The Safety of Sports Grounds (Designation) (Amendment) (England) (No. 3) Order 2023

Statutory Instruments

2023 No. 755

SPORTS GROUNDS AND SPORTING EVENTS, ENGLAND

The Safety of Sports Grounds (Designation) (Amendment) (England) (No. 3) Order 2023

Made

4th July 2023

Laid before Parliament

6th July 2023

Coming into force

27th July 2023

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).

In accordance with section 18(4) of that Act, the Secretary of State has consulted with such persons and bodies of persons as appear requisite to the Secretary of State.

Citation, commencement and extent

1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Safety of Sports Grounds (Designation) (Amendment) (England) (No. 3) Order 2023 and comes into force on 27th July 2023.

(2) This Order extends to England and Wales.

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

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

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

(a) Victoria Park, occupied by Hartlepool Football Club; and

(b) Spotland Stadium, occupied by Rochdale Association Football Club, and Rochdale Hornets Rugby League Football Club.

Stuart Andrew

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

4th July 2023

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 grounds has accommodation for more than the specified number of spectators, the Secretary of State may by order designate that sports grounds as a sports grounds requiring a safety certificate under the Act.

This Order amends the Safety of Sports Grounds (Designation) Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/661) to de-designate Victoria Park (occupied by Hartlepool Football Club) and Spotland Stadium (occupied by Rochdale Association Football Club, and Rochdale Hornets Rugby League Football Club) as they no longer satisfy the condition in section 1(1) of the Act, which would entitle the Secretary of State to designate them as sports grounds requiring a safety certificate.

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). 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 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 football club which is a member of the Football League Limited or the Football Association Premier League Limited.

(2)

S.I. 2015/661, to which there are amendments not relevant to this Order.