Equality impact assessment (EIA) form: evidencing paying due regard to protected characteristics

(Form updated April 2019)

 

RECOMMENDED APPROACH TO PLAN MAKING FOR NORTH YORKSHIRE

 

If you would like this information in another language or format such as Braille, large print or audio, please contact the Communications Unit on 01609 53 2013 or email communications@northyorks.gov.uk.

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Equality Impact Assessments (EIAs) are public documents.  EIAs accompanying reports going to County Councillors for decisions are published with the committee papers on our website and are available in hard copy at the relevant meeting.  To help people to find completed EIAs we also publish them in the Equality and Diversity section of our website.  This will help people to see for themselves how we have paid due regard in order to meet statutory requirements. 

 

Name of Directorate and Service Area

LGR Planning Workstream

 

Lead Officer and contact details

Linda Marfitt, Acting Head of Place-shaping & Economic Growth, Harrogate Borough Council

Linda.marfitt@harrogate.gov.uk

 

Names and roles of other people involved in carrying out the EIA

 

N/A

 

How will you pay due regard? e.g. working group, individual officer

Working groups (officers and Members) oversee the preparation of plan making.  Each local plan is accompanied by an EIA

 

When did the due regard process start?

01/12/2022

 

Section 1. Please describe briefly what this EIA is about. (e.g. are you starting a new service, changing how you do something, stopping doing something?)

 

This EIA is related to recommendations about the future of plan making for North Yorkshire Council. 

 

 

Section 2. Why is this being proposed? What are the aims? What does the authority hope to achieve by it? (e.g. to save money, meet increased demand, do things in a better way.)

 

The recommendations seek to ensure a robust approach to plan making to help meet the housing, economic and place-making needs of those who live within, visit and do business within the County.

 

 

Section 3. What will change? What will be different for customers and/or staff?

 

Local plans are evidence based in order to meet the needs of customers over a 15+ year period.

 

 

Section 4. Involvement and consultation (What involvement and consultation has been done regarding the proposal and what are the results? What consultation will be needed and how will it be done?)

 

Each local plan is accompanied by its own EIA, which itself is subject to full public consultation alongside the local plan and its evidence base.

 

 

 

Section 5. What impact will this proposal have on council budgets? Will it be cost neutral, have increased cost or reduce costs?

 

Local plan preparation and delivery forms part of current council budgets and staffing and will need to be factored into the running of the new council.

 

 

Section 6. How will this proposal affect people with protected characteristics?

No impact

Make things better

Make things worse

Why will it have this effect? Provide evidence from engagement, consultation and/or service user data or demographic information etc.

Age

 

X

 

Ensuring up to date planning policies (based on evidence and subject to full public consultation and independent Examination) to meet the needs of local communities and businesses.  E.g. provision of infrastructure and housing, including affordable housing

Disability

 

X

 

As above

 

Sex

 

X

 

As above

 

Race

 

X

 

As above

Gender reassignment

 

X

 

As above

 

Sexual orientation

 

X

 

As above

 

Religion or belief

 

X

 

As above

 

Pregnancy or maternity

 

X

 

As above

 

Marriage or civil partnership

 

X

 

As above

 

 

 

Section 7. How will this proposal affect people who…

No impact

Make things better

Make things worse

Why will it have this effect? Provide evidence from engagement, consultation and/or service user data or demographic information etc.

..live in a rural area?

 

 

 

X

 

Ensuring up to date planning policies (based on evidence and subject to full public consultation and independent Examination) to meet the needs of local communities and businesses.  E.g. provision of infrastructure and housing, including affordable housing

…have a low income?

 

 

 

X

 

As above

…are carers (unpaid family or friend)?

 

X

 

As above

 

 

Section 8. Geographic impact – Please detail where the impact will be (please tick all that apply)

North Yorkshire wide

X

Craven district

X

Hambleton district

X

Harrogate district

X

Richmondshire district

X

Ryedale district

X

Scarborough district

X

Selby district

X

If you have ticked one or more districts, will specific town(s)/village(s) be particularly impacted? If so, please specify below.

 

 

 

Section 9. Will the proposal affect anyone more because of a combination of protected characteristics? (e.g. older women or young gay men) State what you think the effect may be and why, providing evidence from engagement, consultation and/or service user data or demographic information etc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Section 10. Next steps to address the anticipated impact. Select one of the following options and explain why this has been chosen. (Remember: we have an anticipatory duty to make reasonable adjustments so that disabled people can access services and work for us)

Tick option chosen

1.      No adverse impact - no major change needed to the proposal. There is no potential for discrimination or adverse impact identified.

X

2.      Adverse impact - adjust the proposal - The EIA identifies potential problems or missed opportunities. We will change our proposal to reduce or remove these adverse impacts, or we will achieve our aim in another way which will not make things worse for people.

 

3.      Adverse impact - continue the proposal - The EIA identifies potential problems or missed opportunities. We cannot change our proposal to reduce or remove these adverse impacts, nor can we achieve our aim in another way which will not make things worse for people. (There must be compelling reasons for continuing with proposals which will have the most adverse impacts. Get advice from Legal Services)

 

4.      Actual or potential unlawful discrimination - stop and remove the proposal – The EIA identifies actual or potential unlawful discrimination. It must be stopped.

 

Explanation of why option has been chosen. (Include any advice given by Legal Services.)

 

 

The recommendations seek a robust approach to plan-making that is seeking to keep local planning policies up to date in order to meet the diverse needs of local communities.

 

 

 

 

Section 11. If the proposal is to be implemented how will you find out how it is really affecting people? (How will you monitor and review the changes?)

 

 

All local plan policies are regularly monitored and if necessary reviewed.  Results are published in an Annual Monitoring Report.

 

 

 

Section 12. Action plan. List any actions you need to take which have been identified in this EIA, including post implementation review to find out how the outcomes have been achieved in practice and what impacts there have actually been on people with protected characteristics.

Action

Lead

By when

Progress

Monitoring arrangements

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Section 13. Summary Summarise the findings of your EIA, including impacts, recommendation in relation to addressing impacts, including any legal advice, and next steps. This summary should be used as part of the report to the decision maker.

 

To prepare local plans in line with statutory processes, including full public consultation and independent examination.

 

 

 

 

 

Section 14. Sign off section

 

This full EIA was completed by:

 

Name: Linda Marfitt

Job title: Acting Head of Place-shaping & Economic Growth

Directorate: Harrogate Borough Council

Signature:

 

Completion date: 01/12/2022

 

Authorised by relevant Assistant Director (signature): Linda Marfitt

 

Date: 01/12/2022