Protocol for use of Meeting Rooms and the Council Chamber

All room bookings should be made on line and is the responsibility of the organiser to arrange. Please ensure that you have allowed sufficient time for the meeting itself, especially if you think it has the potential to overrun, and at each end of the booking for set-up and re-set. The Facilities Assistants will be pleased to advise on timescales for set-up and re-set. Any cancelled meeting MUST be removed from the system by the organiser IMMEDIATELY the cancellation takes place.

Fire escape/emergency procedures

Please ensure your visitors are made aware of the fire and emergency procedures and the emergency exits.

Lavatories

Public lavatory facilities are available in both Market Street and West Street House.

Out of office hours' use

All of the above apply, but Reception staff at West Street House will not be available to meet your visitors 'out of core hours'. You will need to employ the services of a Security Guard. This can be booked through Facilities, Property Services, when booking, please supply the necessary cost codes and account codes. An assistant will be available at Market Street to receive visitors up until 22:00.

Reception

Receptions' core hours for Market Street an West Street House are 08:30 to 17:00 Monday to Thursday and 08:30 to 16:30 Friday, and the front doors do not normally open until 08:30 each day.

Reception staff will sign visitors in during core hours. To ensure that your visitors are looked after properly please:

Inform Reception staff prior to the event, of nature of the event, room booked and a list of names of attendees
Ensure someone is there to receive arrivals and show them to the meeting rooms
Late arrivals - ensure Reception staff are made aware of any expected late arrivals. Reception will then 'phone the Meeting Room(s) if possible to let the organiser know of the arrival. It will be up to the organiser to collect attendees from Reception.

Refreshments/catering

Refreshments/catering can be booked through The Dolphin. All Meeting Rooms have/will have access to water coolers. Please note that Reception staff, Facilities Assistants and, in the case of Market Street Contact Centre, staff are not responsible for booking or providing refreshments.

Security and confidentiality

Some meeting rooms are within a working office environment. Please ensure your visitors do not stray into any other areas.

Market Street specific

Please remember that the conference rooms are very close to the Contact Centre and ICT. Staff would appreciate it if the organiser could remind visitors to keep noise to a low level, and not congregate in the corridor outside the conference rooms.

Members' use of conference rooms

Members have priority use of the conference rooms, for committee and group meetings. Committee meetings are often scheduled for the year ahead and the rooms booked in advance. A list of the scheduled meetings can be obtained from Policy and Communication. Most committee meetings are held in the evening, but sub-groups, task groups etc are frequently held during office hours and rooms will be booked as and when needed. There will also occasionally be an urgent need for unscheduled meetings at very short notice.

Please note that Public Inquiries, Members' meetings, and Child Protection meetings etc. take precedence over any other booking, and there is a risk that your room booking might be overridden. However, it is the responsibility of the member of staff overriding the original booking to find suitable alternative accommodation before informing you.

Meeting room facilities

Market Street - Ground Floor

Council Chamber (seats up to a maximum of 90 in theatre style) - 1 x flipchart and in-house audio visual system incorporating audio loop

Conference room 1 (seats 16 in boardroom style and 25 in theatre style) 1 x whiteboard and in-house audio visual system

Conference room 2 (seats 12 in board room style and 20 in theatre style) 1 x whiteboard and in-house audio visual system

Meeting room G1 - (seats 6) 1 x whiteboard and in-house audio visual system

Market Street - First Floor

Meeting room 1A (seats 6 max) 1 x whiteboard

Meeting room 1B (seats 6 max) 1 x whiteboard

West Point House - Second Floor

Meeting room MR1 (seats 6 in board room style)*

Meeting room MR2 (seats 14 in board room style)*

Meeting room MR3 (seats 6 in board room style)*

Meeting room MR4 (seats 8 in board room style)*

West Street House - Ground Floor

Meeting room GF1 (seats 6 in board room style)*

Conference room (seats 20 in board room style)*

West Street House - First Floor

Meeting room FF1 (seats 6 in board room style)*

Corporate Director's meeting room (seats 8 in board* room style)

West Street House - Second Floor Meeting room SF1 (seats 8 in board room style)*

Corporate Director's Meeting room (seats 8 in board room Style*

West Street House - Third Floor

Meeting room TF1 (seats 6 in board room style)*

NOTES:

* white boards are being fitted to each of these rooms

** Any other equipment must be arranged beforehand by the organiser.