Festive Council Services

Isle of Wight Council services open over Christmas period

Most of the Isle of Wight Councils services will remain open until 4.30pm, Wednesday 24th December

Many services will reopen following the weekend on Monday 29th through to Wednesday 31st December.

After closing for New Year’s Day, the majority of services will reopen as normal on Friday 2nd January 2026.

Please see the information below for key services, were for some, special arrangements have been made, along with emergency contacts were appropriate.

Adult social care and Housing
Offices close at 4.30pm on Wednesday 24th December and reopen at 8.30am to 4.30 pm on Monday 29th December. They close again at 4.30pm on Wednesday 31st December and reopen at 8.30am on Friday 2nd January 2026.

• For both adult social care and housing, emergency and crisis support  can be accessed  out of hours via Wightcare (01983) 821105.
• Adult Social Care webpages: www.iow.gov.uk/adultsocialcare
• Housing Needs webpages www.iow.gov.uk/housing

If you are worried about a vulnerable adult and it is an emergency CONTACT THE POLICE BY DIALLING 999

Bereavement Services
 The opening and closing times for the Bereavement Service will be:

• Christmas Day 25th December (closed)
• Boxing Day 26th December (closed)
• Weekend Closed
• New Year’s Day (closed)
• Friday 2nd January – normal opening hours

Crematorium Grounds and Book of Remembrance
The Book of Remembrance will be closed on 24th (from 3.30pm) 25th, 26th December and 1st January.

• Up to 23rd December – open 8am to 4.30pm
• 24th December – open 8am to 4.30pm
• 25th to 26th December – closed.
• 27th December – open 10am to 12 noon
• 28th December – CLOSED
• 29th to 31st December – open 8am to 4.30pm
• 1st January – closed. 
• 2nd January –   normal opening hours

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.

Building Control
Building Control will continue to operate a Dangerous Structure out of hours service over the festive period.

If there is immediate danger and a threat to life, call 999. For all other situations, please call (01983) 821105.

Surveyors will still be available for site inspections and enquiries during normal working hours (8.30am to 4.30pm) on 29th, 30th and 31st December and 2nd January, although there may be a limited service, and full normal service will resume from Monday 5th January.

Children’s Services
Offices close at 4.00pm, Wednesday 24th December and reopen Monday 29th December at 9.00am.

If you are worried a child is, or at risk of, suffering, neglect or abuse please contact the Multi Agency Safeguarding Team:

• Tel 01983 823435 (available 24 hours a day).

If you are concerned, it is important that you talk to someone about this.

You do not need to know everything about the child and what is happening before you contact the Multi Agency Safeguarding Team.

IN AN EMERGENCY CONTACT THE POLICE BY DIALLING 999.

Contact Centre and help centres
The Contact Centre will close at 5pm on Wednesday 24th December and reopen 9am until 5pm on Monday 29th until Wednesday 31st December. Closed on Thursday 1st January and re-open at 9am on Friday 2nd January 2026.

Newport Help Centre will close at 5pm on Wednesday 24th December. It will then reopen at 8.30am until 5pm on Monday 29th until Wednesday 31st December. Closed on Thursday 1st January and re-open at 8.30am on Friday 2nd January 2026.

The Help Centre, at Ryde Library, will close at 5pm on Tuesday 23rd December and will reopen at 9am on Friday 2nd January 2026.

Coroner’s office
The Coroner’s Office will close at 4pm on Wednesday 24th December. 

It will be open on Monday 29th until Wednesday 31st December between 08.30am and 4.30pm. the office will be closed on Thursday 1st January and will be open as normal from Friday 2nd January.

Cost of Living support
Please visit our website at: www.iow.gov.uk/costofliving

Council buildings or land
For emergencies involving council-owned buildings, please contact Wightcare on (01983) 821105.

