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Friday, 3 January 2025
 We hope you had a peaceful and restful break over the festive season.
Remember to check your bin collection dates. Your usual day will change until the collection days return to normal on Monday 13 January.
Start the new year on a generous note by making a small donation to the local charity Haven House. Your Christmas tree will be collected within a guaranteed specific timeslot from Friday 10 January, to Monday 13 January.
Your contribution, no matter how small, will play a significant role in their efforts to care for seriously ill babies and children at the hospice and help us recycle Christmas trees. Visit their website to book a collection.
For those who don’t wish to donate, please place your tree at the boundary of your property by 6am on Monday 6 January. We will be collecting Christmas Trees between Monday 6 January and Friday 17 January.
If you have a Christmas Tree to dispose of after this period, please take it to Chigwell Reuse and Recycling Centre.
 The Met Office has issued weather warnings across England and Wales, with London and the South East under a yellow alert for snow and ice from Saturday afternoon to Monday morning.
Our dedicated crews are proactively gritting roads, bus routes, and minor roads from 6pm today (Friday 3 January 2025) to ensure local traffic can move safely.
Follow these tips from the Met Office to keep you, your family and those around you warm and well in extremely cold weather:
- Draw your curtains at dusk and keep your doors closed to block out draughts.
- Drink regular hot drinks and, if possible, eat at least one hot meal a day.
- Wear several light layers of warm clothes (rather than one chunky layer).
- Keep as active in your home as possible.
- Wrap up warm and wear shoes with a good grip if you need to go outside on cold days.
- If you have reduced mobility, are 65 or over, or have a health condition such as heart or lung disease, you should heat your home to at least 18c. If you can, keep your bedroom at this temperature all night and wear enough clothes to stay warm.
- If you're under 65 and healthy and active, you can safely have your house cooler than 18c if you're comfortable.
- Listen to the weather forecast bulletins on the radio and TV regularly to keep updated with the weather. Severe weather warnings are issued on the Met Office website, through the Met Office X feed, or you can ring the Weather Desk on 0870 900 0100.
Travel carefully in icy weather:
- Icy pavements and roads can be extremely slippery. Take extra care if you go out and wear boots or shoes with good sole grip. The Met Office advises putting grit or cat litter on paths and driveways to lessen the risk of slipping.
- Bear in mind that black ice on pavements or roads might not be visible, and snow may turn to ice and become slippery.
Look in on vulnerable neighbours and relatives:
- Check up on friends, relatives and neighbours who may be more vulnerable to cold weather. Cold weather is hazardous for older people or people with serious illnesses.
- People with heart or respiratory (breathing) problems may have worse symptoms during a cold spell and for several days (up to four weeks) after temperatures return to normal.
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