Sea Lanes Brighton

Access Statement

Sea Lanes Brighton comprises small business units fronting Madeira Drive on the north side of the Volks Railway and a new swimming pool on the beach to the south. This access statement focuses on the access to the swimming pool facility.

The purpose of this Access Statement is to outline how Sea Lanes has been designed to deliver an
accessible and inclusive environment for all and how it complies with the appropriate building regulations covering accessibility, movement and navigation into and throughout the building.

Access Aims

  • To maximize access to all parts of Sea Lanes, facilities and services to staff or visitors regardless of ability
  • To ensure that where possible and feasible, appropriate accessibility standards can be met
  • To meet the Building Regulations Approved Document M – Access to and use of Buildings 2015 Volume 2 (Buildings Other Than Dwellings)
  • To meet the aims of the Equality Act 2010
  • To follow best practice design guidance including the British Standards and other relevant published guidance

Site Constraints

Sea Lanes is restricted by the existing boundaries of the Volks Railway, the southern boundary needing to stay within the boundary line of Yellow Wave and an emergency and delivery vehicular access route being maintained over the railway line through the existing vehicular gates. This has resulted in limited space at the building entrance.

Pedestrian access routes to the building.

No onsite parking is possible or provided for any users, public parking is available in Madeira Drive. There are existing disabled bays near the site.

From the public pavement on Madeira drive the route to the pool is compliant with section
1.13 of ADM. There is level access to the swimming pool building, via the existing railway crossing,
The surface is suitable for wheelchair users and the gates over the railway crossing have be modified so that they are suitable for wheelchair users.

The swimming pool is raised above the beach level, therefore, to enable the changing facilities to
be at level access with the swimming pool, the entrance to the building is raised above the access route. Consequently, to gain access into the building, a ramped and stepped access is provided.

Due to the site constraints described above, it was not possible to accommodate a ramp that fully complied with section 1.26 of ADM. It is recognised that the ramp gradients provided in ADM have been established to make ramps easy to use for all wheelchair users, however the difference in the proposed gradient of 1:11 over 5m and the guidance of 1:15 is 132mm in height over a 5m length.

All other aspects of the ramp and step access are complaint with ADM.

Building entrance

The entrance has a level threshold and a door with minimum effective clear width of 1000mm as table 2 and operated in accordance with section 2.13 to 2.17 of ADM and glazed in accordance with ADK section 7.

Internal Horizontal Circulation

Doors comply with section 3.10 of ADM and ADN and ADK where relevant. There are no corridors in the building, but suitably wide routes are provided with level and non-slip floor. External doors out to the pool have level thresholds and comply with section 3.10 also.

Toilet, Sanitary and changing Facilities

Generally sanitary accommodation is designed in accordance with section 5.3 of ADM. There is a wheelchair accessible WC provided in the main changing area that is compliant with section 5.10 of ADM. In addition, there is a ‘Changing Places’ compliant toilet and changing room, that is also compliant with 5.21 of ADM.

Pool access

Level access thresholds are provided to the external doors from the reception areas and
changing rooms. The pool surround is level and nonslip. Assisted access facilities into the pool are provided.