Conditions of Hire

CONDITIONS OF HIRE

Registered Charity No. 223585

All potential hirers MUST complete a Booking Form and bookings must be made through the Bookings Clerk:

Hire Charges per hour:

Regular users: £11.00
Private events: £20.00
Commercial events: £30.00

The Booking Clerk will make provisional bookings. Confirmed bookings will only be made when full payment for the hire is received (except for regular users who will liaise with the Treasurer) – Sue Crowley: [email protected] together with the completed Booking Form.

NB: It has been unanimously agreed by the present Committee that, due to a history of bad experiences/costly damage as regards ‘teenage parties’, the Palmer Hall Committee will only hire the hall out for children’s parties aged up to and including 8 years and those must be guaranteed to be strictly supervised by attending parents/adults.

A refundable deposit of £70 is now required for one-off events. This fee is additional to the cost of hire. A confirmation receipt will be provided if requested.

Booking Form: This must be signed to confirm that the hirer will comply with these conditions and the hall’s Premises Licence and with the hall’s Health & Safety Policy.

Payment: The signed Booking Form MUST be accompanied by payment. The preferred method of payment is by Bank Transfer. Please contact Sue Crowley for payment details.

Other Licences: It is the responsibility of the hirer to obtain all necessary permissions relating to the nature of the activity. The hall is licensed with the Performing Rights Society and no extra charge is made for the use of this facility.

Bar Facilities: The Palmer Hall is licensed to sell alcohol. Permission for the sale of alcohol must be requested and sanctioned by the designated committee member and your Booking Form signed accordingly (see Booking Form).

Cancellation: A full refund will be made for cancellations more than 30 days before the event. There will be no refund after this date unless there are exceptional circumstances and at the discretion of the Palmer Hall Committee.

Keys: The hall keys are held at the Londis Store, London Street. It is the hirer’s responsibility to check their opening hours. Hirers must sign the book provided when they collect and return the keys and provide a contact phone number. The keys consist of two front door keys, a key for the windows, a key to the emergency exit and keys to the crockery cupboards. The person collecting the keys is responsible for returning them promptly (if the function ends late at night, then return should be BEFORE 9am the following morning).

Nuisance: IT IS AN EXPLICIT CONDITION OF THE HIRE AGREEMENT that hall users must respect the needs of local residents and leave the premises and area quietly and at the agreed booked time. The management reserve the right to charge a fee if these conditions are not fully met. Please be mindful and considerate of local residents living close to the hall when playing live or recorded music.

Events must be adequately supervised and, those where children are present without parental supervision, must be done by someone with necessary DBS clearance. All film shows where children (under 18s) are admitted must comply with the film classification licence.

Wheelchair users: Access can be gained through the side fire exit. A new toilet facility for disabled users is available to the left of the stage.

Fire Safety: Please make sure that all those present at the function are made aware of the fire exits from the building and location of fire extinguishers at the beginning of the event. Fire doors must be closed at all times during an event except in an emergency or for access by wheelchair users. All doors must be kept unlocked during the event.

In the event of fire, the organiser must ring 999 immediately. If you do not have a mobile phone, the nearest premises that has a static phone is the Plough Inn adjacent to the hall. It is the responsibility of the organiser of the event to ensure that all visitors have vacated the building. The assembly point is the Market Place. (Turn right as you leave the building and the Market Place is at the end of the road on the right).

The emergency exit at the side of the hall must be kept clear at all times.

Health & Safety: Hirers are responsible for the health and safety of those attending events. Hirers should NOT exceed the permissible amount of people legally allowed in the hall at any one time in accordance with the Health & Safety Policy and Fire Regulations. There are two first aid boxes available – one can be found in the kitchen and the other in the bar area. A notice for your information is displayed in the hall. Please refer to the hall Health & Safety Policy.

