Spelthorne Borough Council

Providing Quality Services to the People of
Ashford, Laleham, Shepperton, Staines, Stanwell & Sunbury

Conditions of hire of Council halls/day centres

BOROUGH OF SPELTHORNE
CONDITIONS OF HIRE OF COUNCIL HALLS/DAY CENTRES

1.	Applications For Hire
1.1	Every application for the use of the premises must be made in writing at least 28 days prior to the date the venue is required on the Application Form available from Customer Services.
1.2	The Hirer must state clearly on the Application Form the purpose of hire. The premises shall not be used for any other purpose.
1.3	The benefit and obligations of the hiring may not be transferred to any person not identified as the Hirer in the Application Form.
1.4	The Organisation and the Organiser whose names appear on the Application Form shall be deemed to be the Hirer and shall be responsible for compliance with all rules, regulations or requirements made or laid down from time to time by the Council in respect of the use of the premises and shall be deemed to be the responsible person nominated to be in charge of the premises during any public or private entertainment for which the premises are hired to him/her.
2.0	Charges
2.1	On being notified that the application has been granted and the amount of the charges, the hirer must pay the charges to the Council not later that twenty eight days before the date for which the premises are booked, together with any deposit which may be required. If payment is not received by the due date the booking will be cancelled.
2.2	Payment for all Halls can be made at the Council Offices, Knowle Green, Staines, TW18 1XB, on :- Monday - Thursday 8.45am - 5.00pm Friday 8.45am - 4.45pm
2.3	Where an advanced hiring is accepted the charge will be at the rate applicable on the date of the event (the hire date).
2.4	No charges will be refunded in any circumstances except as hereinafter provided, and no receipt will be valid unless on the official printed form issued by the Council.
2.5	The Council reserve the right to alter and vary any fees or charges in respect of the hire of the premises and to impose any special conditions in respect of particular hiring.
2.6	With the exception of block bookings, a security deposit of £50.00 (£250 for parties for 22 year olds and over)(the Council do not accept party bookings for 12 to 21 year olds) is required in addition to the hire charge. The deposit will be returned after the function provided there has been no damage to or interference with the property, fittings, equipment, no additional cleaning and no complaint which may result in a cost by the Borough of Spelthorne.
3.0	The Hirer
3.1	The person who name appears on the application form must be a person over eighteen years of age and will be deemed to be the hirer.
3.2	In the event of any damage to the building or furniture or the loss or breakage of any article or property owned by the Council either during the period of hire or at any other time during which the hirer or any person associated with him/her shall be using the premises for any purpose, the expense of replacing or making good the same shall be borne by the hirer.
3.3	The hirer shall ensure that there is no disorderly conduct within the premises and that nothing contrary to sobriety, decency and good manners is performed, exhibited, represented or transacted therein and no activity shall be permitted which may be or become a nuisance or annoyance to the Council or the owners or occupiers of any adjoining property.
3.4	Any cost incurred by the Council in calling the Police or other emergency services to the premises shall be borne by the hirer.
3.5	The hirer shall be responsible for ensuring that an announcement is made at the commencement of each hire, with regard to the laid down safety procedures and the instructions for evacuating in the event of fire or any other emergencies. In addition, evacuation/emergency procedures shall be printed in any programmes which are produced for events at the halls. (A copy of these instructions will be appended to this condition of hire).
3.6	No internal or external decorations, flags, emblems or notices shall be displayed without the consent of the Council and any artificial flowers, temporary paper hangings or other decorations, or any scenery etc, which may be used in any part of the premises, shall be rendered and maintained in a fire resistant condition. In addition no artificial smoke making machines or inflatable devices ie: bouncy castles are allowed on the premises.
3.7	No alterations or addition to the existing lighting arrangement shall be made without the prior consent of the Council and no lighted oil stove, lamp or candle shall be used in any circumstances.
3.8	All exits, gangways, passages, corridors, lobbies, external passageways and forecourts must be kept clear and free from obstructions.
3.9	The hirer shall ensure that the number of persons to be admitted to the premises does not exceed the capacity of the premises as stated on the Application/General Information.
3.10	The Hirer must be on site at the time stated on the Application Form, if not the building will be closed no later that 15 minutes after that time unless prior arrangement has been made. In these circumstances no refund will be given.
3.11	The hirer shall ensure that all persons have vacated the premises by the time stated and approved on the Application Form. Excess charges will be incurred if the pre-booked time is exceeded, this will be deducted from the deposit.
3.12	No stiletto heeled shoes shall be worn inside the premises unless heels of such shoes are fitted with rubber caps capable of protecting the floor of the premises.
3.13	No alcoholic drinks or liquors shall be sold or distributed on the premises without prior consent of the Council and any occasional licence which may be required for this purpose shall be produced to the Head of Administration prior to the commencement of the hiring. No licence shall exceed the hours for which the premises have been hired and any facilities shall be set up only in a position agreed with the Head of Administration.
3.14	All articles, goods and refreshments brought onto the premises must be removed at the time of departure and taken off site, unless by prior arrangement with the caretaker.
3.15	The hirer shall indemnify the Council against all costs, claims or liabilities which the Council may incur by reason of any infringement of the rights referred to in the previous clause hereof occurring during the period for which the premises are hired.
3.16	Any complaint in respect of the facilities on the premises or connected with the hire of the premises must be made in writing to the Head of Administration within three days after the date of hire.
