Equality impact assessment Template April 2019

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

York and North Yorkshire Devolution- Outcome of consultation

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	Central Services
Lead Officer and contact details	Barry Khan
Names and roles of other people involved in carrying out the EIA	Barry Khan working in collaboration with City of York Officers
How will you pay due regard? e.g. working group, individual officer	Executive meeting
When did the due regard process start?	Following approval in September 2022 to carry out the consultation

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?)

On 1 August 2022 the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities announced that the Government was minded to enter into a Devolution Deal with York and North Yorkshire with a view to establishing a Mayoral Combined Authority.

The devolution agreement available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/york-and-north-yorkshire-devolution-deal

includes:

• York and North Yorkshire establishing a combined authority and electing a directly elected mayor to provide overall vision and leadership, seek the best value for taxpayer’s money, be directly accountable to the city region’s electorate and to receive new powers on transport, housing and skills.

• Control of a £18 million per year allocation of investment funding over 30 years 35% capital, 65% revenue, to be invested by York and North Yorkshire to drive growth and take forward its priorities over the longer term.

• New powers to improve and better integrate local transport, including the ability to introduce bus franchising, control of appropriate local transport functions e.g., local transport plans, and control of a Key Route Network.

• An integrated transport settlement starting in 2024/25 and an additional £1 million to support the development of local transport plans.

• New powers to better shape local skills provision to meet the needs of the local economy, including devolution of the core Adult Education Budget, as well as input into the new Local Skills Improvement Plans.

• New powers to drive the regeneration of the area and to build more affordable homes including compulsory purchase powers and the ability to establish Mayoral Development Corporations.

• Over £13 million for the building of new homes on brownfield land across 2023/24 and 2024/25, subject to sufficient eligible projects for funding being identified.

• Investment of up to £2.65 million on projects that support York and North Yorkshire’s priority to deliver affordable, low carbon homes across the area, subject to final business cases.

• Subject to a full business case, demonstrating the value of the scheme in delivering housing, jobs and GVA to the area, the government is minded to provide additional support to the York Central brownfield regeneration scheme.

• £7 million investment to enable York and North Yorkshire to drive green economic growth towards their ambitions to be a carbon negative region. This investment is subject to agreement of submitted business case.

• York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority will plan and deliver the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) from 2025/26 if there is a continuation of the Fund and the delivery geographies remain the same.

• Integration of the York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (YNY LEP) into York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority. This will ensure there continues to be a strong and independent local business voice which informs local decision making.

• A commitment to explore a local partnership with Great British Railways so that the mayor can help shape and improve local rail.

• Support to develop a Natural Capital Investment plan for York and North Yorkshire.

• Commitments to work in partnership with the area on the development and delivery of strategies to realise the region’s cultural potential.

• Engagement on broadband and mobile infrastructure rollout and on the development of the Scarborough Cyber Cluster.

• A commitment to establish a programme working group in support of the BioYorkshire programme.

• A key leadership role for the mayor in public safety, taking on the role and functions of the Police Fire & Crime Commissioner and having a clear role in local resilience and civil contingency planning, preparation, and delivery.

The agreement states that the deal it is, “Subject to ratification of the deal by all partners and the statutory requirements including, public consultation, the consents of councils affected, and parliamentary approval of the secondary legislation implementing the provisions of this deal”. This consultation considered the devolution scheme. The scheme sets out the proposed role and functions of the Combined Authority.

On 6 October 2022, Councillors in York agreed to proceed with a public consultation on the scheme. Councillors in North Yorkshire agreed likewise on 6 September 2022. The consultation asked respondents for their views on:

• Governance arrangements for the proposed Mayoral Combined Authority

• Finance functions

• Role of a Mayor and Mayoral Combined Authority in delivery of net zero, climate change and natural capital ambitions

• Transport functions

• Housing and regeneration functions

• Skills and employment functions

• Transfer of Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner functions

The eight-week consultation took place across York and North Yorkshire commencing on 21 October 2022 and ending on 16 December 2022. Results have been analysed and are presented in the report to City of York and North Yorkshire County Councils.

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 reason for proposing a Mayoral Combined Authority is to enable additional funding and powers to be taken locally in the region. This ambition is demonstrated in the Devolution Deal that is conditional on creating a Mayoral Combined Authority. It is hoped to create a new governance structure that will attract the Devolution Funding and be in a strong position to attract additional funding and be a voice for the region with Central Government and other agencies.

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

All residents and organisations in York and North Yorkshire are stakeholders in the discussions on devolution for the region. However, it is difficult to project the decisions that a Mayor and a Mayoral Combined Authority may take in the future. As such, this EIA considers the impact of the devolution scheme – that is the proposed role and functions of the MCA – on stakeholders.

For all residents, the devolution of powers and funding to York and North Yorkshire could be transformative.

Support for the region’s net zero, climate change and natural capital ambitions will have long reaching benefits for all residents.

Drilling down in more detail, bus users may benefit from powers to introduce bus franchising for the region while all road users may benefit from the coordination of the Key Route Network in the region. An integrated transport settlement will support strategic management of the network which could benefit those who use the transport in the region more broadly.

