Terms and Conditions of Hire
Scale of Charges | General Arrangements | Legal Obligations
Other Regulations | Hire of Facilities | Cancellation of Booking

The current Scale of Charges is attached and is reviewed each financial year. The charges for the accommodation include the provision of normal lighting, heating and cleaning, and furniture and equipment arrangements as booked.

During school term times the entrance doors to the 8th floor corridors are open from 9.00am to 5.00pm. At all other times access will need to be agreed at the time of booking.

The restaurant counter service is open term time only 9.00am to 4.30pm Monday to Thursday and 9.00am to 3.30pm Friday. Between 12.00pm and 2.00pm hot and cold lunches are available, with light snacks available during all other opening hours.  More extensive light refreshments/buffets can be booked in advance.

Facilities - Training rooms equipped with overhead projectors and interactive whiteboards. 

The Conference Room (Room 1) is equipped with overhead projector, interactive podium, microphone and hearing loop. It is strongly recommended that with anything other than small groups, the microphone is used at all times.

Portable hearing loops can be set up in any training room if required and provided at least one week's notice is given.

Two fully equipped ICT suites are available for hire.

The Council has a duty to promote fairness and justice for all through its practices with regard to employment and service delivery, and expects hirers or users to comply with the Councils obligations. These obligations can be found in the following publications:

• Race Equality and countering Discrimination
  www.eoc.org.uk
• Gender Equality and countering Discrimination
  www.cre.gov.uk
• Right of Disabled People and countering Discrimination
  www.drc-gb.org

These copies are available on the Web and should read by the Hirer and Authorised Representative before signing an agreement with the Council and the hirers or users agree to these obligations as part of the hiring agreement.

In summary the Council [and its hirers], must endeavour to

• Promote Race Equality
• Promote Equality of Opportunity
• Promote Good Relations Between People of Different Racial Groups
• Avoid making people disabled through lack of appropriate access to services or employment.

Disabled Access – Wheelchair access to Leon House is to the left of the Main Entrance door and there are lifts to the 8th floor where there is also a toilet facility for disabled people.  Hirers should state at the time of booking if they need wheelchair access and appropriate parking facilities.  In an emergency, arrangements would have to be made to evacuate personnel using an EVAC chair.  Specific staff are trained in their use (see also 3.2).

• Avoid and counter discriminatory practices.

The Hirer or Authorised Representative must ensure that all activities and people providing activities, goods or services understand that there must be no contravention of the principles described above. The Hirer or Authorised Representative will be agreeing to that responsibility on signing the contract of Hire.

back to top of page

• The Council will conform to all statutory legislation and recognises and accepts its responsibility as an employer for providing so far as it is reasonably practicable, safe and healthy work places and working environment, both physically and psychologically, for all its employees, volunteers, other workers and people who use Council services. The hirers or users should also ensure that they comply with the Council's rules, and have ensured that they have assessed their own risks and activities. Where these activities impact upon the Council or its staff or other users then the hires shall arrange to advise the Council of the risks and agree any action or risk management as is deemed necessary.
• The Council together with users or hirers will meet this responsibility, paying particular attention to workplace risk assessment, health surveillance and the provision of sufficient organisation and arrangements for the health and safety of persons not in the Council’s employment that visit to carry out their duties or regularly occupy all or part of Council designated working environments. The Council cannot accept any responsibility for the failure of any hirer or users with respect to their own risks, the Council reserves the right to ask for copies of hirers or users risk assessments at any time, failure to supply these shall result in the hiring being terminated [without refund] until the risk assessments are available.
• Both parties must ensure that all reasonable steps are taken to protect Council employees, and others who are the Council’s responsibility under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and its associated Regulations, from physical and/or verbal abuse.
• Please note that no smoking is allowed in the Leon House building.

It is a condition of hire that organisers and or tutors of any training course or meeting held at the Centre must take a register of course/meeting participants before the course/meeting starts, and in the event of an evacuation take the register to the assembly point. Prior to any course or meeting starting the organiser must inform all course/meeting participants what action to take in the event of the fire alarm being activated. The routes to the nearest fire exits must also be explained. (Copies of the ‘Fire Drill and Emergency Procedures: Public Actions’ for the Centre are made available in each training room and are also available from the Conference Reception desk by Room1. Organisers/tutors who are new to the Centre should approach a member of staff to clarify evacuation procedures).

Please note that emergency evacuation arrangements at Leon House require prior notice of anyone who is unable to descend stairs unaided.  You must therefore ensure that you alert your course/meeting participants to this requirement and let us know well in advance.

back to top of page

4.1. The Council reserves the right to limit the number of people admitted to the premises depending upon the type and size of the accommodation hired.

