These are the terms and conditions (version May 2017) for use of the St James the Less Centre.
Frequently Asked Questions can be read online here.
Standard Conditions of Hire
Definitions
1. The following definitions apply to these paragraphs (1 – 19 & a – x):
· building: the whole of the church and St James the Less Centre including the curtilage
· premises: the areas of the building subject to the hire agreement
· common areas: the toilets, circulation areas, and entrances within the building, and kitchen if specifically agreed with THE HIRER.
· PCC : the trustees of the church, the buildings – this refers to the trustees or their authorised agent acting on their behalf
Liability
2. THE HIRER shall indemnify the PCC, its officers and employees in respect of the cost of repair of any damage done to any part of the building or its contents during or as a result of a booking (including any loss of income by the PCC arising from the damage) and in respect of any liability to third parties or otherwise arising out of the use of the building pursuant to the booking.
3. THE HIRER shall be responsible for making adequate arrangements to insure against any third party claims which may lie against the Hirer or his/her organisation whilst using the premises. St. James the Less Church will not accept responsibility for loss or damage to the hirer’s effects during the period of hire.
4. In the event of the building being rendered unfit for use by THE HIRER, the PCC shall be under no liability for any resulting loss or damage whatsoever.
Payment & Cancellation
5. THE HIRER shall pay the 20% deposit within 5 working days of confirmation of booking and the final full amount is due not less than 1 week prior to the date of the booking. If the booking is made less than a week before the date booked then full payment is required to secure the booking. Payment schedules will be agreed for any regular, recurring booking of the Centre. An additional, refundable cleaning/damage deposit may be required with the final payment, which will be refunded after the event . If either of these are not paid the church will be at liberty to do any or all of the following: i) release the date, ii) not refund the deposit, and iii) claim interest and debt recovery costs. If any cheque for any payment is dishonoured, after confirmation of a booking, the booking will be automatically and without notice cancelled. If you are unable to comply with this payment schedule for any reason you must inform us of this at the time of booking.
6. If THE HIRER wishes to cancel the booking, the PCC may, at its absolute discretion, refund the fees but shall be under no obligation to do so.
7. The PCC reserves the right to cancel the booking if exceptional unforeseen circumstances arise. In the event of the PCC cancelling the booking, all fees/deposits paid by the Hirer shall be refunded.
Licensing
8. THE HIRER shall be responsible for obtaining any local authority or other licences necessary in connection with the booking.
9. THE HIRER shall be responsible for the observance of all regulations affecting the building imposed by the Licensing Justices, the Fire Authority, the Local Authority or otherwise.
10. Alcohol cannot be sold in the building. THE HIRER is not permitted to apply for occasional licences for the sale of intoxicating liquor in the building.
Safety
11. THE HIRER shall not sub-let or allow any other person(s) to use the premises nor shall they use the premises or common areas for any unlawful purpose or in any unlawful way or do or permit anything or bring or permit to be brought into the building anything which may endanger the building, its users, or any insurance policies relating thereto.
12. THE HIRER shall abide by the St James the Less PCC Safeguarding Policy, signing to confirm a booking acknowledges that this has been seen and that all concerns relating to abuse of vulnerable groups will be reported to the relevant statutory authority. For events involving children, THE HIRER confirms that they are familiar with the London Diocesan Child Protection Guidelines. THE HIRER understands these policies & procedures and undertakes to follow their recommendations in relation to any work with children and young people. Children are not allowed in the kitchen unsupervised.
13. THE HIRER shall during the period of hiring, be responsible for supervision and security of the building, protection of the fabric and contents from damage, and the behaviour of all persons using the building or having access to the building, including proper supervision of car parking arrangements (if any) so as to avoid obstruction of the highway.
14. THE HIRER shall if preparing, serving or selling food observe all relevant food health and hygiene legislation and regulations.
General Use
15. THE HIRER shall, if selling goods on the premises, comply with all relevant fair trading laws and any local code of practice issued in connection with such sales.
16. THE HIRER acknowledges that no tenancy is intended to be created between the PCC and THE HIRER and no relationship of landlord and tenant exists between them.
17. Where the HIRER is provided with keys to the building, these keys must be returned at the end of the booking to the Church Office. The keys shall not be copied nor given or lent to any third party.
