Christmas and New Year holiday arrangements

Offices

All local area offices will close at 4pm on Friday 24 December (payments desks will close at 12 noon) and reopen on Wednesday 5 January at 10am.

Libraries

All libraries will close at 4pm on Friday 24 December.

Unfortunately, following the Christmas and New Year break, some of our libraries and other public buildings will be temporarily closed. This is as a result of contingency plans which have been developed in light of concerns regarding COVID-19 infection levels and the Omnicron variant. The council faces some significant staffing pressures and we are having to take some difficult decision to temporarily close, or limit the use of, some facilities in order to focus on statutory services such as the cleaning of schools and care homes.

You can read more about this here.

For more information about local arrangements, please check our libraries directory.

A click and collect will be on offer at libraries which remain open - find out more about this.

Registration of births, deaths and marriages - Haddington and Musselburgh offices

Appointments are required for registrations.

• Friday 24 December - 9am–1pm and 2pm-4pm: (office closed, business conducted remotely) 
• Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 December: All business closed 
• Wednesday 29 and Thursday 30 December - 9am-1pm & 2pm-5pm: (office closed, business conducted remotely)
• Friday 31 December - 9am-1pm & 2pm-4pm: (office closed, business conducted remotely) 
• Monday 3 and Tuesday 4 January 2022: All business closed
• Wednesday 5 January 2022 - Office open – appointment necessary: Tel No 01620 827308

In the event of an emergency please contact: 01875 612818.

Social work emergencies

Please telephone 01875 824309.

Housing emergencies

For emergency housing repairs please telephone 01875 612818.

The homeless hotline is freephone 0800 169 1611.

Waste services

All collections are scheduled to take place on your regular collection days. Please remember to present all containers at the kerbside by 7am on the day of collection.

There will be no garden waste collections between 25 December and 10 January inclusive.

Real Christmas trees can be composted by taking them to a Recycling Centre or presenting them beside your brown bin on garden waste collection dates in January or February.

Our Recycling Centres are usually open seven days a week, from 8.30am to 5pm.  However, they will not be open on 25 and 26 December and 1 and 2 January, and will close at the earlier time of 2pm on 24 and 31 December.

Further information about waste services.

Scottish Welfare Fund 

The Scottish Welfare Fund Team telephone lines will close at 2pm on Friday 24 December and reopen on Wednesday 5 January at 9am. However, staff will be available from 10am to 2pm on Wednesday 29 to Friday 31 December to deal with any crisis grant applications made during the office closure. Applications can be made online 24/7 at www.eastlothian.gov.uk/scottishwelfarefund 

Any claims received will be dealt with during these hours. If you are in crisis whilst the office is closed, please contact Emergency Social Care Service on 01875 824309.

Road Services and Transportation

Please contact 01875 612818 for all road and transportation emergencies.

Brunton Theare Box Office 

• Friday 24 December: 10am-5pm
• Saturday 25 December & Sunday 26 December: Closed
• Monday 27 December: 10am-3pm
• Tuesday 28 to Friday 31 December: 10am-5pm
• Saturday 1 January to Tuesday 4 January (inclusive): Closed

Museums and community centres 

Please check with individual museum/centre. Find out more.