Accidents: A first aid box is situated in the kitchen. In the event of an accident, you must complete an accident form (in servery drawer) and return it to a Booking Clerk. You must also record the incident in the Accident Book (above the first aid box). In the case of an accident under the RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations) you must notify the Chair of the Management Committee.

Stepladders: These are available in the hall and, if you use them, a second person must be present. The Management Committee takes no responsibility for any accident if the hirer uses them.

Seating & Tables: The hall is equipped to cater for 120 people seated at tables and 150 for closed seating. Tables and chairs are provided as part of the hire agreement. The number of people present in the hall may exceed the above number if helpers and performers are involved, but this number must not cause the hall to become overcrowded.

Please ensure that you adhere to the appropriate audience seating plan displayed in the main hall. You must ensure that chairs and tables are not positioned so that they obstruct fire exits.

Tables and chairs are available for use in the side room. At the end of the event, please ensure that you clean the table surfaces and relace the tables in the trolleys and return them to the side room. Chairs must also be stacked neatly on the chair trolleys provided.

Catering: Use of kitchen facilities has a cost of £10.00, external caterers are allowed, but you must comply with the Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations 1995.

Please do not introduce any other appliances for cooking food without the express permission of the Management Committee (e.g. field ovens or kettles which have not been tested for electrical safety. All portable electrical appliances introduced to the hall must comply with the Portable Electrical Testing (PAT) regulations.

Crockery and cutlery: These are provided for hirers' use. If you use the crockery, please notify the Booking Clerk of any breakages, and ensure that you clean all equipment you use and replace in the appropriate cupboards.

Please DO NOT use the hand basin in the kitchen for any other purpose than washing hands in compliance with the Food Hygiene regulations.

Please turn OFF the refrigerator and Zip boiler when you leave. Please be extra careful when operating the Zip boiler as the water is scalding hot. The indicator light shows the status of the appliance. In the event of the Zip boiler being inoperable, please let the Palmer Hall Management Committee know. When the cooker is not in use, please ensure that the ceramic plates and ovens are switched off.

Cleanliness: The hall does not employ full-time staff, so it is the responsibility of the hirer to leave the hall in a clean and tidy condition. Brooms are available for sweeping the floor and a mop for any liquid spillages. Please put rubbish in black bags in the rubbish bin in the hall yard. They MUST NOT be left in the kitchen. Please take ALL bottles and cans home with you, as we do not have the necessary recycling facilities.

In the event of the hall being left dirty or suffering damage, whole or art of the deposit will be kept towards the cost of repair/cleaning.

The Management Committee also reserves the right to refuse hire of the premises to anyone they believe will NOT adhere to the Conditions of Hire and reserves the right to enter the premises when a function is in progress.

Heating: Heating is set at moderate activity level all year. If supplementary heating is required, there are electric wall heaters operated by a £1 coin meter situated on the wall at the left side of the stage. These are used at the hirer’s cost.

Decorations: If you wish to decorate the hall, please do NOT use sticky tape or Blutac to attach things to the walls as these remove the paint and any marks left may forfeit your deposit. Please make sure that all decorations are removed after the event. There are hooks on the wall, which can be used to display decorations only. Hirers must NOT interfere or otherwise alter the fixtures or fabric of the building.

At the end of the event: Please ensure that all internal doors are closed, and external doors and windows are locked, lights and appliances are switched off and unplugged (unless otherwise specified).

Feedback: We hope that you enjoy your hire and will use the hall again. Please let us know if the hall was not clean and tidy when you arrived and please report any faults or damage to a Booking Clerk.

Disclaimer: The Committee take no responsibility for any loss or damage to users’ property including vehicles. Should the hall be required at short notice by the Management Committee, the deposit will be refunded, but the Committee do not take any responsibility for consequential loss.

Inspections: The Palmer Hall committee reserve the right to attend the Hall for an unannounced inspection at any point during bookings if it is felt necessary.

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The Palmer Hall, London Street, Fairford, Glos GL7 4AQ