Hire and Letting
The PCC encourages the use of the Church premises by third parties, subject to the conditions laid out in this Policy which are intended to protect the PCC from financial or reputational damage. HIRE OR LETTING?A Hire is the one-off or regular use of Church premises for short periods by a third party other than for use as business premises. For use as business premises, or for the exclusive use of any part of the premises by a third party, a Lease agreement is required. A Hire does not create a legal relationship of Landlord and Tenant between the PCC and the Hirer. A Lease does create such a relationship and can be enforced at law. Therefore the PCC shall not enter into any Lease Agreement without first consulting, and gaining a Faculty from, the Chancellor of the Diocese. FIT AND PROPER ORGANISATIONS TO USE CHURCH PREMISESThe Premises must only be hired to persons or organisations whose activities are legal, wholesome and in accordance with Gospel values. The following must never be allowed to hire Church Premises: banned organisations; extremist or racist political groups; organisations which discriminate against people on the grounds of their race, gender, sexuality or disability; groups which promote behaviour or beliefs contrary to the Gospel. Organisations wishing to use the premises for activities involving children or vulnerable adults must have proper safeguarding policies and procedures in place before they may be allowed to do so. If in doubt as to the suitability of a Hirer, the decision should be referred to the PCC for full consideration. HIRE AGREEMENTSFor all hires, a Hire Agreement Form (blanks are available) must be completed in advance of the event. Once completed, the Hire Agreement Form should be filed until the end of the Agreement when the form is archived. All hires are subject to The Standard Conditions of Hire (attached) which are not negotiable. It must be ascertained that the Hirer agrees to these Conditions before the Agreement is signed. The PCC reserves the right to cancel any or all sessions booked under a Hire Agreement, or to terminate the Hire Agreement without notice in the event of a) unforeseen emergency circumstances or b) any breach of the Standard Conditions of Hire by the Hirer. POLICY ATTACHMENT: THE STANDARD CONDITIONS OF HIREThese Conditions are those in force at the time of writing (September 2017) and shall be reviewed by the PCC at each Annual General Meeting to ensure that they continue to provide appropriate protection. Standard Conditions of Hire
b) In respect of a recurring booking: THE HIRER shall pay the agreed per-session booking fees monthly in advance on or before the date of the first Hire Session due in that month, taking account of the number of Sessions due in the month. Bookings are not guaranteed until payment has been made. c) The PCC reserves the right to cancel any or all of the booked sessions should unforeseen emergency circumstances dictate.
b) In respect of a recurring booking: If the Hirer wishes to cancel any or all sessions booked, the PCC may at its absolute discretion offer credit against future sessions or refund the fees but shall be under no obligation to do either. In the event of the PCC cancelling any or all booked sessions, all fees paid by the Hirer in respect of the cancelled sessions shall be refunded.
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