Find out about changes to our services and Christmas opening times on our Festive information page. To find out when your bin will be collected over the festive period, visit Changes to County Durham bin collections at Christmas.

Due to maintenance, the following systems will be unavailable from 11.45am on Tuesday 24 December until 8.00am on Thursday 2 January: our online Council Tax, business rates and housing benefit services, and our welfare assistance form. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Free after 3.00pm will be in operation from Monday 16 December 2024 until Friday 3 January 2025. This will be in place in all Durham County Council town centre car parks, including all car parks in Durham, Chester-le-Street, Bishop, Seaham and Barnard Castle excluding Hardwick Park, Wharton Park, Chester-le-Street Riverside car parks, Noses Point and all on street pay and display bays which will remain chargeable.