The Sport Northern Ireland Stadia Safety Programme
The Stadia Safety Programme was launched in 2005, with the aim to improve the safety and comfort of spectators attending elite sporting events at GAA, Soccer and Rugby venues within Northern Ireland. The strategic objectives of the programme, as agreed by DCAL and Sport Northern Ireland are:
- To improve health and safety compliance within existing and proposed legislation;
- To increase spectator numbers and to increase the number of under-represented groups attending matches;
- To improve the comfort of spectator accommodation within venues; and
- To improve co-operation between owners of venues and, both the police and Statutory Agencies.
The range of eligible works for funding includes:
- The construction of new spectator stands/terracing;
- Crowd control points;
- Provision of CCTV;
- Provision of turnstiles;
- New toilet blocks;
- New pitch or ground perimeter fencing;
- Provision of first aid facilities; and
- Resurfacing of access and egress routes.
To date, circa £8.3m has been invested in ground improvements at the following venues:
| Phase I | Phase II | Phase III |
| Healy Park, Omagh | Casement Park, Belfast | The Atheltic Grounds, Armagh |
| Brewster Park, Fermanagh | Celtic Park, Derry | Pairc Esler, Newy |
| The Athletic Grounds, Armagh | Donegal Celtic Park, Belfast | The Showground’s, Ballymena |
| Pairc Esler, Newry | | |
| The Showground’s, Ballymena | | |
| Shamrock Park, Portadown | | |
| Ravenhill, Belfast | | |
| Solitude, Belfast | | |
The work highlighted above assists clubs in maintaining and/or improving the safe capacity of their venue in line with Safety of Sports Grounds (Northern Ireland) Order 2006. Phases I and II are complete while the three Phase III projects are currently onsite with a view to be complete by the end of 2010.
Sport Northern Ireland is currently working with another four projects with a view to being onsite in 2010-11.
In May 2009 Sport Northern Ireland opened Phase IV of the Programme, and is currently in discussion with successful Stage I Phase IV applicants with regards to progressing their projects to Business Case development.
For further information on Stadia Safety, please contact Maura McGreevy on 028 9038 1222 or email stadiasafety@sportni.net
