The reason for the 1:7 ramp is due to constraints within the building - structural walls which are simply not movable. We believe we're ok within the "reasonable provision" rules here, i.e. the number of disabled visitors to the space is likely to be very low (less than 1 per year), there will always be staff on hand to assist, so the 1:7 is essentially a portable, assisted-access ramp rather than a self-negotiating ramp. All of the information I can find sets 1:7 as the maximum permissable gradient for short ramps.
That said, with a bit of juggling (well, lobbying) we may be able to get the 2nd access level (although less convenient to reach), so we can cover both bases here. That being so, of course, it would be better not to have the ramp and leave the level secondary access, which brings me back to the original question!
