Terms and Conditions of Hire for St Gluvias Community Hall
In this document ‘we’ are the Parochial Church Council of the Parish of St Gluvias and ‘you’ are the responsible person hiring the Hall
1. Security of the premises
You are responsible for:
(i) checking every room and area before leaving to make sure no one is left anywhere in the premises. This could be a matter of life or death;
(ii) when doing that check, make sure also that all windows are latched closed (not locked) and all three external doors are securely bolted and/or locked;
(ii) returning the key (when provided for the session) to the place or person we told you at pick-up, following any instructions closely.
2. No Smoking
Smoking is prohibited anywhere on the premises, inside or outside within the grounds, including in the car parking area.
3. Portable equipment
(i) The use of mobile or portable heaters – whatever the means of generating heat – is prohibited anywhere on the premises, inside or outside, including in the car parking area.
(ii) You must ensure that any other portable electrical equipment brought onto the premises during your hire period is safe for use and that it is removed at the end of the hire period.
4. What you bring… and take away
(i) You must ensure that all materials of any type brought onto the premises during the hire period are removed at the end of that period;
(ii) Where substantial materials such as costumes, drapes and hangings, scenery and banners are allowed to remain on the premises during a series of sessions such as theatrical rehearsals, you will be required to prove to the Hall Management Group that they have all been treated to a satisfactory standard of fire safety.
5. Emergency exits
You are advised to familiarise yourself with the emergency exits from the Hall:
(i) the main entrance;
(ii) at the foot of the stairway accessed via the door to the right of the Stage – this stairway is not suitable for disabled use.
6. Safety of occupants and reporting
You are responsible, for the duration of each Booking, and while anyone of your group is on Hall premises, for the safety of the people using the Hall.
You must:
(i) determine the procedure your group of users will follow in an emergency;
(ii) ensure, on each occasion of use, that each person using the Hall under your leadership is aware of the emergency procedures;
(iii) ensure that the Emergency Exit ways are clear for use at all times, internally and externally;
(iv) follow these Terms and Conditions for the reporting of any Accident or Incident.
7. Safeguarding of Children and Vulnerable Adults
If your session includes any children or vulnerable adults, you must ensure that you make provision for their safeguarding.
8. Hall Capacity – safe occupancy
You are responsible for ensuring that the numbers occupying the Hall and surroundings during your session are consistent with their ability to leave the building and the surroundings promptly and safely in an emergency.
As a guide, the comfortable capacity for a standing function is about 120; and the comfortable capacity for a seated function, e.g. a performance, is about 100.
9. Emergency evacuation
You are responsible for ensuring that:
(i) emergency exit routes are kept clear of obstruction;
(ii) members of your group and all attending your event are familiar with the emergency exits and the evacuation procedure;
(iii) any emergency evacuation is recorded as under ‘Recording of any Incident or Accident’.
10. Recording of any Incident or Accident
You are responsible for recording and reporting to the Bookings Secretary:
(i) any incident or accident, particularly one concerning injury of a person;
(iii) an emergency evacuation, which must be reported as an ‘incident’ – as in (i) above;
(iv) any serious ‘near miss’ must be reported as an ‘incident’ – as in (i) above;
(v) any damage to property must be reported as an ‘incident’, even if it involves none of the preceding.
11. Car Parking
Any parking by Hall users in leased spaces H1 – H4 is prohibited.
Six car parking spaces (H5 – H10 only) are available to Hall users for the duration of each booked session.
Any use of the hall parking is entirely at the risk of the person who parks whatever form of permit in use. No liability on the PCC is implied or accepted by the provision of parking spaces.
With your permission, one or two of these spaces may be used by a Gardener under a separate licence.
All parking is actively managed by Armtrac Security Services (‘Armtrac’) with stringent procedures leading to a Parking Charge Notice for any infringement. Parking beyond booked times is not allowed. Armtrac are contracted to manage all Hall parking spaces (H1-H10). Armtrac are authorised by us to impose a Parking Charge Notice on any vehicle found in any Community Hall parking space that is not displaying a valid permit.
12. Waste
There are currently no waste or recycling collections by the local authority from the Hall.
You are responsible for ensuring removal of all recycling and waste, however created, at the end of your hire session and for ensuring that no waste material remains on the premises or its surroundings after your session.
13. Use of utilities: Electricity; Water
The standard Hall Hire Rate includes reasonable use of electricity and water.
You are responsible for:
(i) using the electricity safely and economically;
(ii) on departure, turning off all lights and appliances, especially the electric bar heaters but excepting the fridge in the kitchen and water heaters in the toilets;
(iii) careful use of water, ensuring all taps are turned off when not attended.
14. Damage to the building
You are responsible for recording and reporting promptly to the Bookings Secretary any damage to the building or contents, especially if that damage affects the security of the building.
15. Fire safety: prohibited items and activities
You are prohibited from using any of these items or doing any of these activities listed below anywhere on the premises, inside or outside, including in the car parking area:
(i) naked flames, for example, candles, matches, gas or liquid-fuelled open-flame equipment, except as provided in Notes 1 and 2 below;
(ii) hazardous materials such as flares, fireworks or pyrotechnics;
(iii) ‘hot work’ processes;
(iv) bottled gas such as propane, butane, oxygen, acetylene.
Note 1: The use of candles, incense charcoal and the necessary associated naked flames is allowable during an act of worship in the immediate presence of a minister authorised by a current Bishop’s licence; or during other controlled use such as an act of meditation with a responsible adult present throughout.
Note 2: The use of small candles of the type that extinguish readily when blown by a child, and small sparklers to augment candles, together with the necessary naked flames, is allowable during a child’s birthday party in the immediate presence of at least one responsible adult present throughout.
16. Fire safety: prohibited materials
You are prohibited from bringing any flammable materials, such as (but not limited to) those listed below, anywhere on the premises, inside or outside, including into the car parking area:
(i) flammable liquid-based products, such as varnishes, thinners, adhesives and solvent-based paints;
(ii) flammable liquids and solvents, such as alcohol (spirits), white spirit, methylated spirit and disposable cigarette lighters;
(iii) flammable chemicals, such as certain cleaning products and photocopier chemicals;
(iv) flammable gases, such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), propane, methane and acetylene.
17. Insurance
The PCC’s insurance policy with Ecclesiastical Insurance covers us (the PCC) against Public Liability claims that you may make against us, provided you comply reasonably with these Terms and Conditions. This cover operates also for all events and activities under the auspices of the Hall Management Group. It covers also one-off events such as a private children’s party.
For any liability beyond the scope of that cover, you (the person responsible for the booking) must seek independent advice on the need for separate insurance cover.
18. Hours of use
Every occasion of use before 7.00am or after 11.00pm must be agreed on a per-occasion basis with the Bookings Secretary and, when agreed, sound levels must be kept acceptably low outside these times.
19. Bookings
(i) Terms of Booking: Each booking requires your agreement to these Terms & Conditions by sending a completed Booking Form to the Bookings Secretary.
(ii) Fee: A fee is charged per session of use for all Hall hire. The amount of the fee, terms of payment; and the session periods are given on the Booking Form together with other details on what is required of you.
(iii) Cancellation: the Bookings Secretary has complete discretion to charge an additional fee if you cancel a booking within 28 days of the start of the booked session. The amount of the cancellation fee is stated on the Booking Form.
(iv) Sale of alcohol: If alcohol is to be sold during your booked session this must be declared on the Booking Form and licensing arrangements completed well before the booked session.
Version 3.5
Issued 28 July 2017