The Safety of Sports Grounds (Designation) (Amendment) (England) (No. 2) Order 2022

Statutory Instruments

2022 No. 753

Sports Grounds And Sporting Events, England

The Safety of Sports Grounds (Designation) (Amendment) (England) (No. 2) Order 2022

Made

30th June 2022

Laid before Parliament

6th July 2022

Coming into force

27th July 2022

The Secretary of State makes the following Order in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 1(1) and 18(2) of the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975(1).

The Secretary of State is of the opinion that the conditions in section 1(1)(2) of that Act are satisfied and, in accordance with section 18(4) of that Act, has consulted with such persons and bodies of persons as appear requisite to the Secretary of State.

Citation and commencement

1.  This Order may be cited as the Safety of Sports Grounds (Designation) (Amendment) (England) (No. 2) Order 2022 and comes into force on 27th July 2022.

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

2.—(1) The Safety of Sports Grounds (Designation) Order 2015(3) is amended as follows.

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

(a) omit the entry for Edgeley Park, occupied by Stockport County Football Club;

(b) after the entry for Meadow Lane Stadium, occupied by Notts County Football Club, insert—

“Boundary Park, Furtherwood Road, Oldham, OL1 2PA

Oldham Athletic Association Football Club”.

(3) In Schedule 2 (sports grounds designated under article 2(2))—

(a) omit the entry for Sportsdirect.com Park, occupied by Oldham Football Club;

(b) omit the entry for Glanford Park, occupied by Scunthorpe United Football Club;

(c) after the entry for MEMS Priestfield Stadium, occupied by Gillingham Football Club, insert—

“Blundell Park, Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, DN35 7PY

Grimsby Town Football Club”;

(d) after the entry for Lamex Stadium, occupied by Stevenage Football Club, insert—

“Edgeley Park, Hardcastle Road, Stockport, SK3 9DD

Stockport County Football Club”;

(e) after the entry for Stadium of Light, occupied by Sunderland Association Football Club, insert—

“VBS Community Stadium, Gander Green Lane, Sutton, SM1 2EY

Sutton United Football Club”.

Nigel Huddleston

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

30th June 2022

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

Under section 1(1) of the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975 (c.52) (“the Act”), where the Secretary of State is of the opinion that a sports ground has accommodation for more than the specified number of spectators, the Secretary of State may by order designate that sports ground as one requiring a safety certificate under the Act.

This Order amends the Safety of Sports Grounds (Designation) Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/661) (“the 2015 Order”) so as to designate certain sports grounds under articles 2(1) and 2(2) of the 2015 Order as sports grounds for which a safety certificate is required under the Act.

This Order newly designates Blundell Park, occupied by Grimsby Town Football Club, and VBS Community Stadium, occupied by Sutton United Football Club. This Order also replaces the existing designations in respect of Boundary Park, occupied by Oldham Athletic Association Football Club, and Edgeley Park, occupied by Stockport County Football Club. This Order also removes the existing designation in respect of Glanford Park, occupied by Scunthorpe United Football Club.

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.

(1)

1975 c. 52; section 1(1) was amended by Schedule 2 to the Fire Safety and Safety of Places of Sport Act 1987 (c. 27).

(2)

By section 1(1) of the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975, the Secretary of State may by order designate a sports ground as requiring a safety certificate under that Act any sports ground which, in the Secretary of State’s 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 is a member of the Football League Limited or the Football Association Premier League Limited.

(3)

S.I. 2015/661, to which there are amendments not relevant to this Order. Note that S.I. 2015/661 was amended by the Safety of Sports Grounds (Designation) (Amendment) Order 2019 (S.I. 2019/1116), which designated Meadow Lane Stadium, occupied by Notts County Football Club.