Museum hire terms and conditions

In the terms and conditions of hire:

Bewdley Museum means Bewdley Museum, Bewdley, Worcestershire

Bewdley Museum Manager means Museum Manager or her duly authorised representatives.

Booking Form means the completed booking form setting out details of the Hire to which these terms and conditions are attached, including any subsequent agreed variations to the detail provided at the time of booking

Caterer means Bewdley Museum – The Garden Kitchen Cafe

Catering Form means the completed catering form setting out the details of the Hirers catering requirements and attached to the Booking Form

Council means Wyre Forest District Council

Event means the purpose for which the Venue is hired

Event Date means the date of the Event specified in the Booking Form

Hire Fee means the total amount of hire charges due as set out in the Booking Form

Payment Date means the date for final payment specified in the Booking Form

Venue means the areas of Bewdley Museum identified in the Booking Form hired for use by the Hirer

Hirer(s) shall mean the person(s) making the application for the hire of the Venue as named on the Booking Form

Period of Hire means the duration of time which the Venue is hired to the Hirer as identified in the Booking Form.

2.1     All applications for hire of Bewdley Museum must be made on the Booking Form.

2.2     The Hirer agrees to pay the Hire Fee in full in accordance with these terms and conditions.

2.3     No person under the age of 18 years will be accepted as a Hirer.

2.4     Applications for hire of Bewdley Museum shall be treated equally, regardless of race, colour, nationality, sex, religion, marital status or disablement

2.5     Provided these terms and conditions are met by the Hirer the Council shall reserve the Venue for the Hirer on the Event Date for the Period of Hire.

2.6     Provisional bookings must be confirmed by forwarding the completed Booking Form and deposit within 14 days, otherwise the provisional booking will lapse.

2.7     These Terms and Conditions of Hire together with the Booking Form constitute the contract for the hire of the Venue.

3.1     Use of the Venue only includes use of such public areas as are expressly specified on the Booking Form. 

3.2     The Council will make available such furniture, tables and chairs as are referred to on the Booking Form.  It is the responsibility of the Hirer to ensure these are arranged to suit their needs.

3.3     Additional marquees, temporary area coverings, partitions, awnings, panels, sides, linings as set out on the Booking Form will be supplied and set up on position by the Council and/or its agents and removed after the Period of Hire.

3.4     Catering and licensed bar facilities shall be provided by the Caterer, it is the responsibility of the Hirer to liaise with the Caterer directly to ensure the Caterer is aware of the Hirer’s requirements and that these are accurately set out on the Catering Form.  Only food and drinks provided by the Caterer may be consumed during the Event.

3.5     The provision, placement and removal of any additional decor (subject to the requirements and restrictions set out in clause 8) is the responsibility of the Hirer.

3.6     The Hirer shall observe the noise restrictions in place required by local byelaws.  The Council shall provide a Sound Management System, control and set up service to include all areas of the Venue.  Any equipment which is brought to the Venue by performers for the Event must be approved by the Council’s sound engineer and used with the sound management system provided (operated by the Council).  Such equipment may also be subject to a safety inspection which shall incur an additional cost of £25 payable by the Hirer.   

3.7     The Council shall provide any Additional Equipment set out in the Booking Form.

3.8     It is the Hirer’s responsibility to make provision and alternative arrangements for adverse weather conditions and events, extraneous to the facilities set out on the Booking Form.  The Hirer acknowledges that the Green Theatre is only suitable for unplugged, unlit performances in wet weather.

4.1     The Hirer shall pay the Deposit within 14 days of the provisional booking.

4.2     The Hirer shall pay the Balance on or before the Payment Date.  The Balance may include any increase in fees between the time of booking and the Event.  These will be notified in advance to the Hirer who may, within 28 days of receipt of the notice, cancel the booking. 

4.3     If the Hire Fee has not been paid in full by the Payment Date the Council is entitled to cancel the booking and shall refund the Deposit, having deducted any costs reasonably incurred by the Council or the Caterer in relation to the Event.

5.1     The Council reserves the right to refuse any Application for the hire of Bewdley Museum or to cancel or terminate any booking for any reasonable reason.  All monies paid in respect of a booking cancelled in accordance with the condition will be refunded, but the Council will not be liable for any expenditure incurred or loss sustained directly or indirectly by the Hirer arising from the cancellation.

5.2     The Council may cancel the hiring at any time before or during the Period of Hire and refuse future bookings if:

          5.2.1    The Hirer fails to comply with these Terms and Conditions.

          5.2.2    Details of any particulars referred to in the Booking Form have not been supplied as required.

          5.4.3    In the event that the Hirer has misrepresented the intended use of the Venue, the   booking will be cancelled without notice, and the relevant cancellation charges will apply.

5.3     If the Hirer cancels the Event before the Payment Date, the Council shall refund the Deposit less any costs and expenses reasonably incurred by the Council or the Caterer in relation to the Event.

