North Yorkshire Council
Executive
23 January 2024
Council Plan 2024 - 2028
Report of Assistant Chief Executive- Local Engagement
1.0
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Purpose of report
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1.1 |
To seek agreement of the Executive to submit the Council Plan 2024-2028 to the Council for adoption. |
2.0 Background
2.2 The Council Plan is a key component of North Yorkshire Council’s policy framework, setting out the Council’s objectives and how its resources are to be used to deliver those objectives. Ensuring the Plan is developed in a timely and robust manner is essential in order to drive forward the business of the Council and improve performance.
2.3 The process is closely allied to the budget setting process as this clearly demonstrates the golden thread running through the Council's objectives, priorities and allocation of resources. For this reason, the Council Plan will be submitted to the Council on 21 February 2024 in tandem with the budget report.
2.4 The Council Plan is intended to be the public expression of North Yorkshire Council’s vision and a strategic document designed to plot the Council’s course over the next four years. It will also be used by staff to understand the Council’s priorities and how they fit within them.
2.5 The Council Plan is a four-year plan, that will be refreshed on an annual basis. The plan has been developed under five key themes:
· Place & Environment
· Economy
· Health & wellbeing
· People
· Organisation
2.6 The Council Plan also includes achievements from the first year of North Yorkshire Council, how we will deliver services locally, key statistics and information about North Yorkshire, the council’s finances, our Equality Objectives and how we will measure performance.
3.0 Development of the Council Plan
3.1 The Council Plan has been developed with input from all directorates to ensure the language and priorities that sit within the plan are consistent with their direction of travel. The draft has been reviewed and agreed by Management Board.
3.2 The findings from the Let’s Talk Money survey have been used to inform the ambitions and priorities included in the plan.
3.3 The Council Plan has a number of audiences including elected members, officers, partners, the public, and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC). Efforts have been made to ensure that, as far as possible, the Council Plan is accessible, and of use, to all these audiences.
3.4 The Council Plan is the external and internal facing summary corporate strategy. However, a document the size of the Council Plan cannot detail all that the Council does. Further information about the Council’s detailed strategies and plans is published in other documents available on the Council website. The view has been taken that there is little merit in merely replicating elements of these strategies and plans.
4.0 Structure and publication of the Council Plan
4.1 The Council Plan aims to be an easy to read, concise document. In addition to being the public expression of the Council’s vision and ambitions, it sets priorities for the period up to 2028.
4.2 The Council Plan will be published on the internet and publicised to the public through a range of media, including press releases.
4.3 On publication, the Council Plan will be strongly promoted internally, in particular in relation to its central place in the service planning process and developing a sense of common purpose with staff and managers.
4.4 The Council Plan will also include a summary of how resources will be allocated through the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS), revenue budget and capital plan. This will be added once they have been agreed by the Council, alongside updated performance information.
5.0 Draft Council Plan
5.1 The draft Council Plan 2024 - 2028, as at 11 January 2024, is attached at Appendix A.
6.0 Financial implications
6.1 The Council Plan will have significant financial implications as it outlines the key programmes of work that will be carried out, all of which have been set out in the linked budget report.
7.0 Equality implications
7.1 The Council must demonstrate that it pays due regard in developing its budget and policies and in its decision-making process to the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations between different people when carrying out their activities with regard to the protected characteristics of age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. This includes compounding factors such as the rural nature of the county and the cumulative impact of proposals on groups with protected characteristics across the range of services. The impact of decisions on the Council’s activities as a service provider and an employer must be considered.
7.2 At the earliest possible opportunity, significant proposed changes in service provision and budget are screened to identify if there are likely to be any equality implications.
7.3 If equality implications are identified, the Council uses an equality impact assessment (EIA) process to support the collection of data and analysis of impacts and to provide a way of demonstrating due regard. EIAs are developed alongside savings proposals, with equalities considerations worked into the proposals from the beginning.
