Your Council services this Christmas and new year

Most of the council’s operations will remain open until 4.30pm, Monday 24 December.

After closing for Christmas Day and Boxing Day, many services will reopen on Thursday 27 December through to Friday 28 December and Monday 31 December.

After closing for New Year’s Day, services will reopen as normal on Wednesday 2 January.

For special arrangements for certain services, please see the information below.

Adult social care

Offices close at 4.30pm on Monday 24 December and reopen at 8.30am on Thursday 27 December. They then close again at 4.30pm on Monday 31 December and reopen at 8.30am on Wednesday 2 January.

Outside of these times urgent calls should be directed to Wightcare, tel: 821105.

If you are worried about a vulnerable adult, please contact: Wightcare, tel: 821105 (24 hours).

You do not need to know everything about a vulnerable adult and what is happening before you contact us.

IN AN EMERGENCY CONTACT THE POLICE BY DIALLING 999.

Bereavement Services

Crematorium Grounds and Book of Remembrance:

Friday 21 December (9am to 4.30pm).
Saturday 22 December (10am to 2pm).
Sunday 23 December (10am to 2pm).
Christmas Eve (9am to 4.30pm).
Christmas Day (closed).
Boxing Day (closed).
Thursday 27 December (9am to 4.30pm).
Friday 28 December (9am to 4.30pm).
Saturday 29 December (10am to 2pm).
New Year’s Eve (10am to 2pm).
New Year’s Day (10am to 12 noon).

The grounds can be accessed at any time, but if the gates are closed, please park in the road outside and use the pedestrian gate.

Office hours are as above for weekdays, except for bank holidays, when the office is closed.

All cremation documentation, burial forms and music should be delivered at least three clear office working days prior to each service, especially over this period.

Children’s Services

Offices close at 4.30pm, Monday 24 December and reopen Thursday 27 December at 8.30am.

If you are worried about a child or young person, please contact: Isle of Wight Children’s Services: 0300 300 0117 (24 hours).

You do not need to know everything about the child or young person and what is happening before you contact us.

IN AN EMERGENCY CONTACT THE POLICE BY DIALLING 999.

Contact Centre and help centres

The Contact Centre closes at 4.30pm on Monday 24 December. It will then reopen at 8.30am and until 5pm on Thursday 27 December, 8.30am until 4.30pm on Friday 28 December and 9am until 1pm on Saturday 29 December. On New Year’s Eve, the centre will be open from 8.30am until 4.30pm and then reopen at 8am on Wednesday 2 January.

Newport Help Centre will operate the same hours of opening as above, but will not be open on Saturday 29 December.

Ryde Help Centre, at Ryde Library, will close at 4.30pm on Christmas Eve and will reopen at 9am and until 4.30pm on Friday 28 December. On New Year’s Eve, the centre will open from 9am until 4.30pm and then reopen at 8am on Wednesday 2 January.

Coroner’s office

The coroner’s office closes at 4pm on Monday 24 December. It is open Thursday 27 December, Friday 28 December and Monday 31 December between 9am and 4pm. It reopens as normal on Wednesday 2 January.

Council buildings or land

For emergencies involving council-owned buildings, please contact Wightcare, tel: 821105.

Floating bridge Christmas and New Year operating schedule

Christmas Eve – 5.15am to 12.30am (next day).
Christmas Day – 7am to 12.30am (next day) with a suspension of the service between 4.25pm and 6.25pm owing to tidal issues.
Boxing Day – 7am to 12.30am (next day).
27 December – 5am to 12.30am (next day).
28 December – 5am to 12.30am (next day).
29 December – 5am to 12.30am (next day).
30 December – 6.30am to 12.30am (next day).
New Year’s Eve – 5am to 1.30am** (next day).
New Year’s Day – 6.30am to 12.30am (next day).
2 January – 5am to 12.30am (next day).

** Last crossing from East Cowes 1.10am, last crossing from West Cowes 1.20am.

Highways emergencies

Flooding, fallen trees, traffic lights not working etc – please contact Island Roads, tel: 822440 or visit the website – www.islandroads.com

The Island Roads Hub will be closed:

from midnight 24 December to 7am 27 December;
from midnight 31 December to 7am 2 January.

Emergency calls received during these times will be diverted to the duty engineer and dealt with accordingly.

Housing

On-call arrangements for emergencies via Wightcare, tel: 821105.

Leisure Services facilities

The Heights:

19 to 21 December – 7am to 9pm.
22 to 23 December – 8am to 6pm
24 December – 7am to 3pm.
25 to 26 December – closed.
27 to 28 December – 7am to 7pm.
29 December – 8am to 3pm.
30 December – 7am to 3pm.
31 December – 7am to 3pm.
1 January – closed.
2 January – 7am to 9pm.

Medina:

19 to 21 December – 7am to 9pm.
22 to 23 December – 8am to 5pm
24 December – 7am to 3pm.
25 to 26 December – closed.
27 to 28 December – 7am to 7pm.
29 to 30 December – 8am to 5pm.
31 December – 7am to 3pm.
1 January – closed.
2 January – 7am to 9pm.

