Initial equality impact assessment screening form This form records an equality screening process to determine the relevance of equality to a proposal, and a decision whether or not a full EIA would be appropriate or proportionate.
Directorate	Community Development
Service area	Planning
Proposal being screened	Recommended Approach to Plan Making for North Yorkshire (amended recommendation re. Ryedale Plan Review)
Officer(s) carrying out screening	Rachael Balmer
What are you proposing to do?	To recommend to Members that the Ryedale Plan review is halted and incorporated/subsumed into the preparation of the new local plan for North Yorkshire.
Why are you proposing this? What are the desired outcomes?	To reduce the risk of delays to the production of the new local plan for North Yorkshire. To ensure that the new authority can deliver a new local plan within 5 years of vesting day.
Does the proposal involve a significant commitment or removal of resources? Please give details.	The resources currently identified for a formal full review of the Ryedale Plan would instead be committed to the preparation of the local plan for North Yorkshire, and therefore there is a saving as there would be one single evidence base, single consultations (which would reduce confusion for stakeholders), a single examination event and staff would not be diverted between projects. The Council are already committed to the preparation of a new Local Plan for North Yorkshire.
Impact on people with any of the following protected characteristics as defined by the Equality Act 2010, or NYC’s additional agreed characteristics As part of this assessment, please consider the following questions: · To what extent is this service used by particular groups of people with protected characteristics? · Does the proposal relate to functions that previous consultation has identified as important? · Do different groups have different needs or experiences in the area the proposal relates to? If for any characteristic it is considered that there is likely to be an adverse impact or you have ticked ‘Don’t know/no info available’, then a full EIA should be carried out where this is proportionate. You are advised to speak to your Equality rep for advice if you are in any doubt.
Protected characteristic		Potential for adverse impact				Don’t know/No info available
		Yes		No
Age				ü
Disability				ü
Sex				ü
Race				ü
Sexual orientation				ü
Gender reassignment				ü
Religion or belief				ü
Pregnancy or maternity				ü
Marriage or civil partnership				ü
People in rural areas				ü
People on a low income				ü
Carer (unpaid family or friend)				ü
Does the proposal relate to an area where there are known inequalities/probable impacts (e.g. disabled people’s access to public transport)? Please give details.		Plan making has equalities considerations, but they are at the consultation and policy impacts stage. The proposal of this amendment to the report previously considered by Members represents a high-level strategic decision to not review the Ryedale Plan in isolation, but to review it as part of the preparation of the new local plan for North Yorkshire. Therefore it does directly bring any impacts in terms of equalities considerations. If Members did decide to continue to review the Ryedale Plan separately, it would be superseded by the newer, North Yorkshire Local Plan on its adoption. The strategic principles policies and approaches of the new Local Plan will all be subject to EIA as they are developed.
Will the proposal have a significant effect on how other organisations operate? (e.g. partners, funding criteria, etc.). Do any of these organisations support people with protected characteristics? Please explain why you have reached this conclusion.		Implementation of a development plan has very significant implications indeed and involves a range of bodies and organisations who support people with protected characteristics. But this decision does not implement a development plan, it seeks to incorporate the review of the Ryedale Plan into the preparation of the North Yorkshire Plan which is more around procedural matters
Decision (Please tick one option)		EIA not relevant or proportionate:	ü		Continue to full EIA:
Reason for decision		The Ryedale Plan, as an extant Development Plan, was subject to EIA as part of its preparation. This is a strategic/high-level decision around the scope of plan making as a process. It does not result in policy changes in itself. The preparation of the new local plan for North Yorkshire (and intrinsically the review of the Ryedale Plan) will be subject to a full EIA.
Signed (Assistant Director or equivalent)
Date