Keeping Touch with Tameside Council over Christmas and New Year

ALTHOUGH many council services and buildings will close on or around Tuesday December 24, Tameside’s website – www.tameside.gov.uk – will be constantly available throughout the Christmas holiday for any residents seeking information or help .

Details of the services and buildings that will be closing are as follows:

Staffed hours at Dukinfield, Hyde and Stalybridge libraries will end at 1pm on December 24 but open+ services will remain available until 5pm.

At Denton and Mossley libraries, staffed hours cease at 5pm on Monday December 23, but Open+ services will be available the following day (Christmas Eve) until 5pm.

Staffed hours end at Droylsden Library at 1pm on Monday December 23, but Open+ services will be available the following day (Christmas Eve) until 5pm.

Ashton and Hattersley libraries close at 5pm on Tuesday 24 December.

Tameside Local Studies and Archives Centre shuts at 1pm on Tuesday December 24 and reopen at 10am on Thursday January 2.

All libraries will reopen within their specific arrangements from Thursday January 2, 2025.

Open+ self-access will not be available over Christmas and New Year. Full details of opening hours are at www.tameside.gov.uk/libraries or call 0161 342 4000 before 5pm on Tuesday December 24.

The council’s call centre and customer services will close at 5pm on Tuesday December 24 and reopen at 8.30am on Thursday January 2, 2025

Portland Basin Museum, Ashton, shuts at 4pm on Tuesday December 24 and reopens at 10am on Thursday January 2, 2025.

The Astley Cheetham Art Gallery, Stalybridge, will close at 1pm on Christmas Eve and reopen at 10am on Saturday January 4, 2025.

Even when libraries are closed, digital services such as e-books, e-audio books, e-mags and e-newspapers remain available to members via BorrowBox. To learn more about this free scheme visit https://tameside.borrowbox.com

Mental health support is available even on Christmas Day. To access a directory of 24-hour helplines visit www.tameside.gov.uk/helpinghand/mentalheath

There will also be changes to waste and recycling collections over the holiday – see www.tameside.gov.uk/recycling  and follow @tmbc_waste on Twitter. Download the Tameside app for updates and alerts, and to set reminders and report missed/lost bins.

You can recycle your real Christmas tree in aid of Willow Wood Hospice, Ashton. Register for a collection at www.just-helping.org.uk/register-tree. Alternatively, chop it up and put it in your brown bin.

Crews will also collect any additional recyclable waste left out with black or blue bins providing it’s in a clear or labelled bag.

If you feel you must contact Tameside Council over Christmas call 0161 342 2222 but please bear in mind this is a number for genuine emergencies only.

Tameside Council’s executive leader, Cllr Eleanor Wills, said: “Hopefully, the festive holiday will run smoothly, but for anyone who encounters a problem our website is always available with information and help.

“Also, we mustn’t forget all the staff who stay at their post so the rest of us can enjoy our break. Their selflessness should not go unrecognised and I would like to thank them sincerely for their valuable work.

“On behalf of everyone at Tameside Council – elected members and staff – I would like to wish our residents all the very best for Christmas and the New Year. We look forward to continuing to work with the community and all our partners in 2025.”