The Safety of Sports Grounds (Designation) (Amendment) Order 2019

Made: 10th July 2019

Laid before Parliament: 11th July 2019

Coming into force: 2nd August 2019

The Secretary of State is of the opinion that the conditions in section 1(1) of that Act are satisfied[^f00002] and has, in accordance with section 18(4) of that Act, consulted with such persons and bodies of persons as appear to him requisite.

Citation and commencement

1

This Order may be cited as the Safety of Sports Grounds (Designation) (Amendment) Order 2019 and comes into force on 2nd August 2019.

Amendments to the Safety of Sports Grounds (Designation) Order 2015

2

• (1) The Safety of Sports Grounds (Designation) Order 2015[^f00003] is amended as follows.

• (2) In Schedule 1 (sports grounds designated under article 2(1))—

• (a) after the entry for Trent Bridge, occupied by Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club, insert—

• (b) after the entry for Edgbaston Stadium, occupied by Warwickshire County Cricket Club, insert—

• (3) In Schedule 2 (sports grounds designated under article 2(2)), omit the entries for—

• (a) Ricoh Arena, occupied by Coventry City Football Club, and Wasps Rugby Football Club;

• (b) Meadow Lane Stadium, occupied by Notts County Football Club;

• (c) Huish Park, occupied by Yeovil Town Football Club.

Signed

Mims Davies — Minister for Sport and Civil Society — Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport — 10th July 2019

Explanatory note

(This is not part of the Order)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

By section 1 of the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975 (c. 52) the Secretary of State may designate as a sports ground requiring a safety certificate under that Act any sports ground which, in his opinion, has accommodation for more than the specified number of spectators.

Sports grounds are designated by order. All the orders that designate sports grounds in England and Wales as requiring a safety certificate are consolidated in the Safety of Sports Grounds (Designation) Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/661, “the 2015 Order”).

By the Safety of Sports Grounds (Accommodation of Spectators) Order 1996 (S.I. 1996/499), the specified number of spectators is 5,000 in respect of those sports grounds in England and Wales at which association football matches are played and which are occupied by a club that is a member of the Football League Limited or the Football Association Premier League Limited. These sports grounds are designated under article 2(2) of the 2015 Order. The specified number of spectators in all other cases is 10,000; those sports grounds are designated under article 2(1) of the 2015 Order.

This Order amends three existing designations in the 2015 Order to reflect changed circumstances: to designate Meadow Lane Stadium under article 2(1) of the 2015 Order instead of article 2(2) following Notts County Football Club’s relegation from the Football League; to designate the Ricoh Arena under article 2(1) of the 2015 Order instead of article 2(2) as a result of Coventry City Football Club ceasing to play there; and to revoke the designation of Huish Park following the relegation of Yeovil Town Football Club from the Football League.

A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 1975 c. 52; section 1 was amended by section 20 of, and Schedule 2 to, the Fire Safety and Safety of Places of Sport Act 1987 (c. 27). The functions of the Secretary of State were, so far as exercisable in relation to Scotland, transferred to the Scottish Ministers by virtue of section 53 of the Scotland Act 1998 (c. 46).

[^f00002]: By section 1(1) of the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975, the Secretary of State may by order designate as a sports ground requiring a safety certificate under that Act any sports ground which, in his opinion, has accommodation for more than 10,000 spectators. The Safety of Sports Grounds (Accommodation of Spectators) Order 1996 (S.I. 1996/499) substituted the number 5,000 for the number of spectators specified in section 1(1) of that Act in respect of sports grounds in England and Wales at which association football matches are played and which are occupied by a club which a member of the Football League Limited or the Football Association Premier League Limited.

[^f00003]: S.I. 2015/661, to which there are amendments not relevant to this Order.