Floating bridge
Cowes floating bridge Christmas and New Year operating schedule:

• Christmas Eve    05.00 to 00.30
• Christmas Day    07.00 to 00.30
• Boxing Day          07.00 to 00.30
• December 27th    05.00 to 00.30
• December 28th    06.30 to 00.30
• December 29th    05.00 to 00.30
• December 30th    05.00 to 00.30
• New Years’ Eve    05.00 to 01.30**
• New Years’ Day    07.00 to 00.30
• January 2nd          05.00 to 00.30
• January 3rd           05.00 to 00.30

**Last crossing from East Cowes 0110, Last crossing from West Cowes 0120

Please check the Floating Bridge website for live status before travel as the above timetable may change due to any potential adverse weather

Highway’s emergencies
Flooding, fallen trees, highway obstruction, traffic lights not working etc – please contact Island Roads on 01983 822440.

Non-emergency highway issues can also be reported online.

General information is available via the website.

Leisure Services facilities
The Heights:

• Up to 23rd December – Normal Hours
• 24th December – 6am to 2pm.
• 25th & 26th December – closed.
• 27th & 28th December 8am to 5.00pm
• 29th December 6am to 6.30pm
• 30th December – 6am to 6.30pm.
• 31st December – 6am to 2pm.
• 1st January – closed.        
• 2nd January – Normal hours

Medina:

• Up to 23rd December – Normal Hours
• 24th December – 6am to 2pm.
• 25 & 26 December – closed.
• 27th & 28th December 8am to 5.00pm
• 29th December 6am to 6.30pm
• 30th December – 6am to 6.30pm.
• 31st December – 6am to 2pm.
• 1st January – closed.        
• 2nd January – Normal hours

Medina Theatre:

• 23rd December – 12.30pm to 5pm
• 24th December – 11.30am to 4pm
• 25th & 26th December – closed.
• 27th to 30th December – 12.30pm to 10.00pm
• 30th December – 1st January – closed.        

Westridge:

• Up to 23rd December – Normal Hours
• 24th December – 6am to 2pm.
• 25th & 26th December – closed.
• 27th December – 8am – 2pm
• 28th December – Closed
• 29th December 6am to 6.30pm
• 30th December – 6am to 6.30pm.
• 31st December – 6am to 2pm.
• 1st January – closed.        
• 2nd January – Normal hours

Theatre Pantomime times (see Medina Theatre website)

• 20th December 2pm
• 21st December 2pm
• 22nd December 2pm
• 24th December 1pm
• 27th December 2pm & 7pm (Grown-ups panto)
• 28th December 2pm & 7pm (Grown-ups panto)
• 29th December 2pm & 7pm (Grown-ups panto)
• 30th December 2pm & 7pm (Grown-ups panto)

Libraries

• Cowes Library – Wednesday 24 December; (normal Wednesday closure) reopens 10am, Friday 2nd January.
• Freshwater Library – closes 4pm, Wednesday 24th December; reopens 9.30am Friday 2nd January
• Newport Library –Wednesday 24th December; (normal Wednesday closure) reopens 9am, Friday 2nd January.
• Ryde Library – closes 4pm, Wednesday 24th December; reopens 9am, Friday 2nd January.
• Sandown Library – Wednesday 24th December; (normal Wednesday closure) reopens 9am, Friday 2nd January.
• Ventnor Library – closes 4pm, Wednesday 24th December; reopens 9.30am, Friday 2nd January.

Heritage Service
Record Office
The Record Office is currently closed undergoing essential maintenance work, we hope to open later in December but please phone for an appointment and confirm the below opening arrangements prior to travelling.

• 23rd December – (normal Tuesday closure)
• 24th December – 9.30am to 4pm
• 25th to 28th December – closed.
• 29th December – closed
• 30th December – closed
• 31st December – closed
• 1st January – closed.        
• 2nd January – 9.30am to 4.30pm

Archaeology and Historic Environment Service 
The Archaeology and Historic Environment Service will be available until 4.30pm on Friday 19th December. The Service will re-open on Thursday 2nd January.

