Under the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975, as amended by the Fire Safety and Safety of Places of Sport Act 1987, sports grounds with accommodation for more than 5000 spectators at which association football matches are played and which are occupied by a club that is a member of the Football League, require a safety certificate issued by the local authority. These are designated sports grounds.

Leyton Orient Football Club is a designated sports ground

The certificate contains terms and conditions considered necessary or expedient by the local authority, including the maximum number of spectators, entrances and exits, crush barriers and means of escape in the event of fire or other emergency.

There are procedures laid down governing applications for certificates, for appeals and for consultation with interested parties, including the police, the fire authority and the building authority for the area.

Local authorities must arrange for the inspection of such grounds at least once a year.

For sports grounds that are not designated, the Fire Safety and Safety of Places of Sport Act 1987 provides for a safety certificate to be obtained from the local authority for any stand providing covered accommodation for more than 500 spectators.

Walthamstow Dog Stadium is a non-designated ground to which these provisions apply

The certificate contains such terms and conditions considered necessary or expedient by the local authority to secure reasonable safety in the stands or grounds? The certificate includes terms regarding alterations or additions to a stand or any of its installations.

The procedures governing applications, appeals and notices to interested parties are contained in the Safety of Places of Sports Regulations 1988.

Local authorities must arrange for the inspection of such grounds at least once a year.

A local authority does not charge fees for the work it carries out in discharging its duties under these acts and regulations, except where it issues a new certificate or is asked to transfer, modify, replace or amend an existing safety certificate under Section 6 of The Safety of Places of Sport Regulations 1988. Such a fee shall not exceed an amount commensurate with the work actually and reasonably carried out by or on behalf of the local authority in respect of the application.

Should an application for which a fee could be payable in accordance with The Safety of Places of Sport Regulations 1988, the fee will be calculated on the basis of actual time spent by local authority staff.

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