Parish Rooms

Terms and Conditions of Hire

COVENHAM PARISH COUNCIL – PARISH ROOMS

CONDITIONS OF HIRE AND INFORMATION FOR HIRERS

Booking Coordinator details:  Email: bookings@covenham-pc.info              Telephone: 01472 840591

The booking form is available to download from the parish council website

BY SIGNING THE BOOKING CONFIRMATION FORM, ALL HIRERS AGREE TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SET OUT IN THESE TERMS.

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THE ENTIRE BUILDING IS A NON-SMOKING AREA. This includes e-cigarettes and vapers.

BOOKINGS.  The Parish Council reserves the right to approve or decline any booking requests.  Hirers are required to inform the Booking Coordinator reasons for hire.

The Parish Rooms may be booked for recurring or single occasions. Hirers must be aged 18 years or over. If the event is to involve persons under the age of 18 years, the Hirer must give assurances that children under 18 will be supervised by signing the relevant section on the Booking Agreement Form.

Regular Bookings with Fees/Commercial Hirers: Please include copies of your relevant Public Liability Insurance Certificate to validate your booking.

The Parish Councils takes no responsibility whatsoever for any ‘personal’ items left on the premises or any damage caused by them to the premises or any misuse of them by others.

No charge is made for cleaning, provided that all facilities are left clean, tidy and in good repair, including the lavatories (as well as the refrigerator, microwave, kettle and toaster, if used).

Any charges incurred due to breakages, poor cleaning, failure to replace furniture, damage to the building and grounds will be passed on to the Hirer.

No apparatus or equipment of any description can be left on the premises without the prior consent of the Parish Council.

The Parish Rooms will be opened at the start of the hiring time, unless prior arrangement with the Bookings Coordinator.

CHARGES.  Parish Rooms hire is charged by the hour. The specified rates cover use of the Main Hall, the kitchen and use of the lavatories.

The hire charge must be paid by BACS transfer when booking is confirmed.  The Parish Council does not hold petty cash.

Public Liability is the responsibility of the hirer pro tem.

Regular Hirers may arrange for hiring charges to be invoiced rather than paying upfront on each occasion.

For wedding receptions and longer hires the rates are to be agreed separately with the Bookings Coordinator.

CANCELLATIONS.  Community Groups may cancel bookings by giving 24 hours notice to get a refund.  Commercial and Private Hirers need to provide 2 weeks’ notice to get a refund. Cancellations made with less than the notice required are liable to a payment of the whole hiring charge.

The Parish Council reserves the right to cancel any booking by giving notice in writing and returning the hiring charge, should the purpose of hiring the Parish Rooms be in any way improper or unauthorised, or should the building be required as a Polling Station, or in a case of force majeure. The Parish Council shall not be liable to pay the Hirer any money/loss incurred by the cancellation.

GENERAL HIRING CONDITIONS.  Responsibility for the premises and the key rests with the Hirer during the period of access to the Parish Rooms. The hire period must include set-up and clear-up times. The premises must not be accessed outside of the agreed hire period and must be vacated promptly at the end of the hire.

The Parish Council reserves the right to enter the Parish Rooms at any time during an event if it has reason to believe there may be a problem, and to impose further conditions on the spot or curtail the event as it considers necessary for the welfare of guests or the safety of the building or the impropriety of use.

The use of laser display equipment, strobe lighting or similar is not permitted. The Hirer will indemnify the Parish Council for any actions resulting from the unlawful or negligent acts of the hirer.

KEY.  Hirers must contact the Bookings Coordinator at least one week before the date of hire. The Bookings Coordinator will make arrangements for the collection of the key. The key must be returned to the Bookings Coordinator immediately after the hire.

MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT.  The Parish Council does not hold a licence for Public Entertainment.  Music is allowed but must cease by 11:00 pm and all music must be kept to a suitable level to avoid disturbance of neighbours. For commercial hires/regular bookings with fees, Hirers should ensure that they have proper insurance for any equipment used in the Parish Rooms, to include any damage caused by them to the Parish Rooms and its users.

Responsibility for the use and safety of electrical equipment (and/or other equipment specified at the time of booking) brought on to the premises by the Hirer rests entirely with the Hirer. Any such electrical equipment must be safe and compliant.

Public Liability insurance cover must exist for such equipment. Copies of certificates of insurance are required before a booking can be confirmed. Without adequate insurance cover such equipment must not be used. Hirers may be asked to remove such equipment from the premises.

HEALTH & SAFETY.  It is the responsibility of the individual Hirers to ensure that they are aware of the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and to take reasonable precautions to ensure that their activities are carried out in a responsible way.

A copy of the Health & Safety Policy is on the noticeboard. A condition of the booking is that the Hirer has familiarised themselves with the Health and Safety policy.

A first aid kit is in the Main Hall.  Any accident must be recorded in the Accident Book. Failure to do so may result in personal liability for the hirer for subsequent accidents.

ROOMS CAPACITY.  The maximum number of persons allowed inside the rooms is 60 due to fire regulations.

FIRE PRECAUTIONS.  Hirers must make themselves familiar with the location of the fire extinguishers and the instructions for use and emergency exits. Hirers will be responsible for informing all those using the Parish Rooms of the position of the emergency exits. Hirers must also familiarise themselves with the instructions on what to do in case of fire. Instructions are displayed on the notice board in the Village Parish Rooms.

Fireworks, party poppers and candles are not allowed, either for internal or external use with the exception of birthday cake candles.

ACCESS FOR ALL.  There is access into the building for wheelchair users. Only assistance dogs are welcome in the Parish Rooms.  Please note that there are no disabled toilet facilities available.

CAR PARKING.  There is limited car parking available at the front of the Parish Rooms.  However, please do not block the area in front of the defibrillator

ALCOHOL LICENCE.  The Parish Rooms does not have a Premises (Entertainment) Licence as required under The Licensing Act 2003.

No licence is needed for free alcohol.  Alcohol can be consumed on the premises for personal consumption only.  No resale is permitted.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL THE PARISH COUNCIL TOLERATE ANY BREACH OF THE ABOVE LEGISLATION.

FOOD SAFETY.  Under the Food Safety Act 1990, it is the responsibility of persons providing food for any event held in the Parish Rooms to ensure that they are aware of and abide by the legal requirements. The Parish Council is not responsible for any food brought into the Parish Rooms.

SUPERVISION.  Hirers are held responsible for adequate supervision of the premises and for use of the grounds by their own party during the period of hire and must ensure that fire exits and access to them are kept clear at all times.

Child Protection. It is the responsibility of the Hirer (under the Children Act 2004) to ensure the safety of all children at all times at any event. There is also a responsibility to safeguard vulnerable adults. The Parish Council has a Policy for Safeguarding Vulnerable Persons. A copy of the policy is on the noticeboard.

Hirers are responsible for the observance of the law regarding child protection, in particular that adults having continuing and close contact with children or vulnerable adults should have undergone a DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) check. A declaration form for such user groups should be signed and returned with the booking form to the Bookings Coordinator.

Any incidents should be reported to the police.

Thank you for your cooperation.