5.4     If the Hirer cancels the Event on or after the Payment Date the Council shall be entitled to retain the Deposit in full in compensation for the loss of opportunity caused by the booking and cancellation.  The Council may also retain an amount from the Balance to reimburse the Council for all reasonable costs and losses arising out of the Event and cancellation.

6.1     The Council shall maintain public liability insurance for events held at Bewdley Museum.

6.2     The Hirer shall pay to the Council the amount incurred by the Council in making good any damage to, or loss of, the building, furniture, carpets, furnishings, fixtures and fittings or any article or equipment belonging to the Council (or hired by the Council for the purposes of the Event) arising directly or indirectly out of the hiring of Bewdley Museum.

7.1     The Council shall provide sufficient staff to steward the Event.  The Hirer shall co-operate with the Council in maintaining good order and upon instruction from a member of the Council’s staff shall remove or cause to be removed any persons from the Venue. 

7.2       The Hirer shall not permit more than the number of guests set out in the Booking Form without the consent of the Museum Manager.

8.1     All Hirers are subject to the following prohibitions,

1. No bolts, nails or screws shall be driven into any part of Bewdley Museum.
2. Other than the notified professional photographer (as specified in the Booking form) no professional or commercial photograph shall be taken in the Venue without the prior consent of the Museum Manager. Consent may be requested for use of photographs taken by WFDC staff of your Event for promotional use only.
3. The Museum Manager may refuse to allow to be brought into the Venue any article which he may consider dangerous or offensive.
4. No external decoration, flags, emblems, confetti or notices will be permitted without Museum Manager prior consent, and no internal decoration (except plants or shrubs) will be allowed except by the prior written approval of the Museum Manager.
5. Any fittings which have been permitted must be fixed and removed under the direction of Museum Manager.
6. In the case of functions which involve some danger or damage to the surface of the floors, the Hirer shall be responsible for all adequate precautions to ensure proper protection.
7. The content of any entertainment to be performed at the venue must be approved by the Museum Manager. Consent may be refused if it is reasonably felt to cause risk to the attendees, be offensive or may cause reputational damage to the Council or Bewdley Museum.

8.2     The Hirer shall not sub-let the Venue.

9.1     The Council reserves to any employee of the Council as may be duly authorised, the right of free and unimpeded entry at all times to Bewdley Museum.

9.2     Police Officers and members of the County Fire Brigade, when in uniform and on duty, shall have free ingress, egress and regress to and from Bewdley Museum at all times during the Period of Hire.

9.3     Events allowing pre-hire access, or events carried out during the museums opening hours, must not impede or interfere with the public’s right of entry or access to the museum’s tenants and the museum’s facilities.  The Hirer acknowledges that during the opening hours of Bewdley Museum there shall not be exclusive use of the Venue.

10.1   It is against the law to smoke in the whole or any part of the Museum Buildings and Courtyard or the Museum.  Smoking is permitted in the Museum Gardens except for any covered area.  The Council reserves the right to remove any person acting in contravention of this.

11.1   The Hirer shall ensure that the Venue is vacated by all persons attending the function within 30 minutes of the termination of the event and that all articles brought into the Venue (including refuse) in connection with the function are removed within the time limit specified on the Booking Form. An additional charge shall apply for late departure.

12.1   The Hirer shall be liable for the payment of fees, or of any royalties chargeable in respect of the function held.

13.1   Wyre Forest District Council is keen to ensure that as far as possible, those with disabilities are accommodated and made welcome. 

14.1   The Hirer shall not, without the involvement of the Council, arrange for the Event to be televised, published or broadcast.  In the event that the Parties agree to the suitability of the Event for broadcasting or publication, the Council shall be entitled to an agreed percentage of all royalties and shall have control of any negotiations.

15.1   Fly-posting on the public highway in the district of Wyre Forest is strictly prohibited and includes the advertising of all Events that take place at Bewdley Museum.  In the event of fly-posting taking place, the Hirer shall be deemed to be responsible and such fly-posting may result in prosecution and/or cancellation of the booking and the forfeiture of any deposit paid.

16.1     The Council holds a PRS Licence for events held at Bewdley Museum

In the event of the Hirer failing to comply with these conditions of contract in any particular then the Council reserves the right to:

17.1   In the event of the breach occurring before the Event, cancel the Hire in accordance with paragraph 5.4.2 hereof;

17.2   Where the breach occurs during the course of the Event the Museum Manager shall have the power at any time to direct that the function, performance etc, shall immediately cease.  The Event shall then end and all persons shall leave the building in an orderly manner as soon as possible thereafter;

18.1   Any Event where children are involved in entertainment/show (with the exception of local authority schools) must contact the Worcestershire County Council Child Employment/Entertainment Officer regarding their arrangements for the safeguarding of children. W.C.C.Employment/Entertainment Officer jdavis@worcestershire.gov.uk Telephone 01562 757651