Room Hire Terms and Conditions

The following conditions are for organizations and individuals using the facilities of Saint James the Less, Pimlico and must be strictly adhered to.

Acceptance of these conditions and the required non-refundable deposit, as outlined is required.

Failure to do so could result in the loss of the booking.

Bookings

A provisional booking is made by returning a signed booking form.

An invoice will then be raised for a non-refundable deposit for each room and additional facilities and service. It is to be paid not later than 7 days from the date of the issue of the invoice.
The booking is not confirmed until the deposit is received. Until then the contract is provisional.
Saint James the Less reserves the right to release any provisional booking if the deposit has not been received within the due date (7 days) without referral.

If the hire period is within 30 days of the booking, then full payment and the booking form must be received within five working days and before the event occurs.

When booking, The Hirer is responsible for ensuring that dates and times booked include time to prepare areas used by The Hirer and The Hirer's contractors for the purposes of the event and for the clearing away thereafter of the property and effects of the Hirer and Hirer's contractors. Please note that the hirer will be charged for additional expenses should a contractor pick up equipment after the arranged booking time.
Deposit

The non-refundable deposit will be 30% of the total value of the booking.

Payment
Users are required to pay the total charges for hiring the room/s and any additional charges for any facilities or services ordered or required 30 days before commencement of meetings, whether an invoice has been raised or not by Saint James the Less, Pimlico.

An invoice for the outstanding amount will be issued 6 weeks prior to the event.

Failure to pay any sum on time or the failure of The Hirer's bank to honour their cheque will result in the cancellation of the booking. If this happens Saint James the Less, Pimlico reserves the right to keep the deposit without prejudice of their other rights or the terms within this contract.

There will also be an extra charge made in case of breakages, damage to the centre or its equipment in any way, leaving the premises in disorder or failing to respect the timing of the agreed booking. You will be invoiced after the event, should the issue arise. This payment will be due within 7 days of the issuing of the invoice.

In the case of breakages, damage to centre equipment or leaving the premises in disorder The Hirer will be required to make good. This may include paying for all replacements, repairs or cleaning bills as deemed fit by Saint James the Less, Pimlico as well as the cost of staff time required to undertake these activities.
In the case of failing to respect the timing of the agreed booking, The Hirer will pay the balance for the time used at full rate. If this results in the cancellation of another booking (or the failure of that booking to go ahead adequately), then The Hirer will pay for that booking as well. If the Verger has to wait around for the contractor to pick up the equipment (beyond such time as all his/her jobs have been performed) then the Hirer will be required to pay £15per hour for every hour (or part there of) that the Verger waits.
Without prejudice to any other right, remedy or power contained in this Terms and Conditions of Use, for any of the invoiced sum (which may include the amount due for use of Saint James the Less, Pimlico and any other charges added onto the invoiced sum due to any kind of damage to the building or to any electrical or non electrical equipment or any cleaning up cost incurred by Saint James the Less or failing to respect the timing of the bookings), The Hirer shall pay interest on such outstanding sum at 10% each day from and including the date when payment was due to the date of the actual payment to Saint James the Less, Pimlico.

All cheques should be crossed and made payable to Saint James the Less Church, Pimlico.

Cancellation
By the actions of The Hirer:
In addition to the clauses stated above,
Should you have to cancel a booking with Saint James the Less, Pimlico, please notify us of the cancellation, immediately.
The Hirer may cancel this contract by written notice to Saint James the Less, Pimlico on the following terms:
More than 6 weeks: Refund of deposit, less a 10% administration charge or £10, which ever is greater.
Between 4 -6 weeks: The entire deposit is forfeit.*
Between 2 - 4 weeks: 50% of the total hire charge(s) are due.*
2 weeks or less: 100% of the total hirer charge(s) are due, less an allowance of 10% in respect of direct costs not incurred.*
* If Saint James the Less, Pimlico is able to re-let all of the rooms, facilities, services etc contracted, then any monies paid by the hirer will be refunded in full less an administration charge of 10%. In the case of a partial re-let the refunded amount will be pro-rata.
Additional cancellation charges by our suppliers booked on your behalf will also be applied.
By Saint James the Less, Pimlico:
Whilst every effort will be made to accommodate your booking, Saint James the Less, Pimlico cannot accept liability in the event of the buildings becoming unavailable through reasons beyond our control. The Hirer will be informed immediately of any such event.
Only payments made by The Hirer for a room and any facilities or services offered by Saint James the Less, Pimlico will be refunded fully if Saint James the Less, Pimlico cancel the bookings due to unforeseen reasons but no refunds are given for bookings cancelled by clients.
Saint James the Less, Pimlico are not held responsible for any costs incurred for facilities (such as caterers & equipment) booked by clients.
Saint James the Less, Pimlico strongly suggest taking out an insurance policy to include ‘cancellation cover'.

