Below are the details for our service availability over the upcoming Christmas and New Year period. Information on a wide range of services can also be accessed via this website during this time.

Libraries

All Torbay libraries will close on Thursday 24 December at 1pm (12pm for Churston Library) and re-open on Thursday 31 December. They will close again on Friday 1st January before opening on Monday 4 January 2021. This will include access to the Connections Self Service Zone provisions within the buildings of Torquay, Paignton and Brixham library.

Benefits, Council Tax, Business Rates, Highways, Community Protections and Electoral Services

The call centre will be closed from 5pm on Thursday 24 December and will re-open on Tuesday 29, Wednesday 30 and Thursday 31 December between 9am and 5pm. It will be closed on New Year’s Day but will re-open again from 9am on Monday 4 January 2021.

 

Harbours

Torquay Harbour

Torquay Harbour office will be open 8am to 1pm on Thursday 24 December. The office will be closed on Christmas Day and Boxing day, re-opening 8am to 5pm from 29 December through to 31 December. The office will be closed on New Years day. 

Normal services resume on Monday 4 January 2021.

Paignton Harbour

Paignton Harbour office will be closed from Friday 20 December until Monday 4 January 2021 when normal service resumes.

Brixham Harbour

Brixham Harbour office will be closed from 12pm on Tuesday 24 December. The office will be open on Friday 27 December, Monday 30 December and New Years Eve from 9am to 5pm.  The office will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, Saturday 28 December, Sunday 29 December and New Year's Day.

Normal services resume on Thursday 2 January 2019.

Please note the Brixham Security team will be on duty over the Christmas Period 24/7 and contactable outside of the listed office hours above via the usual Harbour Office contact details.

Torre Abbey

Torre Abbey (and café) will be closed between Monday 23 and Thursday 26 December, opening on Friday 27, Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 December from 11am to 4pm (last entry 3.30pm). It will close again on Monday 30 December to Wednesday 1 January, returning to normal opening hours from Thursday 2 January 2020.

Emergencies

If you need to report a serious incident to Highways or Community Safety, please call our 24 hour emergency service team on 01803 701310 .

Registrars

Registrar services are closed from 5pm on Thursday 24 December, but will be open on 29 December to register a birth or register a death.

A registration appointment can be made by calling 01803 207130 or on the can visit the Registrars pages.

If you need to contact a Registrar in an emergency, please call the out of office hours control centre on 01803 701310. Normal services resume from 9am on Monday 4 January 2021.

Children's Services

Children’s Services and the Family Information Service Team will not be available on Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year’s Day. The service will close from 5 pm on Thursday 24 December, re-opening on Tuesday 29 December 9am to 5pm. Normal business will resume after New Year from Monday 4 January 2021 at 9am.

For all enquiries including requests to see a member of staff in person, please call 01803 208100 on Friday 27 December as the Children’s Services Reception will be closed. The Children’s Services ‘out of office hours’ emergency telephone number is 01803 524519.

Housing Options

The Housing Options and Homeless Service will be closed from 5pm on Tuesday 24 December. The Emergency Duty Service will then be available on 0300 4564 876 until the Housing Options service re-opens on 27 between 9am and 5pm. They can be contacted on 01803 208723 to receive reports of homelessness and enquiries that require urgent assistance or online on the get help if you're homeless page.

The Emergency Duty Service will again be available from 5pm on Tuesday 31 December through to Thursday 2 January when the Housing Options will resume normal business hours from 9am.

The Crisis Support service (0800 9176832) will be closed on Wednesday 25, Thursday 26 and Friday 27 December and Wednesday 1 January 2020.

Any applications received when the service is closed will be reviewed as soon as possible once the service re-opens. Crisis Support information and applications are available on the crisis support page.

Household waste and recycling collections

Details of refuse and recycling collections to properties around Torbay can be found on the Christmas recycling page. This includes details of Christmas tree recycling. If you would like advice on what paper and card can be recycled go to https://www.torbay.gov.uk/recycling/recycling-card-and-paper/

Household waste enquiries can be submitted quickly and easily to SWISCo via the recycling pages.

If you need to speak to SWISCo about household waste, please call them directly on 01803 701316. Please be aware that lines will be very busy during the holiday period. We would advise customers to make enquiries online where possible to avoid call queuing time.

If you need to speak to TOR2 about household waste, please call them directly on 01803 701310. Please be aware that lines will be very busy during the holiday period. We would advise customers to make enquiries online where possible to avoid call queuing time.

Additional SWISCo Services

SWISCo can also assist with the following services over the holiday period including issues with dogs,  flyposting, graffiti and flytipping and can be contacted on 01803 701318.

Public Toilets

Opening times may vary over the Christmas and New Year period, to find out more go to the Christmas public toilets opening hours page.

Further information relating to the festive period can be found on the Christmas page.