Site evaluation with Kent County Council

A significant phase in the development of the Evaluation Toolbox was in collaboration with Kent County Council. The focus was on improving access to green space in urban, peri-urban and rural areas. Following strategic development work, we agreed a detailed program of work with Kent County Council (KCC). This involved the development of an evaluation and decision making tool covering best practice guidelines for the selection of final routes, and this provided the basis of further review work.

Whilst providing a flexible generic tool the work addressed issues specific to the Kent sites, including those environment types and issues which were likely to present themselves in later audit and inclusive route studies.

These were strategically addressed and available for KCC staff to apply to their work in each detailed case study. The tool addressed the issues of wider sensory opportunity in the design and interpretation of routes and in the awareness of the issues. In so doing it addressed the inherent challenges present for those potential users with a sensory, physical or intellectual disability.

The work resulted in a Kent version of the toolbox, disseminated throughout the county.