Safety Certificate
A certificate issued under the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975 by the local authority for the area, required for the use of a designated sports ground with accommodation for more than 10,000 spectators.
Independent editorial summary — not the official statute text. Read the official version on legislation.gov.uk.
Under section 1 of the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975, the Secretary of State may by order designate a sports ground as requiring a certificate under the Act — referred to as a "safety certificate" — where, in his opinion, it has accommodation for more than 10,000 spectators. The Secretary of State can estimate spectator capacity by any means considered appropriate and can require those responsible for organising or managing the ground to supply information needed to make that estimate.
A safety certificate is issued by the local authority for the area in which the ground is situated. The Act distinguishes two forms: a “general safety certificate” means such a safety certificate as is mentioned in subsection (3)(a) above, covering the use of the ground for specified activities over an indefinite period, and a special safety certificate, covering use on a specified occasion or series of occasions. Certificates set out the terms and conditions considered necessary for the safety of spectators at the ground, and designation orders can be varied by the Secretary of State to apply the 10,000-spectator threshold differently to different classes of sports ground.
Related terms
Official sources
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