D4
Lettings
Licensing
Food Safety
Use of church halls for village hall and other charitable purposes
A number of guidance documents are available on matters concerning church halls.
Please contact the Diocesan Office, except when another contact point is indicated:-
Lettings:
·Sample letting agreements
A sample hiring agreement is available as an Annex to this Handbook section.
For further information and alternative pro-forma hiring agreements, please contact the Diocesan Registrar, Tel 01727 865765
·Guidelines for the Letting of Church Premises [July 1995] [to prevent lettings being made to extremist groups]
·Church Halls and the Race Relations Act [December 1996] [to prevent discrimination in lettings policies]
NOTE that letting policies must comply with the Equality Act 2006 concerning discrimination on any ground. The documents mentioned above are all available as Annexes to this Handbook section.
Other matters:
● The Licensing Act 2003 [Handbook Section H12]
Diocesan guide to the new licensing provisions covering public entertainment, sale of alcohol and occasional events.
● Food Safety
www.food.gov.uk is the site for the Food Standards Agency and has details of the new legislation concerning traceability (keeping records of suppliers) and guidance on the existing legislation.
www.womens-institute.org.uk has a section on the implications of the new traceability legislation and also food Handling Guidelines.
· www.communitymatters.org.uk is the website of the National Confederation of Community Organisations and has downloadable Information Sheets on a range of matters including No. 11: Food Safety and Food Hygiene. There is a small fee for non-members.
· Use of Church Halls for Village Hall and other Charitable Purposes (CC18) [July 2001] Charity Commission guide. Contact: 0870-333-0123 or www.charity-commission.gov.uk/publications
·ACRE (Action for Communities in Rural England) Produces a range of publications including several on halls and a sample letting agreement. Contact: www.acre.org.uk or Tel: 01285 653477