Theatre:

The theatre will be open for the following performances of Jack and the Beanstalk:
Sunday 23 December: Show starts 2pm; box office opens 12.30pm to 2.30pm; bar opens 1pm to 4pm.
Monday 24 December: Show starts 2pm; box office opens 12.30pm to 2.30pm; bar opens 1pm to 4pm.
Christmas Day: CLOSED.
Boxing Day: CLOSED.
Thursday 27 December: Show starts 2pm; box office opens 12.30pm to 2.30pm; bar opens 1pm to 4pm.
Friday 28 December: Show starts 2pm; box office opens 12.30pm to 2.30pm; bar opens 1pm to 4pm.
Saturday 29 December: Show starts 2pm; box office opens 12.30pm to 2.30pm; bar opens 1pm to 4pm.
Sunday 30 December: Show starts at 2pm; box office opens 12.30pm to 2.30pm; bar opens 1pm to 4pm.
New Year’s Eve: CLOSED.
New Year’s Day: CLOSED.
Wednesday 2 January: Show starts 2pm; box office opens 12.30pm to 2.30pm; bar opens 1pm to 4pm.
Thursday 3 January: Show starts 2pm; box office opens 12.30pm to 2.30pm; bar opens 1pm to 4pm.
Friday 4 January: Show starts 2pm; box office opens 12.30pm to 2.30pm; bar opens 1pm to 4pm.
Saturday 5 January: Show starts 2pm; box office opens 12.30pm to 2.30pm; bar opens 1pm to 4pm.

Westridge:

19 to 21 December – 7am to 9pm.
22 December – 8am to 3pm.
23 December – closed.
24 December – 7am to 3pm.
25 to 26 December – closed.
27 to 28 December – 7am to 7pm.
29 December – 8am to 3pm.
30 December – closed.
31 December – 7am to 3pm.
1 January – closed.
2 January – 7am to 9pm.

Fairway:

19 to 22 December – open as normal.
23 December to 2 January – closed.

Libraries

Cowes Library – closes 4pm, 24 December; reopens 10am, Friday 4 January.
Freshwater Library – closes 1pm, 24 December; reopens 9.30am, Wednesday 2 January.
Newport Library – closes 4pm, 24 December; reopens 9am, Wednesday 2 January.
Ryde Library – closes 3.30pm, 24 December; reopens 10.30am, Wednesday 2 January.
Sandown Library – closes 4.30pm, 22 December; reopens 9am, Thursday 3 January.
Ventnor Library – closes 4.30pm, 22 December; reopens 1pm, Wednesday 2 January.
The mobile library will recommence its week 1 on 14 January.

Museum Service

Record Office

The Record Office at Hillside, Newport will be closed from 12.30pm on Monday 24 December. It will be open between 10am and 4pm on 27, 28 and 31 December. It will then reopen with its usual opening hours of 9am to 12.30pm and 1pm to 5pm from Wednesday 2 January.

Dinosaur Isle Museum

Dinosaur Isle Museum will be closed on 24, 25, 26, 27 and 28 December inclusive.

It will be closed on New Year’s Eve (31 December) and New Year’s Day (1 January) inclusive, reopening on 2 January 2019.

On all other days it will open from 10am until 4pm, with last admission at 3pm.

Cowes Maritime Museum

The same opening hours as Cowes Library, above.

Museum of Island History

The museum will close on Saturday 22 December at 4pm and will open again on Wednesday 2 January at 9.30am.

Recycling and waste collection

If your collection is:

Monday 24 December, it will be collected AS NORMAL.
Tuesday 25 December, it will be collected on Thursday 27 December.
Wednesday 26 December, it will be collected on Friday 28 December.
Thursday 27 December, it will be collected on Saturday 29 December.
Friday 28 December, it will be collected on Sunday 30 December.
Monday 31 December, it will be collected AS NORMAL.
Tuesday 1 January, it will be collected on Wednesday 2 January.
Wednesday 2 January, it will be collected on Thursday 3 January.
Thursday 3 January, it will be collected on Friday 4 January.
Friday 4 January, it will be collected on Saturday 5 January.

All recycling and waste collections will return to normal from Monday 7 January.

Please remember to set out your wheeled bins/gull-proof sacks and food waste by 7am on the correct day of your collection or they will not be collected.

Register office

The register office closes at 4pm, Monday 24 December. It is open Thursday 27 December, Friday 28 December and Monday 31 December from 9.30am to 4pm (by appointment only). It reopens as normal on Wednesday 2 January.

To register a death between 24 December and 2 January, please tel: 823233.

Regulatory Services (Licensing, Environmental Health and Trading Standards)

Offices close at 4pm, Monday 24 December and reopen Thursday 27 December at 8.45am. If you wish to see a specific officer please make an appointment.

An out of hours service will run on Friday 28 and Saturday 29 December as normal, please tel: Wightcare on 821105.

Revenues, Benefits, Parking Services, Blue Badges and Payments Team

Online applications remain available for council tax/local council tax support/housing benefit and Blue Badges.

Christmas housing benefit payment arrangements – please visit – www.iwight.com/housingbenefitpayments

To use the Citizens Access Portal to view your council tax account online please visit www.iwight.com/revsandbens (selecting Council Tax and then Citizens Access Portal).

To use the Citizens Access Benefits Portal to apply and notify a change of circumstances please visit www.iwight.com (selecting under the ‘Save time do it online’ Housing Benefits).