Staploe Parish Council Telephone: 01480 471526

www.staploeduloehoneydonparishcouncil.bedsparishes.gov.uk/
33, Staploe, St. Neots, Cambs. PE19 5JA E-mail: lucy_crawford@hotmail.com

TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR THE HIRE OF DULOE PLAYING FIELD

1. Fees and Charges

(a) There is no charge for hiring the pitches on the playing field but the hirer is responsible for cutting the
grass on the whole playing field for the year. This involves mowing the whole field to a standard
required to play sport ie. 2-3 times per month April – October inclusive and November - March
twice when weather conditions allow and to spray around the village hall 2-3 times per year and
cut around the play area. In addition the field should be sprayed for weeds twice per year
(excluding any designated wild flower areas) in April and September. In addition the hirer is
responsible for repairing any damaged turf and maintaining the decking, tables and benches
outside the hall. The hirer will submit a report to the Annual Parish Meeting on the third Tuesday
of March each year detailing how the field was maintained and how the pitches were used in the
previous season. Marking out pitches with paint is the responsibility of the hirer. No permanent
structures can be erected on the field without written permission from the Parish Council. The
hirer will pay a deposit of £200 to cover any potential work which may be required on their
departure eg. Grass cutting required within a month of departure, making good after storage
units are removed, repair of any damage. This deposit will be rolled over into future seasons if
the hire continues into subsequent years. The Parish Council will account for this deposit in their
accounts.
(b) If the above conditions in 1 (a) are not met the hirers will be informed in writing and if action is
not taken within 30 days the right to use the pitch will be forfeited. In these circumstances the
Parish Council with either stop hiring out the pitches or the pitches will be allocated to the next team
on the waiting list and all temporary buildings eg. changing rooms, kitchens and storage units
belonging to the club and not part of the Parish Council’s asset register must be removed within 30
days of the Parish Council giving written notice. Any services eg. electrical, water and sewerage
connections would need to be made safe and ready for future hirers. The storage units, football
goals, decking and picnic tables adjacent to the hall, and the gate in the hedge behind the play area
belong to Duloe Football Club who are responsible for maintaining and insuring them whilst their
annual hire agreement is in place. The Parish Council are not responsible for any accident or injury
sustained as a result of using or climbing on equipment owned by the Football Club. If their hire
agreement is terminated for any reason Duloe Football Club may choose to transfer the decking to
the Parish Council, sell it to a future hirer or remove it at their cost.
(c) All hiring arrangements will be reviewed annually and revised at the absolute discretion of the Parish
Council.

2. Use of Pitches
(a) Pitches for regular use on Saturdays and/or Sundays will be allocated in June for a twelve month
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period (June to May inclusive). Teams wishing to use a pitch must apply before the 31 January to
the Parish Clerk, giving details of the preferred day of play/hire. The fixture list should be presented
before the first match of the season. If any fixtures change this must be notified to the Parish Clerk
on 01480 471 526 / 07779 237 947 / lucy_crawford@hotmail.com and Sam Bygraves who manages
the Village Hall on 07768 303 373 / ianbygraves@tiscali.co.uk as soon as possible and at least 48
hours before the fixture. This is important as Village Hall users may request use of the pitch area of
the playing field when the Hirer is not using it.

Staploe Parish Council Pitch Hire Terms and Conditions 2016 1

(b) If there is more than one applicant for annual hire then applicants will be added to a waiting list (held
by the Parish Clerk). Under no circumstances should a team attempt to secure use of the pitches
without permission. Applicants will be allocated in the following order: 1. Existing hirers i.e. those who
have held the pitch for the previous 12 months. 2. New applicants who are on the waiting list and
within 3 miles of Duloe. 3. New applicants from out of the area who are on the waiting list. However,
the Parish Council reserves the right to discontinue pitch hire at their discretion at the end of the year
(ie in May) and allow it to revert to an informal village playing field.
(c) The Hirer shall not sub-hire or use the pitches for any unlawful purpose or in any unlawful way nor do
anything that may endanger the same or render invalid any insurance policies in respect thereof.
(d) No Hirer may use the pitch without authorisation from the Parish Council Office.
(e)
Any application to use the pitches for one-off matches or charity matches must be made in writing via
the Parish Clerk. Application forms can be obtained via the Parish Clerk or can be downloaded from
the website http://www.staploeduloehoneydonparishcouncil.bedsparishes.gov.uk/

(f) Applications will not be accepted at less than 48 hours notice.

