Purpose and Scope of the Design Guide
| Disability Discrimination Act |
Scottish Natural Heritage has prepared this Guide to provide advice on the selection and design of structures that accommodate and assist public access in the countryside. There presently exists a wide range of published reference material dealing with the practical and technical aspects of countryside recreation and access management. Much of this material is widely dispersed or, in some cases, is out of date and fails to take adequate account of current principles of best practice. Scottish Natural Heritage, in collaboration with the Paths for All Partnership and the Scottish Countryside Access Network, has therefore produced this revised and updated guidance to assist practitioners.
The designs included in this Guide have been collected from a wide range of sources and are presented here by Scottish Natural Heritage with the aim of assisting in the improvement of access provision in the countryside. Many are tried and tested designs that have been developed and installed by other organisations throughout Scotland and England ; others are new designs that have yet to be fully evaluated. In some cases, existing designs have been modified or adapted to take account of the recommendations of the new British Standard for Gaps, Gates and Stiles, 2001 or better accommodate the needs of people with disabilities. Therefore, whilst endeavours have been made to include designs that will operate effectively, efficiently and safely, Scottish Natural Heritage cannot guarantee the accuracy and appropriateness of the specifications or of the construction and installation details included in the Guide. Users of the Guide should therefore seek appropriate technical advice when installing these structures.
The development of countryside access structures is an ongoing process which must meet the evolving needs of all sections of society. This document is a contribution to this process in that it disseminates information on access structures which may be of interest to individuals and organisations involved in access management. In time, we would hope to refine and update the information in this Guide in the light of experience in the installation and use of these designs: any comments on improvements or modifications to individual designs or suggestions for new designs would be welcome.
Objectives of the Guide
- To respond to the need for consistent and up to date guidance to be provided to practitioners involved in the development of access networks.
- To raise the profile of access for all principles so that practitioners are encouraged to pay regard to the access needs of all types and abilities of visitor to the countryside.
- To promote the concept of barrier free access and, where structures are unavoidable, to encourage use of the least restrictive option.
- To respond to the increasing demand for guidance on the sympathetic management of access in the countryside.
- To assist service providers in taking account of the Disability Discrimination Act and proposed changes in access legislation.
Function of the Guide
- To guide and advise practitioners in their selection of design solutions that meet the access needs of all visitors to the countryside.
- To provide detailed drawings and specifications for the construction and installation of chosen design solutions.
- To increase awareness amongst practitioners of best practice in the design of countryside furniture and structures that provide access for all.