Games Area Terms

MICKLETON PARISH COUNCIL’S COMMUNITY GAMES AREA HIRING POLICY

These standard conditions apply to all hiring of the MUGA and associated facilities (the premises). If the hirer is in any doubt as to the meaning of the following, Mickleton Parish Council (MPC) should be consulted. For the purpose of this policy, the term hirer shall mean an individual hirer or, where the hirer is an organisation, the authorised representative who is the person who signs the booking agreement.

1. Age

Hirers shall be persons 18 or over and who are responsible for being in charge of the premises at all times and ensuring that all conditions under this agreement are met.

2. Supervision

The hirer shall, during the period of hiring, be responsible for supervision of the premises, the fabric and contents, their care, safety from damage (however slight) or change of any sort and behaviour of all persons using the premises whatever their capacity, including proper supervision of car parking arrangements. Those under 16 must be supervised by someone over 18 years old at all times. The hirer will be responsible for supervising the behaviour of all persons using the premises.

3. Use of Premises

The hirer shall not use the premises for any other purpose other than that described in the hiring agreement and shall not sub-hire or use the premises or allow the premises to be used for any unlawful purpose or in any unlawful way not do anything or bring onto the premises anything which may endanger the same or render invalid any insurance policies in respect thereof.

The hirer must not share the padlock codes with anyone else. Loss of the padlock will incur a cost of £5.

Hirers using the MUGA are required to ensure that noise levels and inconvenience to our neighbours and other users is kept to a minimum.

4. Care of Premises

All persons using the premises shall behave in a manner that does not cause injury, damage or nuisance to property, other users of the courts or ground or local residents. All persons shall conform to any regulations or byelaws in force with respect to the grounds and comply with any instructions they may receive from MPC. The hirers will be solely liable for any damage caused to the surface, equipment, fences or any other of MPC’s property, including malicious and accidental damage.

Hirers are asked to ensure that they treat the facilities in a considerate and proper manner and remove litter (e.g. drinks cans, sweet wrappers). No glass bottles or glass in any other form must be taken into the facility. It is important that the surface is kept in good condition to extend its life.

The hirer shall ensure that clean, soft soled footwear is worn at all times by those using the MUGA. The wearing of boots with studs, spikes or blades is strictly prohibited.

5. Public Safety Compliance

The hirer shall comply with all conditions and regulations made in respect of the premises by MPC.

6. End of Hire

The premises must be vacated at the end of the let in a timely manner. Hirers are responsible for leaving the premises and surrounding area in a clean and tidy condition, properly closed (and locked where required) or MPC will be at liberty to make an additional charge. All hirers must ensure that they vacate the MUGA at the end of the stated hired time to allow other hirers to access the facility at their allotted time slot.

Hirers are responsible for returning equipment to an ‘as found’ condition.

At the end of the hiring, the hirer shall be responsible for ensuring that the site is secured (gate secured with padlock) leaving the premises in a clean and tidy condition, and any equipment temporarily removed from their usual positions properly replaced.

7. Hirer Booking Changes

Hirers may request changes to their original bookings using the booking calendar by amending the original booking and making a new reservation. Where the hirer makes a change, there will be no refunds, but the hirer will be issued with a credit which may be utilised to book a future slot within the next 8-week period. Any changes must be made at least 24 hours in advance of the slot booked or the hirer will forfeit the booking fee.

Changes will be dependent upon court availability; re-arranged matches cannot be guaranteed. Any requests for credits for un-played bookings due to re-arranged fixtures must be in writing and accompanied by evidence from the hirer to MPC.

8. Changes and Cancellations

MPC reserves the right to decline booking requests or to limit the amount of time played during a booking if it deems that this is in the long-term interests of the sustainability of the playing surface and/or the safety of those using it.

MPC reserves the right to close the facility during any day or days on which it has been let. MPC will endeavour to accommodate any lost matches due to court conditions or bad weather within the playing season or offer credits against future bookings. The only time this will be considered is if:

1. The pitch booking is cancelled by MPC.
2. The match is cancelled due to unsafe playing conditions by MPC or deemed to be unsafe by the hirers.
3.  Refunds will be made in respect of any cancellations that meet the criteria set out in 1 and 2 above. Please contact the clerk by email where a refund is required.

9. Insurance and Indemnity

The hirer shall be liable for:

1. the cost of repair of any damage (including accidental and malicious damage) done to any part of the premises including the curtilage thereof or the contents of the premises
2. all claims, losses, damages and costs made against or incurred by MPC in respect of damage or loss of property or injury to persons arising as a result of the use of the premises by the hirer
3. all claims, losses, damages and costs made against or incurred by MPC as a result of any nuisance caused to a third party as a result of the use of the premises by the hirer, and subject to sub-clause (2 above), the hirer shall indemnify and keep indemnified accordingly MPC is insured against any claims arising out of its own negligence against such liabilities.

In the event of the MUGA or any part thereof being rendered unfit for the use for which it has been hired, the parish council shall not be liable to hirer for any resulting loss or damage whatsoever.

Organised Sport/Groups: The hirer shall take out adequate insurance to insure such liabilities and shall produce the policy or other evidence of cover by email to MPC. Failure to produce such policy and evidence of cover will render the hiring void and enable MPC to rehire the premises to another hirer.

The hirer will be responsible for providing their own first aid cover and a mobile telephone for emergency assistance if it were to be necessary.

10. Organised Sports/Groups: Risk Assessment

The hirer must produce a risk assessment and provide a copy to MPC.
Although not obligatory, it is recommended that the hirer carries out and documents a health questionnaire for each of its participants.

11. Child Protection

MPC subscribes to the principles of child protection. Hirers shall adopt measures for the appropriate protection of any child involved in activities on the premises and shall be mindful of the needs of any such child.

12. Accidents and Dangerous Occurrences

The hirer must report all accidents involving injury to the public to a member of MPC as soon as possible. Any failure of equipment belonging to MPC must also be reported as soon as possible.

13. Alcohol

No alcohol shall be brought into the grounds. Drinking of alcohol or smoking in the MUGA facility is prohibited.

14. Animals

The hirer shall ensure that no animals are brought onto the MUGA areas.

15. Equipment

MPC accepts no responsibility for equipment or other property brought onto or left at the premises, and all liability for loss or damage is hereby excluded.

16. Compliance

A hirer failing to comply with any of these regulations and conditions will be liable to forfeit the use of the premises without any adjustment of fees in respect thereof, such forfeiture to be without prejudice to any other claims or remedies which MPC may have against the hirer. Any breach of these conditions will result in refusal to permit the hirer to make any future bookings.

17. Agreement

MPC reserves the right to make alterations to any of the conditions of hire from time to time and at its own discretion.

The booking of the MUGA by the hirer indicates acceptance of all the above conditions of hire.

These conditions may not be varied in any way, except with the prior approval of MPC for the use of the MUGA facility.