7.4 If a draft EIA suggests that the proposed changes are likely to result in adverse impacts, further detailed investigation and consultations are undertaken as the detailed proposals are developed. Proposed changes will only be implemented after due regard to the implications has been paid in both the development process and the formal decision-making process.
7.5 Where the potential for adverse impact is identified in an EIA, services will seek to mitigate this in a number of ways including developing new models of service delivery, partnership working and by helping people to develop a greater degree of independent living.
7.6 An EIA has been carried out of the overall Council Plan 2024 - 2028 and this is attached at Appendix B. The specific implications for individual services in relation to refocusing the approach of the Council are not part of this impact assessment and will be assessed as part of the change process in each directorate.
7.7 An overall EIA for the 2024/25 budget has also been carried out and is included within the budget report. The Council plan has been developed in the context of public sector financial restraint, and unprecedented service demand pressures. Funding provided by central government to local authorities to deliver services has been reduced significantly in recent years. The cost of living rises have only exacerbated this, and we know that the long term financial position remains uncertain and difficult. The establishment of the single unitary council means that savings for 2024/25 are concentrated on increased efficiency and the reduction of duplication, as well as improving customer experience, where this is possible.
7.8 The anticipated impacts of our ambitions are therefore positive ones. Due regard to equalities will be paid when making decisions on actions to realise these ambitions and, where appropriate, these will be subject to full EIAs.
7.9 As part of our ambitions for North Yorkshire, the high-level outcomes which prioritises protection for vulnerable people aim to safeguard and improve outcomes for adults receiving social care who tend to be older, and/or people with disabilities, and for young people with vulnerabilities, including those arising from disabilities.
8.0 Climate change impact assessment
8.1 The purpose of this assessment is to help us understand the likely impacts of our decisions on the environment of North Yorkshire and on our aspiration to achieve net carbon neutrality. The intention is to mitigate negative effects and identify projects which will have positive effects.
8.2 The Council Plan is a high-level strategic document that sets the direction for the council. As such, the Plan does not contain detailed information about specific service delivery. Detail at service level has been and/or will be impact assessed by directorate colleagues.
8.3 The ambitions within the Council Plan ‘A clean, environmentally sustainable and attractive place to live, work and visit’ and ‘a carbon neutral council’ and associated priorities set our goals and vision for tackling climate change and aim to have a positive impact on the environment. We as a council aspire to become more environmentally sustainable, further reduce carbon emissions and increase the resilience of the county to climate change.
9.0 Legal implications
9.1 The Council Plan reflects the legal requirement on local authorities under Section 3 of the Local Government Act 1999 to secure continuous improvement in the way in which it exercises its functions.
Neil Irving
Assistant Director - Policy, Partnerships and Communities
Rachel Joyce
Assistant Chief Executive- Local Engagement
11 January 2024
Author of report – Alaina Kitching, Senior Strategy and Performance Officer
Appendices:
Appendix A – Draft Council Plan 2024 - 2028
Appendix B – Equality impact assessment – Council Plan 2024 - 2028
Appendix C - Climate change impact assessment – Council Plan 2024 - 2028
North Yorkshire Council: Our plan for the future of NorTh yorkshire
Council Plan, 2024-2028
Your
Council
About
North Yorkshire
Delivering
our Services
Our
vision and ambitions
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Place and Environment
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Economy
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Health and Wellbeing
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People
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Organisation
Finances
Our
Equality Objectives
How
we measure performance
Contact
us
Delivering Services for North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire Council is now in the second year of providing all of your local services from rubbish collection and recycling, Public Health, Social Care and education, roads, transport and leisure services as well as support for businesses. The council has brought together the services previously provided by eight councils into one, but there is still a significant task ahead as we continue to transform services now and in the years to come. We are proud of what we have achieved so far, and we remain passionate about providing value for money services, and improving outcomes for local people, businesses and communities across North Yorkshire.
A few of our achievements from the first year of North Yorkshire Council:
We have already developed a strong Economic Growth Strategy which will drive clean growth in North Yorkshire and provide better opportunities for employment and skills.