Liability
The Hirer is strongly recommended to insure against any damage, death or injury caused by The Hirer (or by any other person entering the premises as a result of the booking) to the premises or the property of Saint James the Less or any person. Proof of such insurance shall be produced by The Hirer to a representative of Saint James the Less staff.

Saint James the Less, Pimlico is not liable for any injury or loss of belongings on its premises during the period of hire, nor liable in respect of any change of programme of performers made by the promoters in accordance with the relevant law in force at the moment of hire by The Hirer.

Saint James the Less, Pimlico shall not be held liable for or responsible in any way to The Hirer or any other person entering the premises as a result of the booking for any loss, damage, injury or delay due to any cause beyond Saint James the Less, Pimlico control including acts of government, strikes, lockouts, fire, lightening, aircraft, explosion, flooding, riots, civil commotions, acts of war, force, majeure, natural disaster or other similar cause.

Saint James the Less does not accept responsibility for damage to, theft or loss of clothing or other property brought in to the premises by the Hirer or any other person or for personal injury to or death of any person (other than that caused by Saint James the Less, Pimlico own negligence) as a result of this contract.

The Hirer agrees to pay the repair or replacement of any equipment belonging to or in the possession of Saint James the Less, Pimlico which may be lost, stolen, or damaged during or as a result of the event, however caused.

The Hirer will indemnify Saint James the Less, Pimlico and its employees from all damages, actions, claims, interest, cost, charges, expenses and demands which may be suffered through any breach of contract or the negligence of The Hirer, its employees or agents or persons entering the building as a result of the booking.

Saint James the Less has the right to serve notice on The Hirer at any time terminating this contract with immediate effect if The Hirer is in breach of any of the terms of this contract, or the hired rooms are used for any purpose other than as notified to Saint James the Less, Pimlico, or if it is subsequently discovered that the nature of the event is such that premises registered for Christian Worship may reasonably object to it taking place upon such premises. In this event the hirer shall not be entitled to make any claims against Saint James the Less, Pimlico but such cancellation shall be without prejudice to the rights of Saint James the Less, Pimlico.
St James the Less church is indemnified by its insurers Ecclesiastical Insurance Group in regard to public liability up to a maximum of £5,000,000 for any one event, as defined in the policy.


General Rules


The use of rooms

Saint James the Less, Pimlico reserves the right to accept bookings at their discretion. Therefore full disclosure of the precise nature of the event at the time of booking must occur.

Failure to fully disclose the nature of the event may result in the termination of the contract as outlined under "Cancellations".

The Hirer shall not use Saint James the Less, Pimlico or any part of it except for the purpose as communicated to and approved by the Vicar(s) or by Buildings Manager and/or Administrator on behalf of the clergy.

The Hirer will not permit gambling to occur on the premises.

The Hirer will not use the rooms for any immoral, illegal, or other purpose that would, in the view of St James the less, Pimlico Clergy, or PCC, bring the church into disrepute, or in any other way compromise the church's mission.

The Hirer agrees not to permit alcoholic drinks to be sold, given out or otherwise brought to the premises at any time except as arranged with Saint James the Less, Pimlico.

The Hirer agrees not to allow any act of worship to be held at the premises without the prior written consent of Saint James the less, Pimlico. Full details of such intended worship must be supplied in writing with the booking application in order for the booking to be accepted.

It is against the law to smoke anywhere in the building and it is St James the less, Pimlico policy not to allow smoking in the doorways or under the main church porch.

The Hirer agrees not to exceed the capacity of the rooms hired, nor to issue tickets in excess of the capacity for each room.

