Rural Affairs

Village halls and Community buildings - Regulations: Who to contact

It is vital to get information on regulations that affect village halls from an authoritative source. The best source of information for interpretation and queries are the owners of the specific legislation or regulation.

People in meeting to discuss village halls

 

Some useful contacts of organisations responsible for regulations needed to manage community buildings such as village halls are listed below.

1. Charity Status

The Charity Commission is the government organisation responsible for regulating and registering charities in England and Wales. The Commission assists charities to use their resources more effectively by providing the best possible regulations and advice.

You should contact the Commission direct for support and advice that you need.

Telephone 0845 300 0219 or visit the website at www.charity-commission.gov.uk

2. Fire Regulations - The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

New fire safety rules affecting all non-domestic premises in England and Wales came into force on 1 October 2006. Community buildings managers, including village hall managers, must comply to the new laws by October 2006. Everyone will need to carry out a fire risk assessment of their premises, identifying any possible dangers and risks.

A set of guidance notes, available at: http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1162115, have been developed to tell you what you have to do to comply with the fire safety law, help you to carry out a fire risk assessment and identify the general fire precautions you need to have in place.

The guides are designed so that a responsible person, with limited formal training or experience, should be able to carry out a fire risk assessment. If you read the guide and decide you are unable to apply the guidance then you should seek expert advice from your Fire and Rescue Service.

3. Licensing Regulations

The Department of Culture, Media and Sports is the lead Government Department on all licensing policies. The new licensing laws under the Licensing Act 2003 came into effect on 24 November 2005. There are implications for community buildings and village halls that have public entertainment or sell alcohol on the premises. Village halls and premises like them are exempt from fees for public entertainment but fees are still charged for licensing for alcohol sale.

The best source of information is the DCMS. Visit their website at www.culture.gov.uk/alcohol_and_entertainment/advice_and_guidance/residents/htm for further information, or call the Licensing Act information line on 020 7072 7447.

4. Health and Safety

Every public building, including community buildings and village halls, has to comply to health and safety regulations. These regulations cover a wide range of topics, activities and projects for the protection of people using the hall, and managers who run them. It is the responsibility of the village hall manager to ensure that health and safety regulations are being complied with.

The Health and Safety Commission and the Health and Safety Executive are responsible for almost all the risks related to health and safety. Information, access to expert advice and guidance is available from the HSE Infoline on 0845 345 0055 or you can visit the HSE website on www.hse.gov.uk/contact/index.htm

5. Disability Discrimination Act

Village halls are central to community life, therefore it is important that the services they provide are inclusive of all within the community.

Since October 2004 service providers are required to make reasonable adjustments to the physical features of their premises to overcome physical barriers to access. The legislation has implications for all public buildings - community buildings and village halls included - without disability access or similar provisions.

The Disability Rights Commission (DRC) is the government body set up to protect the rights of disabled people. The Commission's helpline provides advice and information on the Disability Discrimination Act. Call the helpline on 08457 622 633. Further information could be got from the DRC website at www.drc-gb.org/thelaw/practice.asp

6. Tax Regulations

Community buildings and village halls with charity status could benefit from tax exemptions or from certain tax schemes, such as Gift Aid and VAT. These could help reduce costs or generate some much needed funds. Managers are advised to check with Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) department to find if and or how they can benefit.

The HMRC website has detailed information. If you have any further queries or want to ask for advice you can call the helpline on 0845 302 0203.

7. Oil Storage Regulations 2001

The Oil Storage Regulation was put in place by The Environment Agency to protect the environment from incidents such as oil leakages.  Anyone storing oil in containers greater than 200 litres, above ground at an industrial commercial or institutional site, or more than 3500 litres at a domestic site is affected by these regulations. Factories, shops, offices, hotels, schools, churches, village halls, public sector buildings and hospitals in England are included. 

When did the regulation come into effect?

  • Oil stores installed since 1 March 2002 should have met the standards straightaway.
  • Existing oil stores “at significant risk” (stores within 10 metres of a watercourse or 50 metres from a well or borehole) should have complied since 1 September 2003.
  • All remaining existing oil stores should have complied since 1 September 2005.

The Environment Agency enforces these regulations in England.  For further advice and frequently asked questions please visit the Environment Agency website at http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/business/444217/590750/590821/174658/ or call The Environment Agency General Enquiry Line on 0845 9 333 111 or the Defra Environmental protection   website at http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/water/quality/oilstore/index.htm

Page last modified: 4 September, 2007
Page published: 04 August, 2006

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs