Contents

Section 1 Applying for a Facility Hire Agreement
Section 2 Processing your Facility Hire Agreement
Section 3 Making changes to an existing Hire Agreement (Amendments)
Section 4 Charges and how to pay for your letting
Section 5 Value Added Tax (VAT)
Section 6 Insurance
Section 7 Conduct
Section 8. General Health & Safety
Section 9. Equipment Loss or Damage

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Section 1 Applying for a Facility Hire Agreement

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1a. All Facility Hire Agreements must be fully completed and submitted with copies of the

relevant supporting documents. It is advised that you provide as much detail about your
organisation and activity as possible.
1b. Where an application form does not contain the required information in order for it to be
processed, it will be returned to you as incomplete thus potentially delaying the start date of
your facility hire
1c. Do not assume prior knowledge if you have had a previous letting or write ‘as last year’.
Enter the dates you actually require, you will incur charges for your letting based upon the
dates you have applied for so it is advised that you do not simply block book as you may end
up paying more than you anticipated.
1d. Please give adequate notice; it takes a minimum of 7 working days to process a Facility
Hire Agreement

Section 2 Processing your Facility Hire Agreement

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2a. On receipt of a Facility Hire Agreement Sportzone will enter it onto the booking system

and check that all relevant supporting documents have either been supplied or are already
held on file.
2b. Once the Facility Hire Agreement is approved a copy is issued to the hirer.
2c. On receipt of the proposal copy of the Facility Hire Agreement please check that all the
details are correct and read the Conditions and Guidelines document to understand the
terms and conditions you are bound by upon signing it. You must sign and return a signed
copy of the Facility Hire Agreement to Sportzone within 7 days.
2d. If the agreement is correct, please be aware that;
Upon signing the hire agreement you are confirming that - the details are correct (including
the charges, invoicing details and all of the dates listed are required) - you agree to be liable
for the letting and be bound by the terms and conditions laid out in this document.
 

Key points to remember :
∙ Read the Conditions & Guidelines booklet
∙ Complete the Facility Hire Agreement form fully
∙ Only book the dates you actually require
∙ Attach all relevant supporting documents
∙ Keep a copy of what you send to us
∙ Do not issue any advertising or promotional material until everything has been agreed
∙ Sportzone cannot guarantee that you will be allocated the day/date/time/facility you have
applied for until The Facility Hire Agreement has been signed by both parties
 

2e. Signing agreements without checking may result in accepting liability for fees that were
not anticipated.
2f. If any details listed on your hire agreement are incorrect please contact Sportzone
immediately and a revised agreement will be issued.
 

Section 3 Making changes to an existing Hire Agreement (Amendments)
 

3a. Sportzone must be informed and agree to any cancellations or changes (amendments)
to the Facility Hire Agreement i.e. dates, times or facilities. Your Facility Hire Agreement is a
legal document and must reflect the actual hire taking place, not only for insurance and
safeguarding purposes, but to ensure charges are raised correctly.

3b. Sportzone must be informed if you are not able to attend the session you have booked.
The session will still be charged if this has not been agreed as above.
3c. Sportzone will inform the Hirer if the facility is deemed by Sportzone to be unavailable
(eg extreme weather). In these circumstances the session will not be charged.
3d. Permanent Cancellation; must be submitted in writing, Sportzone requires a minimum of
4 weeks notice and all slots will still be chargeable within that cancellation period.
3e. Isolated Covid 19 related cancellations will still be chargeable for that session. Sportzone
will honour a maximum of 2 ad hoc sessions; which are to be used within the contract period
OR added as additional to the end of agreed contract term free of charge.

 

Section 4 Charges and how to pay for your letting
 

4a. Method and Timing of Payment for all Facility Hire Agreements will be agreed prior to the
signing of the Facility Hire Agreement.
4b. Invoice queries should always be referred back to Sportzone as soon as possible.

 

Section 5 Value Added Tax (VAT)
 

If an option to tax has been exercised by Sportzone in relation to the facilities being hired, all
charges for hire should be made at standard rate of VAT.
Where the option to tax has not been exercised, the charges for Facility Hire are exclusive of
VAT. VAT is charged at the current rate in addition to the hire fee set by the School unless it
meets the exemption rules. The regulations below show how VAT is applied.

5a. VAT at the current rate will be charged for the following types of use in addition to the
hire fee;
∙ For all hire of sports facilities when used for sporting activities or physical recreation by
commercial operators or individual persons. No exemption applies regardless of the number
of sessions booked.
5b. VAT is not charged on the following types of use due to exemption;
∙ Rooms involving no more than the use of furniture such as tables, desks and chairs.
∙ Hire of sports facilities when used for a sporting activity or physical recreation ONLY if it
fulfils ALL of the following conditions: - a pre-booked series consisting of at least 10
sessions - the interval between each session is at least 1 day but not more than 14 days -
each session uses the same facility - each session is in respect of the of the same sport /
activity - the hirer must be a school, a club, an association or organisations representing
affiliated clubs or constituent associations (such as a local football league) - the hirer has
exclusive use of the facilities during the sessions - the series of 10 sessions or more has to
be paid for as a whole, whether or not the right to use the facility is actually exercised by the
hirer.
5c. Staff at Sportzone will use all of the information you have supplied or can easily find
online about your organisation to ensure that VAT is applied correctly. HMRC have provided
guidance for our staff to use when deciding whether VAT is applicable to your hire.
5d. If Sportzone cancels a session for extreme weather etc the VAT exemption will not be
affected. Hirers will not pay for this session, nor will they be charged VAT on the remaining
sessions.
5e. Where a hirer who has been granted a VAT exempt Facility Hire chooses not to attend
for any of their booked session(s) but still pays for the session(s), The VAT exemption is not
affected and charges are not altered.

