1. Definitions

In this document the following expressions l have the following meaning:

1.1. The ‘Council’ means Tunbridge Wells Borough Council.
1.2. The ‘Staff’ means the person(s) employed by the Council at The Amelia Scott.
1.3. The ‘Building’ means The Amelia Scott, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent.
1.4. The ‘Hirer’ means the person(s) making the application for hire of the building or the Company or other body on whose behalf the application is made.
1.5. The ‘Hire Charge’ means the fee the Council will charge. When an application to hire the building is received this will be notified in writing to the Hirer.
1.6. The ‘Hire Period’ will be for the dates stated on the application form only.

2. Procedure for Hire

2.1. All applications for hire of the Building should be made by email or in writing using the attached form and returned to info@theamelia.co.uk or to The Amelia Scott by post. If an application to hire The Amelia Scott is made on behalf of a Company or unincorporated body, the form will need to be signed by an authorised signatory (this does not apply to enquiries).
2.2. The Hire Charge should be paid at least seven days before the Hire period or the Council has the right to cancel the hire.
2.3. Cancellation charges are as follows:

• More than 4 weeks’ notice (before event) – No charge
• <4 and >3 weeks – 25% of hire fees
• <3 and >2 weeks – 50% of hire fees
• <2 and >1 weeks –75% of hire fees
• Less than 1 week – Full charge

2.4. If the Hirer wishes to cancel or alter any booking this will need to be made in writing to info@theamelia.co.uk . Any change or cancellation will only be effective from the date that this notification is received by the Staff.
2.5. If the Hirer fails to comply with any of the conditions set out in these Conditions of Hire then the Council has the right to cancel the hire of the Buidling. The Hirer will be liable to pay the full Hire Charge to the Council.
2.6. The Council has the right to cancel the hire of the Building by any Hirer, at any time, for any reason, by giving written notice to the Hirer. In this instance, the Council will repay to the Hirer the Hire Charge but will not be liable for any other losses suffered by the Hirer because of the cancellation.
2.7. The Council reserves the right to refuse applications for hire for a number of reasons including but not limited to lack of availability, unsuitability of the nature of the activity to be held, or other operational issues.
2.8. In the event of severe weather affecting the ability of Staff to travel to and from work, The Amelia Scott will remain closed and notification of closure will be posted on both Facebook and twitter. No charge will be made for room hires if The Amelia Scott does not open and no compensation or loss of revenue will be compensated. It is expected that Staff will make every effort to open the building. If The Amelia Scott is open cancellations will be paid for in accordance with 2.3.

3. Use of the Building

3.1. The room will not be used during the Hire Period for any purpose other than that specified in the application for hire. However the hirer should be aware that normal activities will continue in the rest of the Building. This can include noisy activities e.g. family rhyme time sessions.
3.2. The Hirer will be liable for any expenses incurred by the Council during the Hire Period either on behalf of, or at the request of, the Hirer, and should allow adequate time in the booking to leave the room in the condition it was found in, including stacking any chairs or folding any tables. Any additional cleaning costs incurred by the Building will be payable by the hirer.
3.3. No posters or notices will be displayed inside or outside the Building except on temporary notice boards and only with the agreement of the Staff. Any posters displayed at the Building without permission may be removed and any costs incurred in doing so will be payable by the Hirer.
3.4. The Hirer will, as far as possible, not permit any disorderly, abusive, or threatening behaviour to take place in the Building. Hirers should ensure that they and participants in their activities are polite to all Staff, and fellow Building users at all times. Hirers should ensure that they leave promptly at the end of their Hire Period. The Building reserves the right to cancel the bookings of any Hirer who fails to comply.
3.5. The Hirer will be responsible for ensuring all electrical equipment used at the Building has had a PAT (Portable Appliance Test) in the last 12 months, the cost of which will be borne by the Hirer. This includes, but not exclusively: sound equipment, PA systems, lighting and extension leads. The use of any such equipment must be agreed in advance.
3.6. The Hirer will comply with the room capacity numbers provided by the Building
3.7. The Hirer will comply with the one-hour space in between room hirer bookings
3.8. The Building will not be liable for any loss of income incurred due to cancellations caused by coronavirus.

4. Health and Safety legislation

4.1. The Hirer will ensure that all persons are aware of the emergency evacuation routes and assembly points. The Hirer will have a personal evacuation plan for all users who may require assistance with any aspect of their evacuation. A valid certificate of Employers Liability Insurance to cover the employees of the Hirer must be held by the Hirer. The Hirer is required to complete their own risk assessment of the room they hire and its suitability for the activity to be carried out, including any equipment.
4.2. The Hirer will not allow or permit any person, who is in the Building due to the Hirer’s booking, to carry out any of the following:

• To drive a nail, screw, hook or fastening of any kind into any wall, platform, floor, or furniture of the Building
• To, in any way, cause damage or destruction to the Building
• To obstruct the fire exits
• To move or tamper with any fire appliances in the Building
• To park in such a manner as to obstruct the entrance or exits to and from the Building

5. Liability for loss or injury

5.1. The Council will not be liable for any loss, damage or personal injury caused to any persons or property belonging to any persons using the Building during the Hire Period except where such loss or damage or personal injury arises out of the negligence of the Council, its servants, agents or employees.​​​​​​​
5.2. The Hirer will be liable for and will ensure that they are adequately insured against any liability, loss, claim or proceedings in respect of any injury or damage whatsoever to any property in the Building.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
5.3. No equipment may be stored at the Building. The Council will not be liable for any property left behind after a hire session.

6. First Aid

6.1. The Hirer shall be responsible for the provision of first aid facilities during the Hire Period for all its employees, agents and those employed by its agents, subcontractors, sublicensees and for visitors to the event. The Council will only be liable for the provision of First Aid to its own employees.

At the start of the event or function the Hirer should notify all those present about:

• smoking not being permitted in the Building
• the emergency warning signal
• who is supervising and how to identify them
• fire exits
• the location of the assembly point in front of the Town Hall Yard Carpark
• what will happen after an evacuation (e.g. re-entry to the Building).

During the event or function the Hirer should ensure that:

• escape routes and exits do not become blocked
• the no smoking rule is adhered to
• no naked flames are started
• rooms do not become overcrowded and room capacity numbers are adhered to
• noise levels cannot drown out the fire alarm
• if necessary, the number of persons at the event is limited or controlled