Apply for a sports ground safety certificate

The safety of spectators attending sports grounds for sporting or other events such as pop concerts, is regulated by law and we enforce it for grounds in the county.

The designated grounds and stands are:

  • The City Ground, home of Nottingham Forest Football Club
  • Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, home of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
  • The One Call Stadium (formerly known as Field Mill), home of Mansfield Town Football Club
  • Grandstand and Tatts Stand at Southwell Racecourse.

Apply for a certificate

A safety certificate is required, under the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975, for a whole ground that is known as a designated ground; or Part III of the Fire Safety and Places of Sport Act 1987 for a covered stand at a sports ground known as a regulated stand, in order for spectators to be admitted for sporting or other spectator events within those grounds.

Nottinghamshire County Council is the issuing authority for certificates for sports grounds within Nottinghamshire.

Before applying

Before you apply for a safety certificate, please ensure that your application complies with the Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds (known as the 'Green Guide') as this is the benchmark against which the application will be assessed.

Please also read these application guidance notes [PDF].

Cost

We will normally charge a fee in order to cover the cost of officer time in processing an application or amendment and any associated costs.

Please contact us if you would like to discuss this before  application by email: emergency.planning@nottscc.gov.uk or call 0300 500 8080.

Make an application

Download the application form below, complete and return to us at the address on the form.

Safety Certificate application form [WORD]

Amend an existing certificate

To apply for an amendment to an existing General Safety Certificate please email: emergency.planning@nottscc.gov.uk with details of the amendment and the certificate to which it applies.

Report a concern about sports ground safety

If you have a concern about safety at a sports ground please contact us:

Safety at sports grounds legislation

Under the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975, we are responsible for issuing a General Safety Certificate for grounds with a capacity of 10,000 or more (5,000 if in the football league) which have been designated by the relevant secretary of state.

Under the Fire Safety and Safety of Places of Sport Act 1987, we are also responsible for issuing a General Safety Certificate for covered stands with a capacity of 500 or more according to a specific calculation. These are known as 'regulated' stands.

A General Safety Certificate includes whatever conditions we deem necessary to ensure the reasonable safety of spectators. It also includes a capacity for the ground or stand, and a list of activities that the club or ground are permitted to hold. Breach of a safety certificate is a criminal offence.

We also have the power to issue special safety certificates if one of the grounds applies to hold an event not specified in their general safety certificate. 

We are also responsible for enforcing fire safety legislation at designated grounds and regulated stands in the County.

We regularly monitor clubs and grounds to ensure that they are adhering to the conditions of their safety certificate. This includes match day or race day inspections.

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