A joint bid for a Local Visitor Economy Partnership for both York and North Yorkshire has been approved which will ensure we make the most of our natural assets and cultural offer, raise the profile of our fantastic places to boost the visitor economy and, of course, our unique food and drink offer. Tourism is worth more than £3.2 billion a year in the area, and more than 60,000 people work in the sector.
Our Children’s Social Care service were judged outstanding as a service following an Ofsted inspection in Summer 2023. Therefore, the services families and young people receive in North Yorkshire are a high quality and deliver good outcomes to some of the most vulnerable people in our community.
We marked 20 years of extra care housing in North Yorkshire, which has seen the development of 28 schemes across the county, providing more than 1500 flats to buy or rent.
In response to sustained national shortages of staff across the health and social care sectors, North Yorkshire was an early explorer of the potential of international recruitment. This resulted in 22 recruits now working in teams in Harrogate, Scarborough and the Vale of York, with more people set to join us in 2024. Comprehensive induction and pastoral support arrangements are in place for the international recruits, and, as part of its wider, on-going support for the sector, the council plans to offer support to care providers looking to recruitment care workers from overseas.
In the first half of 2023/24 the Quality Improvement Team, working in partnership with the NHS to drive quality improvements and help sustain local care providers, has worked with 68 care providers. The team gives practical hands-on support alongside information, advice and guidance to help providers address serious quality concerns and to turn their business around, and is helping them achieve improved CQC ratings. Where provider failure or business closure has been unavoidable, the team has worked closely with providers to find appropriate alternative care provision and to minimise the impact on the people in receipt of that care.
Our Public Health Team secured a £5 million research grant. The grant is for the council to work in partnership with the University of Hull and the University of York to look at the issues affecting the health of people in North Yorkshire and how we can best address them.
North Yorkshire is receiving vital upgrades to infrastructure, for example the creation of a new stretch of the A59 at Kex Gill costing a total of £68.8 million. The Government has provided £56.1 million with the remaining £12.7 million allocated from North Yorkshire Council’s capital reserves.
A £2.9 million overhaul of North Yorkshire’s streetlights has been approved as part of a commitment to reduce energy use and tackle climate change. The anticipated savings are £440,000 with a payback period of about five-and-a-half-years. The council has secured £3.2 million of funding from the national Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) pilot scheme to install 150 charging points across the county.
In 2023, Harrogate leisure and Wellness Centre reopened following a £13.5 million renovation and Knaresborough’s new £17.5 million leisure and wellness centre opened. These projects complement a wider £47.9 million investment in leisure provision.
Challenging Times
Through our transformation programme we will continue to improve efficiency, effectiveness and join up services in a way that makes sense to residents, businesses and partners. However, like all councils in the country, we are facing major challenges now, and in the years ahead, due to climate change, the cost of living crisis, impact of inflation and a huge demand on our critical services such as housing, adult social care, services for children and young people and Special Educational Needs. There will be tough financial decisions ahead, but we are in a much stronger position to manage these challenges than some other councils. By joining-up services and maximising spending power, North Yorkshire Council will save between XXX and XXX in the next few years. This money will be critical to sustaining essential services in the face of the many significant challenges (to be updated).
We are grateful to all our employees for their continued dedication and hard work to provide high quality services as we continue on this journey.
We also recognise that many of the challenges that the council and our residents face cannot be addressed by a single agency alone and as such we are proud to work in collaboration with our local partners, other public sector organisations, businesses, and communities.