Dinosaur Isle Museum – Currently closed.

Cowes Maritime Museum
The same opening hours as Cowes Library, above.

Museum of Island History
The museum is closed from 1pm Thursday 27th November and will open again on Thursday 3rd February – 10am to 1pm.

Newport Roman Villa
The villa is closed for the winter period.

Parking services
Parking services close at 4pm on Wednesday 24th December. They next open, Monday 29th to Wednesday 31st December with the hours of 8.30am to 4.30pm. 

Closed 1st January and reopen as normal on Friday 2nd January 2026.

Planning
The planning department will be operating within office hours of 8.30am to 4pm on 23, 24, 29, 30 and 31st December and 2nd January with pre-booked appointments only. The drop-in facility will not be available Wednesday 24th December or Wednesday 31st December. 

The Office will be closed on 25th and 26th December, 1st January and will operate as normal from Monday 5th January 2026.

Reporting any alleged Planning Enforcement breaches, including any alleged illegal works to protected trees, and a range of other online Planning actions can continue to be made online anytime.

Household Waste and Recycling Centres 
Recycling, waste and garden subscription collections are changing for two weeks over Christmas and the New Year period.

In addition, no bulky waste or free reuse collections will be made on:

• Thursday 25th December
• Friday 26th December
• Thursday 1st January

Collections will return to normal from Monday 5th January 2026.  

We collect extra recycling if your bin or reusable sack is full. Put extra mixed recycling in clear or white bags next to your recycling bin/reusable sack and extra paper/card in a clear or white bag separate to the rest of your extra recycling.

Extra polystyrene that will not fit in your general waste bin or black reuseable sack will be collected from households between Monday 5th January and Friday 16th January 2026. Place it within a clear or white plastic bag next to your black bin/black gull sack on your general household waste collection day. It must be in a clear or white sack so that the collection crews can see there is only polystyrene in it, or it won’t be collected.

 Any extra general waste or black sacks left to the side of your bin or gull sack will not be collected.

Real Christmas tree collection
If you have an active Garden Waste Subscription, you can also dispose of real Christmas trees as part of the service. 

The tree should be clear of all decorations and pots and can be left to the side of your garden bin on your collection day between Monday 5th January and Friday 16th January 2026.

Household Waste and Recycling Centres (HWRCs)
Lynnbottom and Afton Marsh Household Waste and Recycling Centres will be closed on Christmas Day. Other than this, normal opening hours apply.  

Book your visit in advance or choose a same day booking by visiting the Isle of Wight Council’s website or by calling (01983) 823777.

More information on waste and recycling can be found online.

Register Office
The Register Office closes at 4pm, Wednesday 24th December. An appointment only service will run on Monday 29th December to Wednesday 31st December from 9.00am to 4pm. The office at Seaclose will open as normal on 2nd January.

To register a death between 29th December and 31st December January, please call (01983) 823233. For the out of hours emergency service please call Wightcare on (01983) 821105

Community Protection Services (Licensing, Environmental Health, Community Safety and Trading Standards)
These services will close at 4pm on Wednesday 24th December.  Services will be open on Monday 29th to Wednesday 31st December between 8:30am and 5pm. 

These services will be closed on Thursday 1st January and will be open as normal from Friday 2nd January.

Revenues, Benefits, 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 – Those expecting a Housing Benefit payment on 24th December, 29th December or 5th January should receive this payment on those days as normal.

To use the Citizens Access Portal to view your council tax account online please visit the website.

To use the Citizens Access Benefits Portal to apply and notify a change of circumstances please visit the website.

Learning and Development Resource Centre
The Learning and Development Resource Centre be available until 4.30pm on Friday 19th December. The Service will re-open as usual on Tuesday 6th January.

Loans for books and resources you may require for January can be collected during December up until 19th December.