4.2. The Council may cancel the hiring if the premises are required by the Council for educational or maintenance purposes. However, we will give as much notice as possible.

4.3. The premises will not be available for hire on Bank and Public holidays.

4.4. Permission to use the premises is personal to the hirer who may not therefore assign it or sub-let the use of the premises. The hire charge is payable within one month of receipt of invoice.

4.5. All hirings are subject to the hirer or authorised representative occupying and vacating the premises at the times stated on the booking confirmation letter. In the event of the hirer not arriving within half an hour of the starting time, the room will be secured and the letting considered to be cancelled. In this event, the hire charge will still be payable. In the case of Youth and Junior organisations, a responsible adult must be in charge for the period of hire. If the hiring finishes earlier than the time stated a responsible person must report to either the Facilities Manager (ext 15362) or Reception (ext 15400). Phones are available in each training room.  If the booking is outside normal office hours, it will be necessary for the hirer to sign the Facilities Manager's letting sheet to confirm that the hiring has been completed within the terms of the agreement.

4.6. No gambling will be permitted.

4.7. The room layout, equipment and conditions of use will be as agreed in the contract of hire. At the end of the booking the room should be left as it was found.

4.8 Hirers must undertake to use the premises in an orderly way and for the purposes for which they are hired. They shall reimburse the Council the cost of making good any damage to the Council's property arising from the hiring, however caused. All people entering and leaving the premises must exercise a duty of care to local residents.

4.9 No furniture, instruments or equipment belonging to the hirer may be left or stored on the premises. Materials brought onto the site must also be consistent with the Council’s obligations with regards to Equalities legislation.

4.10. Notices must not be exhibited on any part of the premises.

4.11. If the hirer intends to use the premises for fetes or similar activities, the hirer shall take out a policy of insurance in the joint names of himself indemnifying the hirer against any claims and proceedings by any person in respect of any damage or injury (including injury resulting in death) arising directly or indirectly from the hirer's use of the premises. The limit of indemnity in such policy shall be not less than £2,000,000

4.12. The Council does not undertake any responsibility for the loss of or damage to any goods or effects belonging to the hirer and/or members of the organisations, associations or clubs, or to any other person present, whether by fire or other reason, nor for any injury to any person or persons attending the premises from whatever cause (except in the case of such injury, the negligence of the Council) neither will the Council accept any responsibility for any breakdown, failure of internet facilities or other similar infrastructure, leakage, fire or accident rendering necessary any closure of the premises nor any interruption of the hiring or of any repairs or renewals consequent on any such breakdown, leakage, fire or accident.

4.13 The premises are not licensed for public entertainment and the collection of money for admission cannot be permitted. The entertainments that are permitted in the premises under the terms of the hiring cannot therefore be advertised to the general public.

4.14 Hirers and their authorised representatives must comply at all times with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, Disability Equality Duty 2005, the Race Relations Act 1976, the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, the Public Order Act 1986 and all amendments to such legislation.

4.15 Hirers/users should check the premises are safe and suitable before undertaking any activities and report any hazards or damage to the Council.

4.16 No illegal substances may be brought on to the premises.

4.17 No alcohol may be brought on to the premises without the authority of the Council. Where this authority is given it will only apply to consumption and not sale. The hirer shall be responsible for ensuring that no underage drinking takes place, and accepts responsibility for enforcing this issue.

4.18 Smoking is not allowed inside the buildings.

4.19 The Council reserves the right to refuse without explanation any application; and to cancel any hiring at any time without written notice. On the termination of the hiring under this Condition the Council shall return to the hirer all or part of any money paid but shall not be under any liability for any loss or damage arising out of such termination.

4.20 Failure to comply with these Conditions and Regulations in any part may render the hirers ineligible for further hirings.

4.21 The Council will automatically cancel any agreement with the Hirer where the Hirer or Authorised Representatives or their users contravene or intend to contravene any part of the contract of Hire.

4.22 The Council reserves the right of entry to the premises hired at all times of such Officers as they deem necessary for the proper supervision of the premises.

4.23 No gratuity is to be paid to any Council employee.

back to top of page

Revised March 2006

Cheques should be made payable to the London Borough of Croydon (QDI). Non-educational organisations will be required to pay a deposit on booking. Deposit cheques should be dated the day of the booking.

Scale of Charges | General Arrangements | Legal Obligations
Other Regulations | Hire of Facilities | Cancellation of Booking