Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975
| Year | 1975 |
Safety of Sports GroundsAct 1975
1975 CHAPTER 52
An Act to make provision for safety at sports stadia and other sports grounds.
[1st August 1975]
Be it enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—
1 Safety certificates for large sports stadia.
(1) The Secretary of State may by order designate as a stadium requiring a certificate under this Act (in this Act referred to as a ‘safety certificate’) any sports stadium which in his opinion has accommodation for more than 10,000 spectators.
(2) The Secretary of State—
(a ) may estimate, by any means which he considers appropriate, for how many spectators a sports stadium has accommodation; and
(b ) may require any person concerned with the organisation or management of a sports stadium to furnish him within such reasonable time as he may specify with such information as he considers necessary for the purpose of making such an estimate.
(3) A safety certificate may be either—
(a ) a certificate issued by the local authority for the area in which a stadium is situated in respect of the use of the stadium for an activity or a number of activities specified in the certificate during an indefinite period commencing with a date so specified; or
(b ) a certificate issued by that authority in respect of the use of the stadium for an activity or a number of activities specified in the certificate on an occasion or series of occasions so specified.
(4) In this Act—
‘designated stadium’ means a stadium in respect of which a designation order is in operation;
‘designation order’ means an order under this section;
‘general safety certificate’ means such a safety certificate as is mentioned in subsection (3)(a ) above; and
‘special safety certificate’ means such a safety certificate as is mentioned in subsection (3)(b ) above.
2 Contents of safety certificates.
(1) A safety certificate shall contain such terms and conditions as the local authority consider necessary or expedient to secure reasonable safety at the stadium when it is in use for the specified activity or activities, and the terms and conditions may be such as to involve alterations or additions to the stadium.
(2) Without prejudice to subsection (1) above, a safety certificate—
(a ) shall specify the maximum number of spectators to be admitted to the stadium;
(b ) may specify the maximum number to be admitted to different parts of it; and
(c ) shall include terms and conditions—
(i) as to the number, size and situation of entrances to and exits from the stadium or any part of it (including means of escape in case of fire or other emergency) and the means of access to any such entrances or exits;
(ii) requiring those entrances, exits and means of access to be properly maintained and kept free from obstruction; and
(iii) as to the number, strength and situation of any crush barriers.
(3) Without prejudice to subsection (1) above, a safety certificate may include a condition that the following records shall be kept—
(a ) records of the attendance of spectators at the stadium; and
(b ) records relating to the maintenance of safety at the stadium.
(4) A general safety certificate shall contain or have attached to it a plan of the stadium, and the terms and conditions in the certificate, or in any special safety certificate issued for the stadium, shall be framed, where appropriate, by reference to that plan.
(5) A safety certificate may include different terms and conditions in relation to different activities.
(6) Nothing in a safety certificate shall derogate from any requirements imposed by regulations under section 6(2) below.
3 Applications for certificates.
(1) If a local authority receive an application for a safety certificate for a designated stadium in their area, it shall be their duty to determine whether the applicant is a person likely to be in a position to prevent contravention of the terms and conditions of a certificate; and such a person is referred to in this Act as a ‘qualified person’.
(2) If a local authority determine that an applicant is a qualified person—
(a ) where no general safety certificate for the stadium is in operation, they shall issue such a certificate for it to him; and
(b ) where a general safety certificate for the stadium is in operation, they may issue a special safety certificate for it to him.
(3) The local authority shall send a copy of an application for a safety certificate for a stadium to the chief officer of police and the building authority for the area in which it is situated, and shall consult them about the terms and conditions to be included in the certificate.
(4) The local authority may by notice in writing require an applicant for a safety certificate to furnish them within such reasonable time as they may specify in the notice with such information and such plans as they consider necessary to enable them to determine the terms and conditions which ought to be included in any certificate issued in response to his application.
(5) If an applicant for a safety certificate fails to comply with a requirement under subsection (4) above within the time specified by the local authority, or within such further time as they may allow, he shall be deemed to have withdrawn his application.
4 Amendment etc. of certificates.
(1) The local authority may, in any case in which it appears appropriate to them to do so—
(a ) amend a safety certificate by notice in writing to its holder; or
(b ) replace a safety certificate.
(2) A safety certificate may be amended or replaced either on the application of the holder or without such an application.
(3) Section 2 above shall apply on the amendment or replacement of a safety certificate.
(4) A notice under subsection (1)(a ) above amending a general safety certificate shall specify the date on which the amendment to which it relates is to come into operation, and the date so specified may be a date later than the date of issue of the notice.
(5) If the local authority receive an application for the transfer of a safety certificate from the holder to some other person, it shall be their duty to...
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