(g) When the pitches are not in use by the Hirer members of the public are permitted to use them for
recreational purposes. However, any formal sports match (ie with more than 10 people playing) must
obtain authorisation from the Parish Clerk.

(h) There are to be no more than 2 matches on a Saturday with kick off times at 10am and 11.30am
respectively. There is to be no more than 1 match on a Sunday.

(i) Training sessions can take place on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays between 6-8pm

(j) There is to be no floodlighting

(k) There are to be a maximum of 5 teams using the pitches (including the proposed privately owned
mini soccer pitch adjacent to the playing field). This is due to parking considerations.

(l) The upper age limit for sports fixtures is Under 16’s.

(m) All litter must be collected and disposed of after each use of the pitches.

(n) Dogs are not excluded from the playing field. However, fouling is an offence. The Parish Council
work hard to encourage people to pick up after their dogs and will report any offenders if they can be
identified but the Council cannot be held responsible for keeping the field free from dog fouling. It is
therefore the responsibility of the hirer to ensure that the field is free from dog fouling and litter before
matches or training commence.

3. Parking and use of Woodhouse Lane

(a) Parking is a very sensitive matter with local residents. All those using the pitches must show respect
for local residents by driving slowly and carefully in Woodhouse Lane. Under no circumstances must
any driveways be blocked and all parking signs and Marshal’s advice must be followed. The Lane is
used by pedestrians, dog walkers and children using the play area and consideration should be
shown to them at all times. Some residents have horses and may need to bring horse boxes in and
out of their driveways so plenty of space should be left for them to gain access.

(b) At weekends the “away” team must park at the east end of Woodhouse Lane in the two signed car
parks (opposite 44, Woodhouse Lane and in the Celect car park (but not blocking access to the
industrial units or barns).

Staploe Parish Council Pitch Hire Terms and Conditions 2016 2

(c) The “home” team should park along the grass verge before the village hall and, if the village hall is
not in use, extra cars may be directed to park there. If the village hall is in use by another group the
car park must not be used by hirers of the pitches.

(d) There must be a marshal on duty to direct parking before every match and parking signs must be
used to direct users where to park.

(e) Car sharing should be encouraged.

4. Language

Residents of Woodhouse Lane have asked that there should be a ban on the use of bad language by
users of the pitches and their spectators.

5. Code of Conduct

Hirers of the pitches must issue every team member and opposing team member with a code of conduct
to be followed by players and spectators which includes an agreement to abide by points 3 and 4 above
otherwise enforcement action will be taken (initially by the Hirer) but if the Parish Council are not satisfied
that these matters are being enforced a written warning will be given to the Hirer and if matters do not
improve within 30 days the Hire agreement will be terminated.
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The Parish Council should be sent a copy of the code of conduct before the season begins or by 30 April
for their approval.

6. Changing Rooms and Toilets

(a) The current changing rooms, storage units and toilets are owned by Duloe Football Club. They are
not to be used by any other Hirer. All Hirers must provide their own storage units after obtaining
written permission from Staploe Parish Council.
(b) The Village Hall can be hired by prior arrangement at the normal rate of hire. To book the hall please
call 07768 303 373.
(c) The security of any temporary buildings / units is the responsibility of the Hirer. The Parish Council
will accept no responsibility for loss, theft or damage to any equipment or personal items. The Hirer
is responsible for insuring their equipment, containers and any temporary buildings erected on the
site.
(d) Any temporary buildings must be kept in a good state of repair.

