Christmas 2025 – Key council information
Information about council services and opening times over the festive period
Waste Collections
There are some changes to household waste and recycling collections this year.
If your collection is due on Thursday 25 December, it will be collected five days earlier – on Saturday 20 December instead. Please ensure your bin is out by 6am on this day.
If your collection is due on Friday 26 December, it will be collected 1 day later – on Saturday 27 December instead. Please ensure your bin is out by 6am on this day.
If your collection is due on Thursday 1 January, it will be collected 2 days later – on Saturday 3 January instead. Please ensure your bin is out by 6am on this day.
There are no other changes to scheduled waste and recycling collections. Please ensure your bins are out by 6am on your usual collection day.
PermalinkGarden waste collections will pause from Monday 22 December and resume on Monday 19 January.
PermalinkIf your clinical waste collection is due on Thursday 25 December, it will be collected five days earlier, on Saturday 20 December.
If your clinical waste collection is due on Friday 26 December, it will be collected one day later, on Saturday 27 December.
If your clinical waste collection is due on Thursday 1 January, it will be collected two days later, on Saturday 3 January.
We will contact all residents affected by this change to clinical waste collections. All other clinical waste collections will continue as normal. We will not be booking any sharp collections in the week between Christmas and New Year.
PermalinkChristmas Trees
If you have a real Christmas tree you can take it to your nearest KCC Household Waste Recycling Centre, in Margate or Sandwich, for recycling. Christmas trees will not be collected as part of our regular waste and recycling collections.
Kent-based charity Pilgrims Hospice is collecting Christmas trees for recycling in return for a donation. They will be collecting from selected locations across Thanet between Friday 9 and Monday 12 January 2025. You can find out more and book collections on their website.
PermalinkOpening Times
Telephone cover
The council’s main switchboard will close at 3pm on Wednesday 24 December.
Lines reopen at 8.45am on Friday 2 January.
Thanet Gateway Plus
Council services at Thanet Gateway Plus will close from 2pm on Tuesday 23 December and reopen at 10am on Friday 2 January.
PermalinkPlease note the following services will be running as normal over the festive period:
Port Control: 01843 572112 (24/7)
Dock Master: 07919 211143 (7.30am to 7pm)
Security: 01843 587661 (24/7)
Harbour Office opening times
The Harbour Office will be closed from 4pm on Tuesday 23 December, until 10am on Friday 2 January.
PermalinkGrounds and Chapel
The Crematorium grounds, Book of Remembrance and both Margate and Ramsgate Cemeteries will be open as usual on Thursday 25 and Friday 26 December, and Thursday 1 January, from 9.30am to 4.30pm.
Crematorium office
The crematorium office will close at 3pm on Wednesday 24 December. It will be closed all day on Thursday 25 and Friday 26 December, and Thursday 1 January.
The crematorium office will be open on Monday 29, Tuesday 30 and Wednesday 31 December between 10am and 3pm. Normal opening hours resume on Friday 2 January, 9am to 4.30pm.
PermalinkThe Visitor Information Centre Team will be available during the festive period for face-to-face, telephone, email and social media enquiries as follows:
Open: Saturday 27 to Sunday 28 December, 11am to 4pm.
Closed: Monday 22 to Friday 26 December and Monday 29 December to Thursday 1 January.
From Friday 2 January 2026, the Visitor Information Centre will then be back to normal opening, Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm.
Further information is available on the Visit Thanet website.
PermalinkAll toilets will be closed on Thursday 25 December. Opening hours on Friday 26 December and Thursday 1 January will be 10am to the normal winter closing time.
Toilets will be open as normal on all other days.
Information on locations and opening times can be found on our Public Toilets webpage.
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