Residents are being reminded of Tendring District Council’s (TDC) revised operations over the festive period.

Urgent issues will still be dealt with as usual over the Christmas and New Year break with most frontline services maintained for residents.

TDC’s offices will close from 4pm on Tuesday, 24 December, re-opening from 8.45am on Thursday, 2 January, 2025.

In an emergency residents can contact the council’s Control Centre on 01255 222022, available 24/7.

There are also changes to waste and recycling collection days during the period, with no collections on the Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year’s Day bank holidays.

Clacton Leisure Centre, Dovercourt Lifestyles and Walton-on-the-Naze Lifestyles will close at 1pm on Christmas Eve (December 24) and New Year’s Eve (December 31), and will be shut on Christmas Day (December 25), Boxing Day (December 26) and New Year's Day (January 1).

Councillor Mark Stephenson, Leader of TDC, extended Christmas greetings to all residents.

"We wish everyone in our district a wonderful festive season,” he said. “Christmas is a time to reflect on the past year and look forward with hope to 2025.

“While there are some changes to our opening hours, essential services will continue throughout the festive period, with our Control Centre on standby for emergencies.

“Most frontline services will remain active, addressing urgent matters promptly, with other issues handled in the New Year.

“This approach allows many of our staff to enjoy a well-deserved break. I extend my heartfelt thanks to all staff members who keep TDC running during this time.

“On behalf of the council, I wish our residents and businesses a joyful Christmas and a prosperous New Year."

People can find information on their waste collection days and council office and leisure centre opening times on the council’s Christmas services web page, which has full details of seasonal changes across the authority, at www.tendringdc.uk/pages/christmas.

Families are also being reminded that they still have time before Christmas to book tickets for the spell-binding production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which is being staged at TDC’s Princes Theatre, in Clacton, until 29 December.

The groundbreaking panto experience promises a visual spectacle like no other, with the audience being handed 3D glasses for special sections of the standard show.

Tickets for the show are available now from the Princes Theatre website at www.princestheatre.co.uk or by calling the Box Office at 01255 686633 (Option 1).

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