The following amenity capital items must meet the minimum specifications
Car parking area construction - the minimum specifications are:
- Basecourse of 100 mm of dust stone to compacted depth of 20 cm.
- Wearing course of Type 1 sub-base to a compacted depth of 10 cm.
- Allow 30 to 36 square metres per car.
- All stone to be of local origin and or colour.
- Parking boundaries must be defined by earth banks or wooden barriers.
- Car park edges must be made good with saved turf.
- Parking bays must be suited to locality. For example parking in bays for up to four cars per bay, designed to reduce apparent scale by leaving trees between bays.
- A minimum of 4% of your car park must be allocated to disabled parking.
- Disabled car parking spaces must be clearly marked and signposted.
- The site design will be acceptable only with the prior written agreement of the lead body administering your application.
- You must demonstrate that Local Authority permissions and planning consents (if applicable) have been obtained.
Seats
Seats provide useful resting places for elderly and disabled people and those with mobility difficulties. This is especially important in the countryside where path surfaces may not be as good as in urban areas, the ground may be uneven and there are more likely to be ramps or steps. Seats or resting points are most useful at the top and bottom of slopes and at intervals along more difficult or arduous sections of path.
The minimum specifications are:
- The surface around seating must be firm, stable and flush with the path.
- If the path is accessible to wheelchairs, a surfaced resting place at least 900 mm square must be provided for wheelchair users.
- Seating must be readily accessible, and where possible is on the same level as the path. Place seats set back from the main route so they don't pose an obstacle.
- There must be a minimum heel space of at least 100 mm below seats and perches, this helps people to stand up more easily by allowing them to put their feet below their centre of gravity.
- Timber must be sourced from a sustainable timber producer.
Picnic tables - the minimum specifications are:
- Tables must be designed so that they are readily accessible to both able-bodied and disabled people, with some tables that are accessible to people in wheelchairs being provided in suitable locations.
- You must provide some picnic tables that accommodate wheelchair users at sites that are accessible to wheelchairs.
- A minimum 900 mm wide space must be allowed for each wheelchair. Preferably situated between or adjacent to the seats for non-disabled people. Circular or oval table designs are particularly well suited to this.
- Provide an access area, extending to at least 1,500 mm around the table, to assist manoeuvring wheelchairs. This space must be level, accessible to any adjacent paths and suitably surfaced (e.g. aggregate with a high proportion of fines).
- The surface around seating and picnic tables must be firm, stable and on the same level as the path if access for all is required.
- The timber must be sourced from a sustainable timber producer.
- You must not include picnic table designs that incorporate high horizontal beams between the table and bench. These can cause problems for users, particularly people with mobility difficulties, in gaining access to the bench.
Dog exercise areas - the minimum specifications are:
- Your area must be signposted as suitable for dog exercising.
- You can fence around your dog exercise area.
The minimum specifications for any post and rail fencing being used to fencing your dog exercise area are:
- Wooden post and three rail fencing not be less than 1.1 metres high with rails of at least 38 mm x 87 mm sawn timber and posts not greater than 1.8 metres apart.
- The fence must be in keeping with the surroundings of a recreational site.