The Hirer agrees not to distribute, sell or permit to be distributed or sold upon the premises any newspapers, periodicals, books or any other items without the prior consent of Saint James the Less, Pimlico.

Meetings which exceed acceptable noise levels - as determined by Westminster Council - will be subject to termination by Saint James the Less, Pimlico. No refund will be made arising from this incident.
The Hirer will be shown which areas of Saint James the Less, Pimlico they have access to and areas which are out of bounds. Failure to remain in these areas may result in the immediate termination of this agreement.
Please note that all evening meetings must finish by 22.30 hours, i.e., meeting rooms booked 18.00 - 22.30 would require the meeting to finish by 22.15 at the latest with the building being vacated by 22.30.

Condition and alteration of the rooms
Please advise the church office immediately if the room you have booked is not tidy and clean.
The Hirer agrees to leave the rooms hired in a clean and tidy condition (including the washing, drying and putting away of dishes in the correct place) and to remove all rubbish in containers supplied by and at the cost of the hirer. The Hirer will also notify Saint James the Less, Pimlico when Saint James the Less, Pimlico's cleaning products have been used up (if used by The Hirer) and replace them. Saint James the Less, Pimlico reserves the right to charge a reasonable fee for cleaning and rubbish disposal if the premises are left in disorder.

The Hirer agrees to take away any items of equipment or literature which they bring to the premises.

The Hirer agrees not to make alterations to the rooms booked or to the lighting, heating and seating, arrangements without the prior written consent. The use of nails, screws, staples and adhesive material on painted, polished or carpeted surfaces is forbidden. Saint James the Less, Pimlico reserves the right to charge for any repairs and renewals necessary following damage caused to the premises by the hirer or its tenants or agents

The Hirer agrees not to erect any decorations, exhibitions or displays on the premises without prior written consent. Any such items must be rendered non-flammable and shall be removed by The Hirer by the end of the event, the hirer making good all damage thereby caused.

The Hirer agrees to submit detailed plans of sets, and exhibitions to Saint James the Less for the approval by the appropriate Local Authority and to ensure that all conditions and regulations of the Local Authority or any other licensing authority are observed.

Please do not use the telephones

Within the church, The Hirer will not move furniture and fittings, musical, electrical or lighting equipment without the instruction of a Verger.

The bringing in and storing of any equipment before an event must not be done without prior arrangement from the church management. If it is possible to accommodate this equipment, with out preventing any other group from using a room to meet its requirements, then this will be done at a charge (see Tariffs). However, if storage of catering equipment for an up and coming event prevents the hire of the room to another party, as deemed by Saint James the Less, Pimlico, then The Hirer will be charged for the cost of that room as well.

Any loss of keys by users will result in a charge being made to the user for the cost of changing the locks and replacing lost keys.

Hiring of Audio Visual Equipment

The Hirer agrees to inform Saint James the Less, Pimlico in advance whether the event is to be recorded for audio or video purposes.

The use of any special lighting effects, props, extra PA on the premises will incur additional charge for the use of electricity.

Any PA/LCD requirements should be requested at the time the booking is made.

The Buildings Manager will provide the rates for hiring PA/LCD equipment. There is a charge made for the use of our PA/LCD Operator services (See Tariff).

Supervision of the church and public.

The Hirer is to provide, at their expense, a sufficient number of stewards to ensure order is maintained in the rooms hired and associated areas, including entrances and exits. Stewards must not be permitted to give up their positions in order to become part of the audience of the event.

The hiring of stewards may/may not be possible through Saint James the Less, Pimlico.

Security
Please be warned of the risks of leaving property, coats, bags, etc. unattended on the premises at any time. You are required to have the services (your expense) of a recognized security firm, or we can make recommendations.
To employ only security personnel registered with the Westminster City Council Door Supervisors Scheme and/or accredited by The Security Industry Association. Valid registration documents will be required to be scrutinized.
To ensure that no undesirable person is permitted to enter or remain in the rooms hired or otherwise make use of the accommodation and to be responsible for maintaining good order and conduct during and immediately after the event including outside our premises.

