Safety at Sports Grounds

Licence Summary

Safety certificates are needed for:

• Designated sports stadia with a capacity for 10,000 or more spectators.
• All premier and football league stadia (designated grounds)
• Non Designated Sports grounds with one or more regulated stands, with a capacity of 500 or more spectators.

Fees for safety certificates will be based on the cost of work involved in the processing of an application for the issue, amendment, replacement, transfer or cancellation of a safety certificate. Costs will vary depending on the work involved with an application.

A safety certificate may be either:

• a general safety certificate which covers the use of a sports ground or stand for providing or viewing an activity, or a number of activities, specified in the certificate for an indefinite period which starts on a specified date
• a special safety certificate which covers the use of a sports ground or stand for viewing a certain specified activity or activities on a certain specified occasion or occasions

Certificates are obtained from us. You must comply with any conditions attached to a certificate.

The Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds (Green Guide) provides detailed guidance on calculating how many spectators can be safely accommodated within the viewing accommodation of a sports ground. The Guide also provides advice on measures to improve safety at sports grounds. Although the Guide has no statutory force many of its recommendation will be given the force of law at individual grounds by their inclusion in the safety certificate for that ground.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for a general safety certificate, you must be the person responsible for the management of the ground.

To be eligible for a special safety certificate, you must be the person responsible for the activity to be viewed from the stand on that occasion.

Regulation Summary

The main legislation covering this permission is:

• The Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975 
• The Fire Safety and Safety of Places of Sport Act 1987.

Application Evaluation Process

Applicants must provide requested information and plans to us within the time specified. If it is not provided within the permitted time the application will be deemed to have been withdrawn.

We will determine if any stand in our area is a regulated stand. If it is determined that it is, a notice will be served on the person who appears would qualify to be issued with a general safety certificate. The notice will give details of our determination and the effects of the determination.

We must send a copy of an application for a safety certificate to the police and the fire and rescue service. Each of these bodies must be consulted about the terms and conditions to be included in a certificate.

If an application is made to transfer a certificate we must determine if the person to whom the certificate is to be transferred, if they made an application, would qualify for the issue of a certificate. The applicant may be the current holder of the certificate or the person to whom the certificate is to be transferred.

We will send a copy of the application to the police and the fire and rescue service and will consult them about any proposed amendment, replacement or transfer.

Will Tacit Consent Apply?

No. It is in the public interest that the authority must process your application before it can be granted. If you have not heard from the local authority within 63 Days, please us as detailed below.

Apply online

• Apply for a sports ground safety certificate
• Tell us about a change to your existing sports ground safety certificate
• Apply for a sports stand safety certificate
• Tell us about a change to your existing sports stand safety certificate

Downloadable forms and other documents

If you wish to complete an application by hand and return it to us by post, you can download the following application forms:

• Sports Ground Safety Certificate Application Form
• Sports Ground Stand Safety Certificate Application Form

Failed Application Redress

Please contact us in the first instance.

Any applicant who is refused a general safety certificate because they are not considered to be an eligible person can appeal to the North Somerset Magistrates' Court

An applicant who is refused a special safety certificate may also appeal to the North Somerset Magistrates' Court against a refusal based on grounds other than a decision that they are not an eligible person.

Licence Holder Redress

Please contact us in the first instance.

Any licence holder who wishes to appeal against a condition attached to, or the omission of anything from, their safety certificate, or against the refusal to amend or replace a safety certificate, may appeal to the North Somerset Magistrates' Court.

Consumer Complaint

We would always advise that in the event of a complaint the first contact is made with the certificate holder by you - preferably in the form a letter (with proof of delivery). If that has not worked, contact the Licensing Team.

Other Redress

Any person who is served with a notice determining that a sports stand is a regulated sports stand may appeal to the North Somerset Magistrates' Court.
Any person concerned with ensuring compliance with the terms and conditions of the safety certificate may appeal to the North Somerset Magistrates' Court, against any condition attached to, or the omission of anything from, a safety certificate, or against the refusal to amend or replace a safety certificate.

Public Registers

Please contact the Licensing Team for more information on the registers held.

Trade Associations

• Football Licensing Authority
• Federation of Sports and Play Associations (FSPA)

Contact Details

For more information please contact the Licensing Team.