Campsite Access Roads and Pitches
Keep a campsite green and drivable through a wet August bank holiday, without laying tarmac across a field.
Why reinforcement matters here
Campsites carry their heaviest traffic in exactly the conditions that damage grass most: full occupancy, wet weather and vehicles moving on and off pitches all day. Reinforcement lets you take the traffic without losing the field, and without the visual and planning problems of a permanent hard surface.
Where this works well
At a glance
| Sub-base | 150mm MOT Type 1 on access roads; 50-80mm on pitches |
|---|---|
| Infill | Rootzone and grass on pitches, gravel on roads and service points |
| Typical loading | Cars and touring units on pitches; service and delivery vehicles on roads |
| Permeability | Fully permeable. Normally treated as a SuDS component in a drainage strategy. |
| Design life | 25 years, subject to documented installation. |
| Material | 100% recycled polypropylene, made in the UK. |
How it goes in
- Mark out the area and excavate to the depth of your sub-base plus the grid depth plus your infill blinding.
- Lay a woven geotextile across the formation, lapping joins by at least 300mm. This stops the sub-base and the subsoil mixing.
- Lay and compact the sub-base: 150mm MOT Type 1 on access roads; 50-80mm on pitches. Compact in layers rather than all at once.
- Blind the sub-base with a thin layer of grit sand and screed it level. This is what gives you a flat finished surface.
- Push-fit the grids together across the area, working from one edge. Cut around obstacles with a jigsaw or fine-tooth saw.
- Fill the cells: Rootzone and grass on pitches, gravel on roads and service points. Work the fill in with a stiff brush so no cell is left hollow.
- Check the finished level. Nothing should stand proud of the cell walls, and no cell should be left under-filled.
Most installations are straightforward groundwork. The grids themselves push-fit together and need no fixings, adhesive or specialist tools.
Which grid depth?
The 40mm general duty grid on grassed pitches. The 30mm heavy duty grid on access roads, service points and anywhere delivery or waste vehicles run.
If you are between two options, take the heavier duty one. The cost difference across a typical project is small next to the cost of lifting and relaying a surface that was under-specified.
The mistake we see most often
Building the access road to pitch specification. The road carries every vehicle on site plus deliveries and waste collection, and it fails first.
Common questions
Can it be installed on an existing field?
Yes. In many cases the grids are laid onto prepared and compacted ground with no imported sub-base for light pitch traffic.
What about the main access road?
Access roads need a proper sub-base because they carry every vehicle on site, including deliveries and waste collection.
Will it survive a wet festival weekend?
That is the case it is designed for. Confinement is what stops saturated ground shearing under a tyre.
Does it affect our permitted development or licence?
A permeable reinforced grass surface is usually far easier to get agreed than a bound hard surface. Check with your local authority.
Can we keep trading during installation?
Yes, if you phase it. Most sites do a block of pitches at a time out of season.
Does it change our site licence position?
A permeable reinforced surface is normally treated far more favourably than a bound hard surface. Check with your licensing authority.
Ask our engineer
Questions about depths, sub-base, edging or which system fits your project? Ask below.