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Apply for sports grounds safety certificates

Types of safety certificate

Any designated ground or regulated stand requires a safety certificate. As such, we are legally responsible for the issuing of safety certificates for sports grounds within the area of East Sussex County Council.

Designated ground

A designated ground is any sports ground that can hold more than 10,000 spectators. Or 5,000 in the case of Premier League and also Football League grounds in England and Wales.

Regulated stand

A regulated stand is any covered stand at a sports ground that can hold 500 or more spectators.

General or Special Safety Certificates

There are 2 types of certificate:

  • a general safety certificate is for specified activities held over an indefinite period. For example, regular football matches at a sports ground
  • a special safety certificate is for one-off events or a series of occasions., for example, a music concert

Depending on the likely maximum occupancy and the type of event or activity being held, you may need to apply for both a general safety certificate and a special safety certificate in some circumstances.

Download an application form

Completed application forms should include:

  • safety policy for spectators
  • contingency plans
  • risk assessments
  • scaled drawings of the sports ground and regulated stands (as applicable)

Fees

The Council has the right to charge an applicant for any costs involved in the processing of an application.

This includes the issue, amendment, replacement, transfer or cancellation of a safety certificate.