3.17	All use of the hall premises and facilities is subject to the users or hirers accepting responsibility for arranging furniture and equipment within the hall / day centre and returning them to their original positions and for securing doors and windows of the premises. All users shall also leave the premises and surrounds in a clean and tidy condition as may be directed by the caretaker. Arrangements can be made for the moving of the aforementioned furniture/equipment for a standard charge of £60.00 per occasion.
4.0	The Council
4.1	The Council reserve to themselves and their authorised officers the right of entry at all times to all parts of the premises and all stewards or any persons acting on behalf of the hirer must be instructed accordingly.
4.2	The Council do not accept any responsibility for injury, damage or loss howsoever caused to any persons or in respect of any articles or goods brought onto the premises by the hirer or any other person.
4.3	The heating and ventilation of the premises are placed in the sole charge of the caretaker with whom arrangements must be made with regard to any variation thereof.
4.4	The volume of any amplifying equipment used in conjunction with any musical instruments, record players or other equipment used for musical reproduction on the premises shall be determined by the hall caretaker.
4.5	The Council are licensed by the Performing Rights Society Ltd (PRS) in respect of the public performance at the premises of the copyright musical works which the Society control, but the hirer shall not use any part of the premises for the performance in public of any other musical work or any dramatic or literary work or for the delivery in public of any lecture or other matter in which any copyright subsists without the necessary consents first being obtained by the hirer. The PRS certificate must be on public displayed during the event and a copy given to Customer Services prior to event/s. Hirers who do not have a PRS certificate can opt into the Council's Scheme at a cost of 10% of the hire charge.
4.6	The Council reserve the right at any time and without previous notice to cancel any booking of the premises and in such case the amount paid by the hirer (or the proportionate part thereof in the case of a hiring for a series of occasions) shall be refunded. The hirer shall have no further claim whatsoever against the Council in respect of the hiring or on account of the cancellation thereof.
4.7	The Council shall not be liable for any loss caused by any breakdown of machinery, failure of electricity supply, leakage of water, fire and smoke detectors, government restrictions or act of God, which are beyond the responsibility or control of the Council and which may cause the accommodation to be temporarily closed or the hirers use thereof to be interrupted or cancelled.
5.0	Limitation of Liability
5.1	The Council's liability in the event that the premises or any equipment are not available or a hiring is cancelled for whatever reason shall be limited to and shall not exceed the hiring charge.
6.0	Failure To Observe Conditions
6.1	If the hirer omits or refuses to comply with these conditions or with any reasonable instructions given to him/her by the Head of Administration Services, or designated officer, for the time being he/ she and any person/s associated with him/her may be excluded from the premises until he/she complies with the same but without relieving him/her from his other obligations under this Agreement. The Council shall be entitled to retain for their own use and benefit any monies paid by way of deposit and to sue for any balance outstanding.
7.0	Damage To Council Property
7.1	The hirer shall take good care of and shall not cause any damage or permit or suffer any damage to be done to the hired premises, or any part thereof, to any fittings, equipment or other property therein and shall make good and pay for any damage thereto (including accidental damage) caused by any act or neglect of himself/herself, his servants, agents or any person resorting to the hired premises by reason of the use of the hired premises by him/her.
7.2	Unless the Hirer shall show before the commencement of the period of hiring that any property of the Council in the hall is damaged and reports this fact to the caretaker, such property shall be deemed to have been undamaged at the commencement of the period of hire.
8.0	Damage or Loss of Property and Accidents
8.1	In no circumstances will the Council accept responsibility for the loss, theft, damage of or to any goods or property of the Hirer or any visitor to the premises.
8.2	The Hirer shall indemnify the Council, their officers and servants against all claims, demands, actions or proceedings in respect of the death of or injury to any person or damage to, loss of property belonging to any person arising out of the use of the hall otherwise than as a result of the defective condition of the hall or the Council's equipment or the negligence of the Council, its agents, officers or servants.
9.0	Insurance
9.1	It is now compulsory for all Hirers to have Public Liability Insurance for a minimum indemnity limit of £2 million. A copy of the certificate of insurance must be provided before a booking can be confirmed. Hirers who do not already possess their own Public Liability Insurance may opt into the Council's scheme at a cost of 10% of the hire charge. A minimum charge of £1,000 will be payable by the Hirer on any claim.
9.2	Hirers must comply with any conditions which the Insurance Company may impose in respect of any extra insurance risk and the Hirer will be charged with the cost of any additional insurance which is necessary for the Council to take out.
9.3	Individuals and organisations hiring the premises for commercial or business practices and for any meetings/events arranged by political parties or professional organisations or for profit making events must provide their own Public Liability Insurance, a copy of which must be given to Customer Services at the time of booking. Insurance Cover cannot be offered to groups booking on a regular basis except at the discretion of the Insurance Company.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE COUNCIL OPERATES A NO SMOKING POLICY IN ALL ITS BUILDINGS

IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY DURING YOUR EVENT PLEASE TELEPHONE THE COUNCIL
DUTY OFFICER ON 01784 446446

(PLEASE ENSURE TO TAKE THE ABOVE NUMBER WITH YOU SO THAT IF YOU EXPERIENCE ANY
PROBLEMS THE DUTY OFFICER CAN BE CONTACTED.)

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