Conditions of Hire

We recognise that everyone who uses the hall wants the minimum of hassle and to be able to concentrate on the event in hand.  We try to help hirers with that, but please remember this hall is run by village volunteers.  This helps us keep our hiring rates competitive, but does depend on the good will of our hirers as well.  So, here is some small print we ask all our hirers to observe.

• Hirers must be at least 18 years of age.
• If a booking is cancelled more than 6 weeks before to the event, all payments will be refunded less a 10% charge for administration. If a booking is cancelled within 6 weeks of the event there will be no refund.

• Dealing with rubbish
  • For small events rubbish should be left in the black wheelie bins.
  • For major functions 5 blue rubbish sacks will be provided as part of your booking. Should more be needed a further 5 sacks will be available at a charge of £5 per sack which will be deducted from the deposit. Any excess rubbish must be removed from the site.
  • It is in both your and our interests that glass, plastic and other recycling is sorted and cleaned and left separately from the general rubbish.
  • Food waste should be disposed of in the green wheelie bin.

• Keeping the hall clean.
  • We expect hirers to respect the building and to clear up and tidy at the end of the booking.
  • We expect a certain amount of cleaning to be done, including obvious things like sweeping the floors and leaving the ovens and microwaves clean and following the instructions regarding the dishwasher.
  • The end of hiring check list itemises things to be done at the end of a booking.
  • We expect the hall (and the meadow) to be left in a state that allows our cleaners to get on with their routine work without having to spend extra time sorting out things that would be reasonable to expect hirers to have done before leaving the hall.
  • We appreciate your help with this as the hall is run entirely by volunteers.

• The playing of amplified music outside the main hall and the letting off of fireworks or Chinese lanterns anywhere on the site, including the meadow, are strictly forbidden. This condition is imposed to protect the peace of the valley for residents and to prevent sounds echoing throughout the narrow valley.
• The hall is licensed by the local authority for 75 people when seated and 100 when standing. For most purposes this means the capacity of the hall is 75 and the hall has 75 seats.
• The hall has the standard premises licence for entertainment and the playing of both recorded and music.
• The hall does not have a licence for selling alcoholic drinks. If you want to sell alcoholic drinks, you must obtain a TEN (Temporary Events Notice) from North Devon Council. We can supply the relevant form, but you must firstly discuss your requirements with the bookings secretary or your mentor and gain their permission and then apply and pay for the licence yourself.
• The hall has a range of facilities that are included in the hire charge. These include heating and lighting, and use of the kitchen. There is a full range of cutlery and crockery for 75 people, including wine glasses. The kitchen is equipped with 2 full size cookers, 2 fridges, a microwave, a water boiler for making tea etc. and a commercial dishwasher. Near the kitchen in a store cupboard is a large freezer which can be used by arrangement. The hall also has a range of tablecloths which can be used by arrangement.
• You should already know how to use the dishwasher, water boiler, refrigerators, cookers and freezer, where light switches are, and also where spare rubbish bags are kept. Please ask if you have any queries about the use of any of these items.
• If you have requested that you want a marquee on the meadow, you will already have discussed arrangements for its erection and dismantling. Please be considerate of the local residents in terms of noise and timing of setting up activities.
• The event must finish to leave sufficient time for everyone to be off the premises and the Hall secure by the end of the hire session, and if in the evening by midnight.
• The hall has some tablecloths which can be used by arrangement with one of the contacts below. You will be responsible for the laundering and return of these. The use of the hall’s crockery and cutlery is included in the hire charge although you will need to ensure all is put back in their correct places, as indicated in the kitchen, after being washed and dried.
• The car park and overflow car park are privately owned and do not belong to the Hall. Please make sure you put a reasonable contribution for use of the car park into the honesty box at its entrance and ask your guests to do the same. If anyone wants to leave a car in the car park overnight, please ring the owner on 01271 864 257 in advance.
• Although we hope and expect that the £100 deposit required for events of more than one day will be returned in full, we reserve the right to withhold an amount if some conditions of hire are not fulfilled and/or additional costs are incurred by the Hall. This might include loss of booking fees if the hall or meadow is unusable outside of your booking.