The new York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority
North Yorkshire Council will work with the county’s MPs to give our county a stronger voice to attract inward investment and tackle priorities at a local level. The new York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority creates significant opportunities for increased funding and local control over more decisions. The devolution deal itself will bring in a minimum of £540 million new funding over the next 30 years to support economic development and to help fund transport priorities in this area. We have already seen new investment in Brownfield Housing and Low Carbon Energy projects in North Yorkshire, helping us towards our targets for reducing carbon emissions in the county and protecting and enhancing our environment. This existing deal is just the first step. With the election of a Mayor for York and North Yorkshire in May 2024, our sub-region will have a new route into influencing national policy as well as greater powers to determine what works best for our residents. There is potential for even greater devolution from central government in the future, giving us all greater say on what matters to North Yorkshire.
Local by design
North Yorkshire Council is built with local at its heart and aims to be the most local, large council in England.
There is a main office in each former district area, supported by additional customer access points located across the county. Staff work in the communities they serve, listening to the needs of individual places and supporting local priorities and action.
The council will continue to work closely with town and parish councils, wider partners and communities to ensure that local priorities drive locally led decision-making and local action. A number of Community Partnerships have been launched to bring together local Councillors, public sector agencies, communities and businesses to get things done in their local area.
North Yorkshire Council has made a clear commitment to listen to its communities. In autumn 2023, we launched ‘Let’s Talk Money’, asking you to share your views on the councils budget, what is important to you and what we should prioritise. This has helped us to shape this plan and our services.
This plan sets out our vision, ambitions and priorities for North Yorkshire and the approach we are taking to achieve them.
Councillor Carl Les, Leader of the Council
Richard Flinton, Chief Executive
The council provides a wide range of services and facilities for its residents, businesses, and visitors, including: (*Figures to be updated) |
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Managing and maintaining over 8,330 council houses |
Processing around 60,000 housing benefit changes every year |
Making approximately 6,000 decisions on planning applications |
We maintain almost 9,250km (5750 miles) of highway and are directly responsible for 6,110km (3800 miles) of public rights of way
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We maintain 1,645 bridges across the county |
We provide 19 leisure centres - including 16 swimming pools, plus 3 health and wellbeing hubs and the Turkish Baths in Harrogate. |
Collecting around 325,000 tonnes of waste from around 274,400 households of which around 45% is reused, recycled or composted
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Providing around 29,600 hours of personal care per week to over 4,400 people to enable them to live in their own homes.
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Supporting 3,300 people in permanent residential or nursing placements
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There are more than 390 schools in North Yorkshire, serving over 88,000 pupils |
Over 10,000 children are provided with Special Educational Need support |
Over 3,000 children and young people are supported by the Children’s and Families Service |
A clean, environmentally sustainable and attractive place to live, work and visit
This outcome is around two main areas; the first is around mitigating the causes and impacts of climate change. This will include how we encourage people to reduce, reuse and recycle waste and therefore, in turn, how much of our waste ends up at landfill. The second aspect is around North Yorkshire as a beautiful place and our role in preserving that for future generations.
We understand the importance of mitigating the causes and impacts of climate change and therefore the council has officially declared a Climate Emergency. North Yorkshire as a locality emitted 6,386.7 kt CO₂e in 2021 (measure of emissions from the three main greenhouse gases). This equates to 10.3 per capita emissions (tCO₂e), which is higher than both England (5.5 per capita emissions tCO₂e) and Yorkshire and Humber (7.1 per capita emissions tCO₂e). We must work with partners to reduce carbon emissions across North Yorkshire; however, in the challenging times that local government now faces, this must be done in a financially sustainable way. Our goal is to support the region’s ambition to be carbon neutral by 2034 and carbon negative by 2040. We will work with partners to make this possible and encourage residents, businesses and visitors to take climate responsible actions. We will do this in three ways: mitigation, reducing our impact on the climate by decreasing greenhouse gas emissions; adaptation, preparing for the climate to change; and supporting nature, helping the natural world, on which we depend to thrive.
The council has secured £3.2 million of funding from the national Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) pilot scheme to install 150 charging points across the county.
Our priorities for the next four years are:
North Yorkshire is a beautiful place to live with large parts of the county sitting within the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors national parks, as well as three Areas of Outstanding Beauty. We want North Yorkshire to continue to have clean and attractive streets, beaches and open spaces.