Powers over housing development could support ambitions to develop homes for those looking to get on the housing ladder whilst regeneration powers will help to create infrastructural, community development and wellbeing opportunities to support physically and emotionally healthy, connected lives throughout the region.

The proposal to devolve the Adult Education Budget (AEB) has the potential to help those looking to find new employment opportunities or upskill to align with the needs of the local economy.

Whether that is having further control of regional transport decisions that supports business growth, community infrastructural development that helps the voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors reach more people, or control of the AEB for skills providers, the benefits of devolution are equally as applicable to institutional stakeholders in the city.

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?)

Public consultation events

Public consultation events gave members of the public the opportunity to ask questions about the devolution proposals in an open and accessible format.

In York, City of York Council held four public consultation events in libraries across the city (plus an ongoing display in West Offices). The decision to host the events in the libraries was taken to ensure accessibility for all interested parties. In North Yorkshire, events were hosted by the LEP and North Yorkshire County Council and were part of a wider ‘Let’s talk’ consultation. In total, 564 people attended face to face consultation events, or made comments regarding the consultation received via the dedicated consultation inbox, the Common Place platform and social media accounts.

Focus Groups

Focus groups provided an opportunity for residents to delve into the detail of the devolution process in more detail in a more discursive environment. Nine resident focus groups took place across York and North Yorkshire both in-person and online. A total of 70 residents took part in the discussions.

The objectives of the events were to engage and consult with the public on their views of the following;

• To explore what influences quality of life in the local area – York and North Yorkshire

• Explore understanding and views towards devolution as a concept – in favour/opposed/concerns and why

• To explore understanding of governance and Mayoralty - in favour/opposed/concerns and why

• To explore residents’ relative priorities in devolution delivery in York and North Yorkshire, and perception and expectations of what devolution can/should deliver

A specialist agency (Westco Communications) was commissioned to run a programme of focus groups run across the geography targeting audiences identified as ‘seldom heard’ and cross referenced against a demographic analysis conducted before the consultation began. This series of focus groups took place after the Mid-term of the Consultation enabling the team to identify selected groups that had not engaged with the Consultation through other methods.

Young People

To ensure that the voices of younger residents were heard during the consultation, staff gave presentations and held question and answer sessions with students at York College and with York Youth Council and North Yorkshire Youth Forum

Disabled People

Better Connect, The Opportunity Centre in Scarborough and North Yorkshire Disability and Carers forum were directly engaged to share information with audiences.

Institutional stakeholders

Various meetings were held with institutional stakeholders to discuss the devolution proposals. As employers they have a significant interest in how devolution may improve skills and infrastructure in the region in addition to being able to articulate the opportunities and challenges that the proposals may present their workforces.

Engagement with elected representatives

There has been continual engagement with elected representatives (MPs, Councillors) throughout the development of the MCA deal to ensure that their views are taken into account as the deal progresses.

Communications campaign

A communications plan included broadcast and advertorial, targeted social media across a range of platforms and offline activity. Communications signposted either direct to the survey or to the ‘home’ website where an animation video delivered headline key messages to inspire response. Public events were also publicised on the website and through social media and localised media activity.

Consultation survey

The consultation survey was available online and in hard copy from public libraries and community spaces. Hard copy surveys included a return freepost envelope.

The survey was produced in different accessible formats, e.g. Braille, to encourage participation. Available on request were translations in the following languages and a large print version:

• Arabic

• Kurdish (there are several types)

• Pashto

• Romanian

• Polish

• Dari

• Ukrainian

• Bengali

• Farsi

A video explainer (with subtitles) of the consultation document was also available. Varying audio formats of the video were also available (without background music for example).

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

Please explain briefly why this will be the result.

The proposal of creating a Mayoral Combined Authority will mean that additional funding will be available across the York and North Yorkshire Region.

In total £52.3m new funding will be received in the CSR period (up to March 2025).as identified in the Executive report dated 6th September 2022

On satisfaction of the conditions within the deal additional funds will also be invested through the MCA route which are currently routed through the two councils. This includes the Consolidated Transport Budget and Adult Education Budget. The current annual value of North Yorkshire’s Local Transport Plan is £40m. It is envisaged that the LTP for North Yorkshire and York will be received directly from government to the MCA as the Strategic Transport Authority rather than directly to the constituent authorities. It is then envisaged that the combined LTP will be distributed to the Constituent Authorities who will retain the delivery responsibility as the statutory Highways Authorities 10.4 As per the scheme, provision should also be made for the Constituent Councils to meet the costs of the Combined Authority and how the costs are to be apportioned between the Constituent Councils. The Mayoral Combined Authority will be funded entirely from the capacity funding set out above plus the Mayoral Investment Fund. It is also expected that future projects and funding pots will include with them an element of capacity funding to support the running of individual schemes.