7. Goal Posts
(a) Goal posts are to be erected by the Hirer. Anchor pins must be used to secure the posts into the
ground. Any losses of bolts etc should be reported prior to the commencement of the match.

(b) At the end of the match, the Hirer must take down the posts and return them to the storage area to be
left in a safe and tidy state. The Hirer has the responsibility for checking the safety of the posts prior
to commencement of the match and storing them safely throughout the year according to Football
Association guidelines.

8. Insurance

Staploe Parish Council Pitch Hire Terms and Conditions 2016 3

(a) All Hirers must hold insurances (personal accident, professional indemnity, accidental damage, fire
and theft and any other relevant insurance) for their players, coaches and equipment. In addition
they must have public liability of at least £10 million.
(b) A copy of the appropriate insurance schedules must be provided to the Parish Clerk prior to
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commencement of the first match of each season and when the insurance is renewed (usually on 1
July).

9. Health and Safety

(a) Hirers should be aware of other users of the Playing Field and make reasonable efforts to ensure that
spectators and players behave safely and responsibly. Urinating in the hedgerows is strictly
forbidden.
(b) In the event of an accident or emergency, the hirer should contact the emergency services. The
emergency services should be advised that a universal padlock is fitted to the barrier and that access
can be gained using the appropriate key held by all emergency services.

(c) Any Hirer must maintain an Accident Record Book which is kept in accordance with the requirement
of the Data Protection Act 1998 which should be presented to the Clerk on request. Any accidents or
injuries requiring the involvement of emergency services or a visit to hospital should be notified to the
Clerk.

(d) Hirers who run activities involving children and young people using paid employees and volunteers
are required to declare that they have a Child Protection Policy in place and that they update their
CRB checks on a regular basis.

10. Cancellation of Matches

(a) The Parish Council reserves the right to cancel a match at any time if the hirer is in breach of this
agreement. In other exceptional circumstances the Parish Council would give at least 48 hours
notice before cancelling a match and every reasonable effort will be made to avoid this.
(b) The Parish Council will not be liable to the Hirer in respect of expenses, costs or losses incurred
directly or indirectly by the Hirer in relation to the termination.

(c) The Hirer may cancel a match at any time. Notification of cancelled matches must be made prior to
the date of the match to the Parish Clerk.

11. Termination of Hire

(a) The Hirer may relinquish the right to use the allocated pitch and facilities at any time on presentation
of written notice to the Parish Council Office together with payment for any grass cutting / treatment
which the Parish Council deem to be required within 30 days of termination (estimated at £200). All
temporary structures / buildings must be removed from the site and any services to those buildings
disconnected and made safe ready for the next hirer.
(b) The Parish Council reserves the right to terminate any agreement with the Hirer, including the right to
use pitches and facilities, if the Hirer breaches any of these rules.

12. Liability
(a) The Hirer is responsible for all loss, damage and claims arising out of this agreement.

13. Complaints
(a) The Parish Council Office wishes to be notified should you have any complaints or problems
regarding the use of the pitches. Please address all correspondence to:

Staploe Parish Council Pitch Hire Terms and Conditions 2016 4

 The Parish Clerk
33, Staploe,
St. Neots
Cambs. PE19 5JA
01480 471 526
07779237 947
Lucy_crawford@hotmail.com

(b) The Parish Council reserves the right to vary any of these terms and conditions at its absolute
discretion.

14. Agreement
Hire of football pitch for the period 1 June 2016 to 31 May 2017

Signed on behalf of Staploe Parish Council: …………………………………….……………………..

Position: …………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………

I agree to abide by the foregoing terms and conditions throughout the duration of the hire period shown
above:

Signed: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………

on behalf of …………………………………………………………………………………………. (Hiring Club)

Name in block capitals: ………………………………………………………………………………………………

Position in club: …………………………………………………….……………………………………………….

Staploe Parish Council Pitch Hire Terms and Conditions 2016 5