Agenda item

The Head of Regulatory Services took the opportunity to introduce to Members of the Board the Principal Environmental Health Officer, Community Environmental Health, and lead on Health and Safety at Work matters, Worcestershire Regulatory Services.

The Principal Environmental Health Officer introduced the report and in doing so informed Board Members that the discharge of the Safety at Sportsgrounds (SatSGs) function including Safety Advisory Group (SAG) co-ordination which was contracted to WRS under a legal agreement from the County Council’s Public Health directorate in August 2020 following the retirement of the member of the County Council’s Emergency planning team, who had led on this work. The County Council retained its statutory duty in relation to the legislation with WRS acting on its behalf to deliver the function and service.

The service was required to provide an annual review of activities to the County Council’s Planning and Regulatory Committee carried out by WRS on behalf of the Directorate of Public Health (Emergency Planning) at Worcestershire County Council to discharge statutory duties in relation to Safety at Sports Grounds (SatSGs).

Members should note that the operational detail of this information report was historical in that it reflected the activity presented to Worcestershire County Council’s Planning and Regulatory Committee at its last annual review meeting of November 2023. The next review was scheduled for this coming autumn. The purpose of this information report was to make District Members aware of this aspect of work being delivered by WRS.

The legislation focused on both “designated stadia” and “regulated stands,” which were defined in the legislation. The "Designated" stadium in Worcestershire as defined by the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport under The Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975, was as follows: -

•         Sixways Stadium – Worcester Warriors Rugby Football Club

The "Regulated Stands" in Worcestershire, that were effectively stadia with stands that provided covered accommodation for 500 or more spectators and were covered by the Fire Safety and Safety of Places of Sport Act 1987 and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order (FSO) 2005 were: -

•         The Grandstand – Pitchcroft, Worcester Racecourse,  

•         Aggborough Stadium –Kidderminster Harriers Football Club

•         The Victoria Ground –Bromsgrove Sporting Football Club

Members may be surprised that the Worcestershire County Cricket Ground at New Road and the Worcester Arena did not fall into these categories but their capacities and the nature of the buildings or the individual stands meant that they were not subject to the legislation.

Safety Certificates

In discharging its statutory responsibilities, the County Council must consider applications for, and issue to qualified persons, Safety Certificates for designated sports grounds with the aim of securing reasonable safety and setting maximum capacity at the sports grounds. Where grounds were used for other purposes such as concerts or firework displays, there was provision for “Special Safety Certificates” to be issued where the grounds were used in ways not covered in the same way as in the general certificates.

Where there were concerns about safety, the power was available to serve a Prohibition Notice in respect of a sports ground if the Council considered that "the admission of spectators to a sports ground or any part of a sports ground involves or will involve a risk to them so serious that, until steps have been taken to reduce it to a reasonable level, admission of spectators to that part of the ground ought to be prohibited or restricted”.

Safety Advisory Groups

Management and discharge of SatSGs legislation was administered through a site-specific Safety Advisory Group (SAG) based on each sports venue. SAG meetings were convened regularly throughout the year (pre, mid and post season), and were coordinated and administered by WRS. The core Agency membership of SAG composed of: -

•         Worcestershire County Council (WRS Senior Practitioner or nominated

representative)

•         West Mercia Police

•         Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service

•         West Midlands Ambulance Service

•         Worcestershire Regulatory Services (Environmental Health, Licensing,

           Health and Safety)

•         The host stadium Safety Officer and Club representatives.

All SAG decisions were made on a multi-agency basis under the chairmanship of WRS as the County Council’s representative. Under the terms of the Scheme of Delegation and Policy statements the Chair and Vice-Chair of the County Council’s Planning and Regulatory Committee were made aware of any significant alterations and modifications to General and Special Safety Certificates issued.

The Principal Environmental Health Officer stated that the work was a good fit for the skills and knowledge of WRS officers and enhanced the services collaborative work with other agencies. 

RESOLVED that the report on contracted work on Safety at Sports Grounds, be noted.