Community Letting Policy - Letting Years 2018/19 to 2023/24

East Dunbartonshire is committed to making Schools, Community Halls and Community Education Centre facilities available for use by local communities for educational, social, cultural and recreational activities.

This policy outlines how the Council will allocate available lets and sets out the charging framework for community lets.

The Council Letting Charges framework aims to provide a fair charging structure that supports voluntary and community groups and ensures the facilities are available for the benefit of local residents.

The policy aims to:

• Ensure a fair and consistent approach to the letting of Council premises that aligns with our Local Outcomes Improvement Plan (LOIP)
• Maximise income generated for the Council while providing reasonable access for local communities
• Incorporate a charging framework that is consistent with the Council’s LOIP and sets out the circumstances in which reduced rates are available to customers
• Maximise the benefit to the Council from school letting through the efficient and effective management of resources.

Bookable spaces are charged by the hour. The actual hourly charge applied to a booking will depend on the space required, the nature of the organisation using the space and the activity being undertaken. There are 3 charging categories, based on the nature of the group and the activity taking place.

Category 1 - Category 1 applies to activities undertaken by commercial companies operating solely for their own profit, or to an activity undertaken by an individual for personal profit where the council considers that there is no associated benefit for the community.

Category 2 - Category 2 applies to organisations or individuals that may be operating for self-gain but whose activities are considered by the Council to be of benefit to the community and are aligned to the priorities in the East Dunbartonshire Local Outcomes Improvement Plan.

This category will also be applied to non-profit making events and activities that are not considered to provide community benefit, for example private functions such as weddings or parties.

Category 3 - Category 3 applies to not for profit voluntary and community groups and organisations carrying out non-profit activities and to activities considered to fall into the categories of Community Representation, Development or Consultation.

For the purposes of charging all premises available for let in East Dunbartonshire will be allocated a room size with smaller rooms attracting lower charges than large spaces. The room sizes are:

• Small - small room or classroom, generally with a capacity of equal to or less than 30
• Medium - small hall or gym or school dining room, generally with a capacity of less than 100
• Large – large hall (capacity over 100) or large games hall (including changing).

Pitches will be charged at either Adult or Juvenile rates depending on those taking part. Juvenile rates will apply when all participants are under 18 years of age.

For the purposes of charging all pitches available for let in East Dunbartonshire will be allocated a size with smaller capacity pitches attracting lower charges than large pitches. Special arrangements are in place for matches.

The pitch sizes are:

• 7-a-side
• 11-a-side
• Match Pitch.

VAT Notice 742 allows sporting facilities to be exempt from VAT when certain conditions apply.  East Dunbartonshire Council will support organisations to make bookings in accordance with VAT regulations so that they gain maximum benefit from exemptions.

This will be monitored, in terms of compliance, through the Letting Team.

Parent Councils and PTAs will each be granted up to 6 free lets per year to enable them to carry out their function including fundraising activities.  However when a Parent Council or PTA meeting will incur a charge to the Council to open the school and there is an open school within a reasonable distance, a free let will only be available at the open school.  Activities other than meetings will not be subject to this rule.

The Letting year starts in August and runs until July the following year.  Customers who want to book facilities for regular use throughout the year can apply in May/June before the start of the school year for an annual let. When the demand for use of facilities exceeds availability, the Council will consider continuation of long standing arrangements against requests from new groups.

East Dunbartonshire Leisure and Culture Trust support the letting team in the football let allocation process through the football forum hosted in May each year. 

Schools are provided with priority access to annual letting for their own use in order to ensure that premises and dates required for educational purposes are not released for general letting. Each year in May the schools will submit their schedule of required lets for the upcoming school year, as well as notifying of any period where lets may not be suitable (e.g. lets in gym halls during exam periods). Requests submitted by schools after the annual allocation of lets to customers cannot be guaranteed to be accommodated.

• The schools own let requirements are allocated before any other applications are considered
• Where the school has advised that dates are not available for general allocation this must only be for compelling educational reason
• The school will contact the letting team before the start of each new letting period (summer to Christmas, Christmas to Easter, Easter to summer) if there are any changes or additions to planned lets
• When a school requests changes to the lets agreed, changes will only be agreed where there is no impact on other lets. Schools may only request that lets to third parties are cancelled where there is an unforeseen and compelling educational reason to do so.

Following the school letting process above the allocation of remaining lets across all available premises will be carried out in the order below:

• Bookings by parent councils or PTAs for fund raising and school based activities in their own schools
• Continuation of previous years lets where there are no conflicting requests
• Allocation of new lets where there are no conflicting requests
• Where conflicting requests have been received the Letting Team will contact customers with the intention of reaching agreement. If amicable agreement cannot be reached the letting team will allocate the let to the group that is considered to most closely align with the outcomes of the LOIP
• Once all the annual let submissions have been allocated the online booking system will show all the available free slots for booking by members of the public.

The Council has a wide range of facilities available and can offer accommodation that is suitable for meetings, events, seminars and youth activities. We can also provide accommodation for weddings and social functions.

There are a number of Schools available out-with school hours although particular areas within schools are deemed unsuitable for community use due to their open plan design or special equipment in situ.  Customers will be encouraged to use our secondary schools whenever possible, however to ensure that every community has reasonable access to school spaces primary schools may be available for lets in some areas.

In addition to school availability there are five Community Halls and four Community Education Centres. 

Within the Council there are three Enterprise Centres that also offers booking facilities for a variety of training, meeting and conference facilities these fall out with this general letting policy.

Availability of premises for community lets is determined annually in consultation with other Council Services.

Alcohol is not permitted in schools when anybody under the age of 18 will be attending the event.

Alcohol in Public Halls and Community Centres may be sold on the premises by authority of an Occasional License granted by the East Dunbartonshire Licensing Board. Where the alcohol has been purchased outside and brought into the premises for consumption this does not require a license, referred to as bring your own bottle (BYOB). Alcohol must not be consumed by any person under the age of 18 years.

The Council is committed to Child & Adult Protection and requires all letting customers whose activities involve people in these defined groups to have a protection policy in place. The Council will require all organisations to provide a copy of their policy annually prior to any let being granted.

The Council recognises that many customers will be affiliated to recognised national organisations that have their own protection policies in place. In that case the Council will accept a statement from the customer confirming that they comply with their governing body’s protection policy.

Some organisations may already take part in the EDLC scheme for minimum operating requirements and this is also recognised as meeting our protection standards.

The Council reserves the right to refuse any application or to cancel any application granted in any circumstances whatsoever, without incurring thereby, any liability to the applicants for any loss or pecuniary damages arising from such refusal, if it is found that the following is taking place or is planned:

• Activities that constitute unlawful discrimination, harassment, victimisation and other prohibited conduct, as described in the Equality Act 2010
• Activities that constitute a breach of the Human Rights Act 1998
• Sectarian Activities
• Teenage birthday parties
• Prohibited proscribed terrorist organisations
• Anything that may cause damage to property.

The Council will record information and provide reports on the operation of Council letting. This information will enable the Council to assess:

• The overall impact of charging in terms of anticipated levels of income
• Demand level
• Impact of policy on individuals and / or groups
• Allocation of lets across charging categories