18. The right is reserved for a representative of the PCC to enter any part of the building at any time.
19. THE HIRER shall ensure that the Rules governing the use of the building are complied with.
Rules Governing Use of Building
General
a. St James the Less is a CHRISTIAN CHURCH and activities inconsistent with that are not allowed in the building. No acts of worship, other than Christian worship, are permitted in the building.
b. BOOKING TIMES must be adhered to and must include setting up and clearing up time. Prior permission for any extension must be obtained in writing and may be withheld at the PCC’s absolute discretion. An extension beyond the booked times is liable for a charge per half-hour extra. THE HIRER books for the use of the premises and not the surrounding area. The Hirer is responsible for the preservation of good order.
c. THE PCC reserves the right to refuse bookings without the need to give reasons. The PCC’s decision in this matter is final and not open to negotiation.
d. THE PCC and/or the VICAR reserves the right to retain all or any part of any sum paid in cleaning/damage deposit to cover losses and expenses incurred by the PCC as a result of damage caused by THE HIRER. They may also include a cleaning charge for the hire of the church.
e. PUBLIC ADVERTISING material must be submitted to the church administrator for approval. All such material must clearly display the name of the person or organisation responsible for the event and must not portray itself as a St James the Less event. Advertising cannot be displayed at the Centre or Church without permission.
f. EVENING USE. All events must finish by 10.30pm and ALL HIRERS must vacate the building by 11.00pm. No extensions beyond this time can be accepted.
g. NOISE/DISTURBANCE. THE HIRER is responsible for ensuring the avoidance of all unnecessary noise or disturbance likely to cause annoyance to other hirers and users and to occupants of surrounding properties during the period of hire and on arrival and departure. This is particularly important for departures in the evening.
Care of Building
h. CARE OF THE BUILDING. THE HIRER is expected to take reasonable care of the building, fittings, equipment and furniture, and in particular is not permitted to put nails, sellotape, blu tack or other fixings into the walls, doors, floor or ceiling.
i. DAMAGE. THE HIRER shall be liable to pay for all damage caused by accident or improper use either to the fabric or equipment. Any breakages within the building must be reported to the church administrator and will be charged & invoiced to THE HIRER. Fire appliances must only be used in genuine cases of emergency.
j. THE HIRER shall not interfere in any way with the electrical equipment of the building. No equipment may be switched on or plugged in without prior written consent. Any equipment brought to the building for use shall have an up-to-date PAT test and be effectively earthed and fitted with a 3-pin 13-amp plug fused at not more than 13 amps.
k. LEAVING THE PREMISES. If THE HIRER collects any keys from the church office, they will be issued with instructions for locking the building. These instructions shall be followed at the end of the hire. All fire doors and windows must be closed and locked, all external doors locked and all radiators and lights switched off. THE HIRER may be held responsible for any additional energy costs, theft or damage to the building which may result from a failure to follow these instructions. It is important to liaise with the person who is locking up the building following your booking eg to check for damage.
l. SMOKING is not allowed in any part of the building, including the toilets.
m. CLEANING UP. THE HIRER is responsible for leaving the premises in a clean and tidy state (including restoring any temporarily moved items to their original place, putting away furniture used, and returning the room to the state in which it was found). This includes the patio, if it was used by THE HIRER. They are also responsible for the removal of all rubbish from the building at the end of their hire, placing re-cycling in the recycling bins on the service road behind the church and the rubbish in the large bins on Tachbrook Street by Pimlico Tube Station. (THE HIRER is not permitted to use the church bins).
Access
n. NO ACCESS will be permitted to any part of the building other than the hired premises and the common areas. This means that the kitchen is not available for use unless hired.
o. PARKING. There is limited parking on Thorndike Street, we cannot reserve spaces at this time. Bicycles are not permitted inside the Centre.
p. ANIMALS. Only guide dogs are permitted inside the building.
Safety
q. FIRE EXTINGUISHERS. THE HIRER should familiarise themselves with fire regulations, appliances and exits. The Fire Brigade should be called out to any outbreak of fire, however slight, and the incident reported to the church administrator or warden.
r. FIRE EXITS must not be obstructed at any time.
s. SMOKE DETECTORS. There are smoke detectors in the St James the Less Centre and under no circumstances should any kind of smoke be generated as this will set off the fire alarms.
t. FIRE ALARM ACTIVATION POINTS. Except in a genuine emergency where there is need to vacate the building due to an outbreak of fire, THE HIRER should ensure that no one tampers with the activation points as this will set off the fire alarm.
u. FIRST AID. There are three first aid boxes in the St James the Less Centre. One is located next to the entrance from the Centre to the Church. Another is in the kitchen and the third is in the Parish Office.
v. ACCIDENTS. Any incident involving personal injury must be recorded in the Accident Book (located in the Office). Serious injuries should be reported to the church administrator or warden, as soon as is feasible.
w. HIGHLY FLAMMABLE substances are not permitted on the building.
x. TELEPHONES. There are no public telephones in the building. THE HIRER must ensure that they have access to a mobile telephone in case of emergencies.
