Christmas and the new year are right around the corner, which means there will be service changes to normal council opening hours. You’ll find all the information you may need over the next couple of weeks as we work to ensure our communities are supported at this time.
Family Hubs/Children and Family Centres
Our Family Hubs and Children and Family Centres will be closed for the festive period from Thursday 25 December 2025 and re-open on Friday 2 January 2026.
Saturday activities will resume from 10 January 2026.
Youth centre opening times
Our youth centres will have a limited service over the festive and new year period from Thursday 25 December 2025 to Thursday 1 January 2026.
The following youth centres will remain open for young people:
Christmas opening times
| Youth centre | Address | Opening time |
|---|
|
Christian St Youth Centre
|
30 Challoner Walk, London E1 1AZ
|
2pm to 8pm
|
|
Urban Adventure Base (UAB)
|
150 Burdett Road, Mile End Park, E3 4JT
|
1pm to 5pm
|
|
Limehouse Youth Centre
|
14 Limehouse Causeway, E14 8BN
|
12.30pm to 5.30pm
|
Normal services will resume on Friday 2 January 2026.
Please visit the Young Tower Hamlets website for more information.
For any emergencies, please contact
- Early Help Hub on 020 7364 5006 (option 2)
- Children’s Social Care Emergency Duty line on 020 7364 2972 from (9am to 5pm)
- Out of Hours Duty Team on (between 5pm to 9am and weekends only) call 020 7364 4079 (out of office hours 5pm – onwards)
Christmas/New Years rubbish, recycling and food waste and Christmas tree collections
Find out more on the rubbish and recycling collection page.
Christmas tree recycling
| Schedule collection day | Service status | Revised collection days |
|---|
|
Monday 22 December 2025
|
Normal service |
|
|
Tuesday 23 December 2025
|
Normal service |
|
|
Wednesday 24 December 2025
|
Normal service |
|
|
Thursday 25 December 2025
|
No service |
Thursday collections on Saturday 27 December 2025
|
|
Friday 26 December 2025
|
No service |
Friday Collections on Sunday 28 December 2025
|
|
Saturday 27 December 2025
|
Service (two day behind normal schedule)
|
Thursday collections on Saturday 27 December 2025 |
|
Sunday 28 December 2025
|
Service (two day behind normal schedule)
|
Friday collections on Sunday 28 December 2025
|
|
Monday 29 December 2025
|
Normal service
|
|
|
Tuesday 30 December 2025
|
Normal service
|
|
|
Wednesday 31 December 2025
|
Normal service
|
|
|
Thursday 1 January 2026
|
No service
|
Thursday collections will take place on Friday 2 January 2026
|
|
Friday 2 January 2026
|
Service (one day behind normal schedule)
|
Thursday collections on Friday 2 January 2026
|
|
Saturday 3 January 2026
|
Service (one day behind normal schedule)
|
Friday collection on Saturday 3 January 2026
|
|
Sunday 4 January 2026
|
No service - weekend
|
|
|
Monday 5 January 2026
|
Normal service – Christmas Tree collections begin
|
Christmas Tree collections begin
|
Christmas tree recycling
Does your home get food and garden waste collections?
There will be a collection to recycle real Christmas trees from Monday 5 January to Friday 16 January 2026.
Kindly remove all decorations from your tree and leave out for collection on your scheduled day during this period.
Do you live in an apartment block without food waste and garden waste collections?
Please ask your managing agent, concierge or caretaker to contact us via the commercial waste service enquiry form.
Please do not contact us as individual residents as there is a fee for these collections.
We will liase with your building managers to arrange bulk collections of trees.
Christmas tree recycling at the Reuse and Recycling Centre (RRC)
All residents can bring their tree to the Reuse and Recycling Centre on Yabsley Street, London E14 9RG.
Housing Options and homelessness
The Housing Options Service is closed from 4pm on Wednesday 24 December 2025 to Friday 2 January 2026.
Emergencies during the bank holidays, weekends and evenings will be covered within the council’s out of hours arrangements by calling 020 7364 4079.
People who need an emergency homeless service on Sunday 28, Monday 29, Tuesday 30, Wednesday 31 December 2025 (11am and 4pm) can go to:
Residents' Hub
24 December – Christmas Eve
Only the Residents' Hub sites at the Town Hall and Calvert Avenue will be open, operating as usual from 9am to 4.30pm.
Our other three service locations: Idea Store Bow, Chrisp Street and Cubitt Town Library will be closed.
