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Conditions of Hire

1. The School will provide the hirer with up-to-date H&S information needed for the period of hire.  The hirer will sign the health and safety checklist to acknowledge the terms and conditions.

2. The Hirer shall satisfy himself that the facilities to be hired are suitable for his purposes.

3. The use of the premises must not interfere with the proper working of Woodlands Meed or impair its efficiency.

  • Generally no hire will begin prior to 4pm on a school day
  • Setting up and putting away of equipment is included in the agreed hiring time. The hirer must leave promptly to allow any subsequent hirer immediate access.

4. The contract for the hire of the premises between the Hirer and the Governors of the Woodlands Meed shall take effect only upon written acceptance of the application on behalf of the Governors being posted or handed to the Hirer.

5. The Hirer shall be advised of the hiring fees either on completion of the application to hire form or on the written acceptance of the hiring and shall pay the hire fee within 7 days of the written acceptance unless otherwise agreed with the school.

6. In the event that the Hirer cancels the hiring, the following fees shall be repayable to the Hirer, less any expenses incurred, at the Governors’ discretion:

  • not less than 42 days notice of cancellation    –     75% of fees
  • not less than 28 days notice of cancellation    –     50% of fees
  • less than 28 days notice of cancellation      –     no refund
  • For regular/weekly hirers a minimum of 5 days notice should be given for the cancellation of a hire.

7. The Hirer shall indemnify the Governors of Woodlands Meed and the West Sussex County Council against all claims for damages, compensation and/or costs in respect of:

  • bodily injury or illness to Third Parties, and/or
  • damage to Third Party property caused by or arising out of or being incidental to the Hirer’s use of the premises.

8. The Hirer shall be responsible for loss or damage to the Woodlands Meed premises and contents therein.

9. The Hirer shall obtain adequate insurance in respect of the liabilities and the loss or damage referred to respectively in Conditions 7 and 8 above.  This insurance cover should have a minimum limit of indemnity of £10million, although £5 million is acceptable subject to approval from the governing body.

10. You should provide evidence of adequate insurance, as well as ensuring that you have an appropriate risk assessment of the activity you are going to undertake.  The risk assessment should be attached to this application form. 

11. The risk assessment does not have to be a detailed document, but it will need to provide information on what activity will take place on the school premises and in which rooms.  There should be a simple plan of:

  • how are people going to get into the premises,
  • how will they be notified of an emergency and what they should do if an alarm is activated
  • information on what they can and can’t do, where they can go and can’t go etc. 
  • appropriate control measures to deal with emergencies such as a nominated first aider, someone who remains able to take control if the there is an emergency and call the emergency services if needed

12. The Governors do NOT hold licences for (a) public dancing, music or any other public entertainment and (b) public performance of plays. (The Hirer shall be responsible for obtaining any licence required from the District Council and shall produce the licence for inspection prior to the hiring date).  The Hirer shall be responsible for complying with the terms of any such licence.

13. The Hirer shall be responsible for complying with the legislation relating to copyright in relation to the hiring and with the legislation relating to copyright in relation to the hiring and the requirements of the Performing Rights Society Limited and Phonographic Performance Limited concerning the performance respectively of musical work and sound recordings on the premises.  The Hirer indemnifies Woodlands Meed and the County Council against any breach of this condition.

14. If the Hirer intends to apply for a Justices’ Occasional Licence for the sale of intoxicating liquor then the written approval of the Governors shall first be obtained.  The Hirer shall be responsible for ensuring compliance with the provisions of the Licensing Acts.

15. The Hirer shall be responsible for ensuring that any gaming or lottery, which takes place on Woodlands Meed premises, complies with the relevant legislation.

16. Use of the premises is limited to the accommodation hired and necessary facilities such as toilets.  Car parking is permitted in designated areas on Woodlands Meed premises subject to availability.

17. Hire of the premises does not include the use of the kitchen or kitchen equipment.

18. The Hirer is responsible for the preservation of good order during the hiring.  The Hirer shall at all times provide an adequate number of stewards who shall be present throughout the hiring.

19. The Governors reserve the right to require the Caretaker/Premises Officer to be in attendance for the preservation of good order and safety and to recover from the Hirer any additional expenses incurred as a result of this condition.

20. The wearing of nailed or stiletto-heeled or other unsuitable footwear in indoor areas is prohibited.

21. No nails or screws shall be driven into the walls, floors, ceilings, furniture or fittings, and no placards shall be affixed to any part of the premises.

22. The laying of composition or other preparation on School/College floors is prohibited, without the prior written approval of the Governors.

23. Smoking on the site is prohibited.

24. School furniture (other than chairs in the hired accommodation) and equipment shall not be moved except by prior arrangement.

25. Any alteration or addition to the school lighting or electrical heating systems is strictly forbidden, except with the written consent of the Governors.  Consent may be subject to conditions, which the Hirer will be required to observe.

26. If any special equipment is required, it must be clearly stated on the application form.  An extra charge will be made for this service, and Woodlands Meed must be satisfied that a competent person will supervise the use of the equipment.

27. The Hirer will be responsible for providing any first aid facilities that he deems necessary in accordance with the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981.

28. No function shall extend beyond the hiring period and the Hirer shall completely vacate the premises and grounds by that time, unless special arrangements have been agreed on behalf of the Governors.

29. After use, the Hirer must leave the premises in a clean and tidy condition, the Hirer’s property removed, and all appliances switched off and lighting extinguished.  The Governors reserve the right to recover from the Hirer any additional expenses incurred as a result of non-compliance with this condition.

30. The Governors reserve the right to cancel any hiring without notice if: -

  • the accommodation will, due to circumstances outside their control, be unavailable for the hire period, or
  • the Hirer has failed to disclose material information concerning the proposed hiring, or
  • there are reasonable grounds to conclude that the Conditions of Hire may be breached to a material extent.

In the event of (i) all hiring fees will be refunded to the Hirer, but the Governors shall have no further liability to the Hirer.  In the event of (ii) and (iii) any refund of hiring fees shall be at the discretion of the Governors.

31. The hirer, if providing activities or services, for under 18 year olds, must ensure they have a child protection policy and a safeguarding policy, and provide a copy to the school on request.