Further details of the financial details are set out in paragraph 10 : Financial Implications of the Executive report dated 6^th September 2022 : Devolution Deal Report.pdf (northyorks.gov.uk)

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	ü	ü ü ü ü		The consultation engaged individuals across all adult age groups. A common theme emerging was related to transport provision in the region, an issue particularly pertinent to younger and older demographics. The transfer of some transport functions, including bus franchising, has the potential to support better public transport connectivity in the region supporting those reliant on services. An additional theme emerging particularly for young people was access to affordable housing. Funding being made available through the devolution agreement provides an opportunity to support the development of affordable housing in the region. Young people – deal is an opportunity to increase higher paid jobs and retain talent in our area, to create a place where young people can see a positive future, where they want to stay, live and work. Devolution will bring draw powers down from Whitehall to York and North Yorkshire. However, there will be a need to ensure that decision-making is made accessible to all via physical and digital options (otherwise it will make things worse). Working age population – deal is an opportunity for businesses, skills providers and communities to work in a more joined up way to deliver economic benefits for the region. Bringing a closer relationship and alignment between the business needs, skills providers and residents so people have the relevant skills and knowledge for jobs that are needed in the region, now and into the future.
Disability	ü	ü		(At the end of the consultation period, 15% of respondents considered themselves disabled or having a long-term limiting condition.) The transfer of Police, Fire and Crime powers to a Mayor will support the connectivity between community safety and wider strategic ambitions of region. This may support work to prevent discrimination and hate crime. Powers related to transport and regeneration can also support work to improve infrastructure requirements for those with disabilities. For example, developments such as York Central are designed to be enjoyed and accessible to all.
Sex		ü		The transfer of Police, Fire and Crime powers to a Mayor will support the connectivity between community safety and wider strategic ambitions of region. This may support work to prevent discrimination and hate crime.
Race		ü		The transfer of Police, Fire and Crime powers to a Mayor will support the connectivity between community safety and wider strategic ambitions of region. This may support work to prevent discrimination and hate crime.
Gender reassignment		ü		The transfer of Police, Fire and Crime powers to a Mayor will support the connectivity between community safety and wider strategic ambitions of region. This may support work to prevent discrimination and hate crime.
Sexual orientation		ü		The transfer of Police, Fire and Crime powers to a Mayor will support the connectivity between community safety and wider strategic ambitions of region. This may support work to prevent discrimination and hate crime.
Religion or belief		ü		The transfer of Police, Fire and Crime powers to a Mayor will support the connectivity between community safety and wider strategic ambitions of region. This may support work to prevent discrimination and hate crime.
Pregnancy or maternity	ü			No evidence identified
Marriage or civil partnership	ü			No evidence identified

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?		ü		Rural poverty - people who live in remote areas hindered by poor infrastructure. The deal opens up new opportunities to better connect people and places through the MCAs increased influence or investment over transport, the economy and digital connectivity, if the focus is upon all areas of YNY (rather than prioritising urban areas). All have the potential to improve work and family life for this group
…have a low income?		ü		The scheme contains a range of functions that may support those in low income groups, including the devolution of the Adult Education Budget and the powers to drive the development of affordable housing.
…are carers (unpaid family or friend)?		ü		The transfer of some transport functions, including bus franchising, has the potential to create better public transport connectivity in the region supporting those reliant on services. Powers related to transport and regeneration can also support work to improve infrastructural requirements for those who have a caring role .

Section 8. Geographic impact – Please detail where the impact will be (please tick all that apply)
North Yorkshire wide	ü
Craven district
Hambleton district
Harrogate district
Richmondshire district
Ryedale district
Scarborough district
Selby district
If you have ticked one or more districts, will specific town(s)/village(s) be particularly impacted? If so, please specify below.
The proposals of creating a Mayoral Combined Authority will have an impact on all of North Yorkshire and York. The decision being considered is to submit the results of the consultation to government for them to determine whether the statutory test has been met and whether to create a Mayoral Combined Authority.

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.

The decision of submitting the results of the consultation and the scheme to ask the Government to consider creating a Mayoral Combined Authority and releasing the funding for a devolution deal will not affect anyone more because of a combined protected charasteristics. The decisions of a potential future MCA will need to be assessed separately.

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.	ü
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.) As the consultation considered the scheme setting out the proposed role and functions of the Combined Authority, there is an opportunity to enact the findings of this EIA into how the the new Mayoral Combined Authority may operate in the future. The assessment has identified areas that may support residents from all backgrounds to lead better lives. However, it will be for the future Mayoral Combined Authority to determine a course of action to make this a reality.

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?)

The Mayoral Combined Authority will consider EIA’s as part of its ongoing programme of work.

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

Accessibility of Council meetings

Monitoring officer(s)

As Mayoral Combined Authority is established

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.

The findings of this EIA has considered the responses from the consultation exercise and considered the needs of those with protected characteristics. The proposal of creating a mayoral combined authority and accessing the minded to Devolution Deal will bring additional funding into the region which will assist our residents and businesses. The decisions on which projects will progress will be a matter for the future Mayoral Combined Authority if created and those proposals will need to be assessed individually in consider the Public Sector Equality duties.

Section 14. Sign off section

This full EIA was completed by:

Name: Barry Khan

Job title: Assistant Chief Executive (Legal and Democratic), Directorate: Central Services

Signature: Barry Khan

Completion date: 6 Feb 2023

Authorised by relevant Assistant Director (signature): Barry Khan

Date:6^th February 2023