 

Section 6 Insurance
 

6a. The Hirer must have third party public liability insurance cover with an indemnity limit of
no less than £5 million. Your letting(s) will not be confirmed if you do not provide details of
your valid insurance. A copy of your valid public liability insurance policy must be supplied to
Sportzone. It must contain the following information:
∙ The name of the insured
∙ The start date and expiry date of the policy
∙ That cover for public liability of no less that £5 million is included.
6b. Most organisation’s will be linked or affiliated to a governing body or association and
would be expected to take out their insurance through this body. For example football teams
are usually affiliated to West Riding County FA and can purchase specific insurance for their
purpose through the association. In these circumstances a copy of the affiliation invoice
confirming purchase of liability insurance will be accepted by Sportzone.
6c. We will not under any circumstances accept responsibility or pay for any goods which
are brought into or left in the premises which are damaged, stolen or lost. You must
indemnify us against such expense.
6d. If during or following the hiring of the premises, a claim is made against Sportzone for
loss, damage, injury, action or costs, then you must reimburse Sportzone for all costs
connected with that claim. A claim may arise from action that you (or anyone acting with
express or implied permission) take or fail to take. For example, someone may be injured by
a piece of equipment you have brought in. In entering
this agreement, you agree to indemnify the Council against any claims. As the costs of any
claim could be very high, you must have adequate insurance cover.
 

Section 7 Conduct
 

The hirer shall:-
7a. not use or permit to be used the Premises in such a manner or permit any activity to be
carried on there from which may bring the Sportzone or the Premises into disrepute or cause
offence or embarrassment to Sportzone, its employees, members of the general public or
any persons using the Premises
7b. refuse admission to and/or take all reasonable steps to eject any disorderly person or
any person whose behaviour or activities may in the opinion of Sportzone bring the
Sportzone or the Premises into disrepute or cause embarrassment to Sportzone, its
employees, members of the general public or any persons using the Premises PROVIDED
ALWAYS that in the event of the hirer failing to take such appropriate action Sportzone ( or
such person authorised by Sportzone ) shall have the right to require the cessation of such
behaviour or activity and the removal of such person from the premises.

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Section 8. General Health & Safety

8a. During your period of hire you must take all reasonable steps to maintain order and
ensure there are no activities undertaken which are against the law or the conditions of hire
contained in this document.
8b. All Sportzone buildings and sports pitches are strictly no smoking areas.
8c. All hirers shall familiarise themselves with notices related to health, safety and fire
precautions displayed relevant to the facilities which are being used. It is the hirer’s
responsibility to ensure that they are aware of action to take in the event of a fire (how to
evacuate / raise the alarm). Please consult Sportzone staff if advice is required.

8d. Where car parking space is available at premises it is at the owners’ risk. The hirer must
ensure that entrance roads are kept free of traffic to allow vehicles to pass in an emergency.
8e. You must ensure that children are not left unsupervised in the facility you have booked;
an adult must be present at all times. In addition, you must not allow children to wander
around other parts of the premises unsupervised. The lead person on site should ensure that
they are aware of where all their children are at all times.
8f. You must ensure that children are adequately supervised throughout your visit.
8g. You must ensure that members of your group do not access areas of the premises that
have not been booked by your organisation. There should not be anyone in the corridors
during the period of your letting unless they are using them to access toilet facilities.
8h. The lead person on site must ensure that they arrive before any members of their
organisation. Participants cannot enter the premises unsupervised before the start time of
the hire as they are not insured to be on the premises.
8i. Where parents drop their children off at Sportzone to attend a hire, they should be
advised that Sportzone and its staff are not responsible for the welfare of their children. The
lead person on site is directly responsible for these children and parents should be advised
to ensure that their children are placed directly in the care of the lead person before they
leave the premises.
8j. It is the hirer’s duty to communicate with parents about arrival and collection
arrangements for their children. It is imperative that parents understand their children should
not arrive too early and be left alone to wander around the premises. safeguarding policy. At
no time are Sportzone staff responsible for any children whose parent/carer have not arrived
to collect them. The lead person on site must remain with that child / children at all times
until collected by a parent/carer.
8k. The hirer should ensure that they have contact details for all parents of the children that
attend their letting. Should Sportzone or the hirer have to cancel a letting at short notice it is
the hirer’s responsibility to ensure that all parents are informed not to bring their children for
that session. If the parents cannot be contacted the hirer (the named person that has signed
the legal hire agreement) must ensure that they attend Sportzone to advise parents as they
arrive that the session has been cancelled.
8l. Sportzone will not be responsible for any children that arrive for a session that has been
cancelled or where the lead person on site does not arrive on time.
 

Section 9. Equipment Loss or Damage
 

9a. Facility Hire does not include equipment or materials. Specific permission must be
obtained in order to use any equipment in the premises.
9b. Sportzone permission is required before taking any of your own furniture or equipment
into the premises, and it must be removed after each hiring.
9c. You must not fix anything to the walls with nails or screws, or post any placards on the
premises without the prior permission of Sportzone.
9d. Any damage to the premises, furniture or equipment during the hiring (other than
ordinary wear and tear), must be reported immediately to Sportzone staff. It will have to be
made good immediately, or paid for to Sportzone’s satisfaction.