughout the holiday.

Bereavement services will be open as normal, except for Christmas Eve when they close at 3.00pm and the Bank Holidays when they will also be closed.

Sports, leisure and museums are also affected.

Pontefract Swimming Pool, Featherstone Sports Complex, Normanton and Thornes Park leisure centres will all close from Christmas Eve until 2 January.

Sun Lane and Minsthorpe leisure centres will have limited opening throughout the holiday season and apart from Christmas Day, Wakefield golf course will be open.

The Pugneys visitor centre and café will only close on Bank Holidays but the car park will remain open throughout the holiday, 7.30am to 7pm.

Pontefract Castle will shut at 4.30pm on Sunday 23 December.

The Sandal Castle site is unaffected with the car park available each day from 9am to 5.30pm.

All markets will open on normal market days excluding the Bank Holidays. Timings will vary. Additionally Castleford Market Hall and outdoor market along with Pontefract Market Hall will have an extra day of opening on Sunday 23 December between 10am and 4pm.

The public will be able to ring the Council throughout the holiday period on the general number 0345 8506 506 or for Social Care Direct it’s 0345 8 503 503.

 All opening and closing times for services and facilities during the festive holiday can be found at www.wakefield.gov.uk/xmastimes 

The Council will be fully open from Wednesday 2 January 2019.