The entire service at all sites will then be closed from 25 December 2025 and will reopen as normal on Friday 2 January 2026
Idea store and contact centre
All Idea Stores and Libraries (excluding Local History)
- Monday 22 December: 9am to 9pm - Idea Store | 10am to 6pm Libraries
- Tuesday 23 December: 9am to 9pm - Idea Store | 10am to 6pm Libraries
- Wednesday 24 December: 9am to 1pm - Idea Store | 10am to 2pm Libraries
- Thursday 25 December: CLOSED - All
- Friday 26 December: CLOSED - All
Idea Store Whitechapel and Idea Store Chrisp Street only
- Saturday 27 December: 9am to 5pm
- Sunday 28 December: 11am to 3pm
- Monday 29 December: 10am to 4pm
- Tuesday 30 December: 10am to 4pm
- Wednesday 31 December: 10am to 4pm
- Thursday 1 January: CLOSED
Idea Store Bow, Idea Store Canary Wharf, Idea Store Watney Market, Bethnal Green Library and Cubitt Town Library
CLOSED from Thursday 25 December 2025 to Thursday 1 January 2026 inclusive.
All sites
Friday 2 January: Back to normal hours
Local History and Archives
Last day of opening will be Tuesday 23 December 2025. We will reopen on Saturday 3 January 2026 at 10am.
Contact centre
- Tuesday 23 December 2025 - 9am to 5pm
- Wednesday 24 December 2025 - 9am to 5pm
- Thursday 25 December 2025 to 1 January 2026 - CLOSED
- Friday 2 December 2026 - 9am to 5pm
Parking
Parking enforcement by the council is relaxed on national bank holidays but please park responsibly.
Personalised disabled bays and all other restrictions are enforced, including but not limited to all types of yellow lines, dropped kerbs and footway parking.
For more information, please visit the parking enforcement webpage or find out when the car pound is open.
Parks
All parks, including Victoria Park, will be open on Christmas Day and throughout the Christmas period. Opening times are on the council website.
Victoria Park
Victoria Park is open every day including Christmas Day.
Mile End Park
The playground at Mile End Park will be open 10am to 5pm every day except Christmas Day.
Stay and Play at Mile End Park. Last session on 19 December. Reopens on 5 January 2026.
Stepney Green Astroturf
Pitch will be closed from 25 December and re-opens on Saturday 3 January 2026.
Whitehorse Adventure playground
Last session 18 December. Reopens on 6 January 2026.
Other parks and spaces
All other parks and spaces remain open as normal over the holiday season.
Tower Hamlets has over 120 parks and open spaces for you to visit and enjoy over the holiday period.
Event centre spaces
The Brady Arts Centre
Will close on Wednesday 24 December at 4pm and will reopen on Monday 5 January 2026 at 8.30am.
Kobi Nazrul Centre
The last day of activity for the Kobi Nazrul Centre is 23 December 2025. Evening classes will resume second week of January 2026.
Register office
The Register office is open during the festive period but with a reduced service. Please visit our opening hours and access page for details.
Severe weather
Our highways and street cleaning team will be on duty through the holidays to keep roads and pavements clear and safe.
We have two spreading vehicles, a mechanical loader and more than 2,000 tonnes of salt at our winter service depot.
As temperatures continue to drop, there are a few things you can do to benefit your health and home over the winter months. Find more information on keeping well and staying warm on our winter wellness page.
Tower Hamlets Connect - Adult Social Care
Tower Hamlets Connect supports adult residents with health, social care and social welfare information and advice, including housing, welfare and benefits, consumer issues and general advocacy.
Christmas opening hours
| Date | Cover | Times |
|---|
| Wednesday 24 December 2025 |
Full cover |
9am to 5pm |
| Thursday 25 December 2025 |
CLOSED (use EDT number) |
CLOSED |
| Friday 26 December 2025 |
CLOSED (use EDT number) |
CLOSED |
| Saturday 27 December 2025 |
CLOSED (use EDT number) |
CLOSED |
| Sunday 28 December 2025 |
CLOSED (use EDT number) |
CLOSED |
| Monday 29 December 2025 |
OPEN |
9am to 5pm |
| Tuesday 30 December 2025 |
OPEN |
9am to 5pm |
| Wednesday 31 December 2025 |
OPEN |
9am to 5pm |
For out of hours adult social care emergencies in Tower Hamlets, call the Emergency Duty Team (EDT) on 020 7364 4079 (after 5pm, at weekends or on bank holidays only).
Tel: 0300 303 6070 (open 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday except bank holidays)
Email: enquiry@towerhamletsconnect.org
Be Well opening hours
The festive season is here! As you take time to celebrate, connect and recharge, Be Well is here to take care of your health and wellbeing needs.
Check out our Christmas opening hours. Normal opening hours will operate outside of these dates.
Posted on Tuesday 16th December 2025