Pitch booking terms and conditions

Pitch booking information from 1 July 2022

Office hours

Our email [email protected] and the bookings line 028 9027 0684 are staffed from 8am to to 4pm, Monday to Friday. Outside these hours, leave a voicemail and we will return your call.

You can check if your pitch is playable by contacting the automated Pitches Hotline on 028 9027 0684 where you can also obtain the Duty Park Manager mobile number. 

• The Pitches Hotline is updated by 4pm on Fridays with possible weekend pitch closures and details of the weekend
• Do not contact the Bookings Line for this information. 

Prices

Pitch prices are reviewed each April and you can get the most up-to-date pricing by contacting us on our Bookings Line 028 9027 0684 or email [email protected].

Adult and Junior

Adult 18 years plus, Junior under 18.

VAT exemption

We automatically apply VAT to all bookings. If you are exempt from paying VAT you must tell us this before confirming your booking.

Your booking may be eligible for VAT exemption if your booking meets all of the following conditions:

1. The series of bookings must consist of ten or more sessions
2. Each session is for the same sporting activity,
3. Each session is in the same location,
4. The interval between each session is at least a day and not more than 14 days (although the duration of each session can be varied). A booking for every other Saturday afternoon fulfils this condition but the exemption does not apply if the interval is for longer than 14 days due to closure, for example if the pitch is closed for public holidays),
5. The facilities are booked by a school, club association or an organisation representing affiliated clubs or constituent associations such as a local league, and
6. The person who booked the pitch has exclusive use of it during the sessions.

How to book

To obtain a booking form, email [email protected].

• You can book a pitch online

Telephone requests will not be accepted.

One-off or casual booking

To book a one-off or casual booking:

1. Call the Bookings Line 028 9027 0684 for enquiry and then email [email protected]
2. Pay by credit or debit card at the time of booking.
3. When the booking is complete you will receive an email confirmation of your booking.

Block and recurring bookings

A series of ten or more bookings is considered a block booking:

1. To obtain a booking form email [email protected] or call 028 9027 0684.
2. Complete the Booking Form and email to [email protected]. 
3. Online booking form: https://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/things-to-do/outdoor-leisure-activities/sports-pitches-and-facilities/book-a-pitch this form will be sent automatically to the pitches team
4. Grass pitches can only be booked in hourly slots for example. 1, 2, 3 hours.
5. You will receive an email confirmation of your booking.

League bookings

You can make annual league bookings by emailing us to [email protected]

For any league queries, call us on 028 9027 0684.

Provisional bookings

We do not accept provisional bookings. 

When to book

Submit your booking request by email a minimum of two full working days before your required booking. For example, a booking required for 6pm on a Friday must be with us by 5pm on the preceding Tuesday. A booking for 12 noon on a Friday must be with us by 5pm on the preceding Tuesday. Saturday and Sunday and public and bank holidays are not considered as working days for the purposes of booking. Therefore, a request for a booking on a Monday must be with us by 5pm on the preceding Wednesday. A request for Tuesday must be with us by 5pm on the preceding Thursday.

This allows us enough time to allocate staff, ensure the site is opened, and the pitch properly set up for your arrival.

Where there will already be staff on site to set up your pitch for you, two full working days may not be required.

A pitch booking will not be confirmed until this booking form has been completed in full and confirmations received.

Usage of the pitches without prior booking and confirmation being received by the Pitches Team will be deemed as illegal play and future requests may be refused, confirmations may be requested on arrival to site.

Casual bookings must be paid for at the time of booking. 

Allocation

Due to demand for block bookings, we cannot guarantee that all requests will be accommodated.  Bookings are allocated on a first come, first served basis. Every effort will be made to allocate bookings fairly and amicably. 

How to pay

You can pay by:

• debit or credit card over the phone
• bank transfer – details will be given at time of confirmation
• invoice

Applications for invoicing

Invoicing facilities are only made available to:

• Education and public bodies.
• Private and voluntary sector organisations on production of an official order.
• Invoicing facilities are not automatically be applied to sports clubs (we must receive a formal request), and
• Approved organisers of events
• We cannot invoice individual persons.

We need an official order number from the organisation or club booking the pitch before we can issue an invoice. If an official order number is not available, the club or organisation must request an invoice from us on official headed paper, which must be signed by the Authorised Accounting Officer.

You will be invoiced monthly. 

Payment must be received in full within 30 days from the date of invoice. If we do not receive payment in full invoicing facilities will be removed.

Customers who have had invoicing facilities revoked due to outstanding debts must make full payment of all outstanding monies, and re-apply for invoicing facilities. Until credit facilities are restored, all booking will only be accepted on a “pay and play” basis, where payment must be made at the time of booking.

How to change your booking

Any request to change league fixtures should be made by 12.30pm on Wednesday for weekend games and at least two full workings days before any midweek fixture.

Customer cancellations

• The person named on the booking form/account, or a league or club representative should email all cancellations to [email protected].
• Cancellations should be emailed to [email protected] at least two full working days before the scheduled starting time, for example, Wednesday 12 noon for a weekend booking or the full charge will be expected.

In exceptional circumstances, two full working days notice is not required. Exceptional circumstances must be communicated to us by emailing [email protected] as soon as possible and will be treated on a case-by-case basis.

Referee or umpire cancellations

A referee or umpire may cancel a game if they feel there is a danger to the safety of the players. 

In this instance, we need written notification to [email protected] from the referee, umpire, league or governing body within 24 hours of the decision, to ensure that invoices are not raised in error.

Council cancellations

We may need to cancel your pitch booking at short notice due to bad weather or poor ground conditions. We will endeavour to give enough notice of any changes to play.

If we need to cancel a weekend fixture, we will make this decision on the Friday before the weekend fixtures. 

Pitch inspections will take place on Saturday morning. If in doubt, check that your pitch is playable by contacting the automated Pitches Hotline on 028 9027 0684​.

Facilities condition

We hope that you find our pitches and associated facilities up to standard.  If you have any problems on the day of play, tell the staff on site in the first instance, and then inform us by email within 24 hours of play to [email protected]

Refunds

• If we have cancelled the booking due to pitch condition you will not be charged. If you cancel your booking within the cancellation timescales given, you will not be charged for the booking.
• If we have invoiced you and you can provide evidence that the game didn’t go ahead, we will arrange a refund or credit, provided the cancellation is within the timescales and conditions outlined.
• We will refund or credit your booking if we have made an error.
• Unless there are exceptional circumstances, refunds are not issued for non-attended bookings.
• We will refund monies using the original payment method.

Your booking is taken as confirmation that you have read and agreed to our terms and conditions.

Privacy notice

Belfast City Council is the Data Controller under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for the personal data it gathers for the purposes of booking Belfast City Council Pitches and associated facilities.  You are providing your personal data to the council whose lawful basis for processing is for compliance with a legal obligation under the Local Government Finance Act (Northern Ireland) 2011, or for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority. 

The personal data may be shared internally within the council with staff who are involved in providing this service and where necessary, between internal departments with the purpose of supporting an effective delivery of service.

Your personal data will not be shared or disclosed to any other organisation without your consent, unless the law permits or places an obligation on the council to do so.  The personal data is held and stored by the Council in a safe and secure manner and in compliance with Data Protection legislation and in line with the Council’s Records Retention and Disposal Schedule.

If you have any queries regarding the processing of your personal data, contact Pitches Administration, City and Neighbourhood Services, 4-10 Linenhall Street, Belfast BT2 8BP.

If you wish to contact the council’s Data Protection Officer, write to Belfast City Council, City Hall Belfast, BT1 5GS or email [email protected].