Event Publicity

All printed matter relating to an event must clearly state the title of the event, the starting time and date, and the words "Saint James the Less, Pimlico".

All advertisements for events at the premises require the prior written consent of Saint James the Less, Pimlico and a copy must be submitted for approval before going to press.

Posters and displays are welcome for display in the public areas of the premises

Any printed programme must contain the following information: "In accordance with the requirements of Westminster City Council, persons shall not be permitted to stand or sit in any of the gangways. All exits must be kept clear at all times."

Fire Safety

"In accordance with Westminster City Council persons shall not be permitted to stand or sit in any of the gangways - All exits must be kept clear at all times".

Please adhere to the fire exit signs indicated in the premises in case of emergency
Please keep your meeting room doors closed because they are fire doors.

If the fire alarm sounds please leave the building immediately, following the Fire Exit signs to the nearest fire escape stairs. Once outside the building please gather in piazza. You will be asked by a Fire Steward (whom the hirer shall appoint) to confirm that those attending your meeting have vacated the building. If you have a less-able person in your meeting please advise the Fire Steward immediately.

The Hirer is responsible for ensuring all persons are ware of where the fire exits are, location of extinguishers and where to gather.

Please set aside enough time prior to the event so that the Building manager can communicate to the hirer essential safety information.

Where considered necessary, employ the services of a qualified first aid assistant in case of emergencies.

Kitchen usage and Catering

Saint James the Less does not have its own catering department.

To get in contracted caterers, The Hirer must get the written permission of Saint James the Less.

It is The Hirer's responsibility to ensure that any caterers are suitably qualified and aware of relevant health and safety requirements that befits the function.

Use of the Kitchen is subject to extra charges.

It is essential that the kitchen be left clean and tidy, that all utensils are washed, dried up and put back in the correct place, and that ovens and hobs are switched off and cleaned.


Car Parking

There is no parking available at this time. However, parking is available in surrounding streets after 6:30pm and at weekends. The church is in the London Congestion Zone.


Miscellaneous

The Hirer is responsible for the payment of all royalties or any sums due to who ever in connection with any exhibition or performance which they are presenting.

The Hirer agrees to observe the requirements of the Performing Rights Society LTD and the Phonographic Performance Limited and the provisions of the Performers Protection Acts and any other similar organization.

It is the Hirers responsibility to contact the council if they are planning on selling tickets for entrance into the event. It is the hirers responsibility to confirm whether they need an Entertainment License.

SPECIAL NOTE:  PARTIES AND OTHER FUNCTIONS IN THE MAIN CHURCH.

Verger
For all functions that take place in the church outside normal working hours (9-5pm Monday - Friday when the church office is open) The Hirer will need to employ a Verger to oversee the function, to be available to help with any concerns and to lock up at the end. Costs for Verger are in the Tariff document (£60)

Pews and Pew Mover/s
Where pews need moving, this must be explicitly arranged and paid for in cash as a separate item (see tariff for pew moving - £90 for Verger + pew mover or £30 per pew mover if Verger is unavailable to perform the task or because the event takes place during office hours)

If the hirer undertakes to move the pews this must be done in accordance with our instructions. 
All breakages must be paid for and we take no responsibility for injury or damage done to those moving the pews.

If the event is on a Saturday, pews must be replaced immediately after the event, or by 8.30 am on the following day.

Cleaning
The hirer must pay for the floor to be cleaned at the end of an event in the church, before the pews are put back. This must be paid in addition to the deposit before the event. If the hirer chooses to employ their own cleaners, then the cleaning charges will be refunded if the church is cleaned to the standard required (as deemed by the the vicar) on time.
If the event is on a Saturday, it is essential that cleaning happens at the end of the event.  If it is on a weekday, the cleaning can be done the next day.

Our cleaner will do this, and must be paid in cash, unless another arrangement has been made between us and you.

Sweeping only will cost £20;  sweeping and washing will cost £50.  If the event is on a Saturday, costs will be Sweeping:  £30, sweeping and washing:  £60, or £80 if after the work will extend beyond midnight.

The verger or cleaner will decide whether the floor needs cleaning or sweeping.

Additional Charges

Additional charges apply for the consumption of food, drinks and equipment brought in by users. Please ask for details.