Our priorities for the next four years are:
A well connected and planned place with good transport links and digital connectivity
The rural nature of the county presents a great challenge for digital and transport connectivity, as well as the sustainability of rural services. 94% of premises in North Yorkshire has access to superfast broadband, compared to 97.7% of premises nationally. Local bus services provide the primary mode of public transport, offering access to essential facilities; however, with low population density, commercial services in rural areas are not sustainable. Commercial public transport operators cater for 90% of all passenger journeys but less than 40% of parishes have a bus service operating more than three days per week. Their networks are concentrated in urban areas where services are more sustainable, leaving access for people in rural areas a challenge for the council. North Yorkshire Council will deliver a £68.8m major highway improvement scheme on the A59 at Kex Gill that will improve the resilience of this key east west route between Skipton and Harrogate by moving the road onto the opposite side of the valley.
We also recognise the importance of having well planned developments that are responsive to the needs of local residents and have access to essential services. As the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority takes on transport powers, we will work closely with them to develop the strategic transport plan across the sub-region, making the case for greater investment to support rural transport, in line with investment seen in other Mayoral areas.
Our priorities for the next four years are:
· Work with the new Combined Authority to produce a Local Transport Plan which supports sustainable transport for all residents and the transport of freight, and makes the case for investment in North Yorkshire’s roads, rail, public transport and active travel.
· To seek improvement to transport connectivity and inclusion (especially east-west links), within North Yorkshire and into neighbouring areas.
· To support and encourage an effective and efficient public transport network that meets the user needs.
· Promote and encourage active travel including walking, wheeling and cycling.
· To maintain safe and functional highways and to seize opportunities to improve the network.
· To improve digital connectivity and inclusion.
· To ensure that developments meet the needs of all, consider health and social inequality and the specific requirements of younger, older and disabled people. Housing developments should also have easy access to employment and economic opportunities, as well as culture, leisure and outside space.
Communities are supported and work together to improve their local area
We want North Yorkshire to have strong, resourceful, resilient and empowered communities who work together to make decisions on local priorities, enjoy improved local accountability and have the opportunity to take on additional responsibilities to manage local assets where it is financially viable and provides value for money for all involved.
Our priorities for the next four years are:
· To support the six area committees to discuss local issues, provide direction and local leadership.
· To work closely with, support and empower town and parish councils and community groups to run assets and services where they want to take on additional responsibilities, have the capacity to do so, and where it would be value for money for all involved.
· To establish around 30 community partnerships, bringing together local Councillors, public sector agencies, communities and businesses to get things done in their local area.
· To establish and maintain strong and resilient partnerships across North Yorkshire.
· To support a vibrant, thriving and resilient voluntary and community sector in North Yorkshire.
· To develop and work alongside a network of community anchor organisations to support communities to become more resilient to respond to local challenges and opportunities.
· To support the wider Council approach to businesses to assist in Resilience within North Yorkshire.
Good quality, affordable and sustainable housing that meets the needs of our communities
Housing affordability varies across the county, a person earning average local wages would need to pay over 8 times their income to buy a property which is substantially higher than Yorkshire & Humber averages of 6.07 times their income. This problem has been heightened by the current cost-of-living crisis. Energy efficiency of housing is another key challenge faced by many in North Yorkshire with the County’s average energy efficiency rating for domestic buildings being below the national average. North Yorkshire Council will work with partners to ensure the future housing needs of residents are met.
Our priorities for the next four years are:
· To develop a strategic relationship with Homes England, through the new Combined Authority.
· To help maintain housing supply, both market and affordable housing, whilst improving the quality of new homes.
· To raise the standard and improve the quality of private rented and owner occupied housing.
· To ensure that our council housing stock remains decent and continues to improve, with an ambition to become an exemplar social landlord.
· To prevent and tackle homelessness.
· To help ensure that people have a decent home to live in that facilitates their health and wellbeing.
· To encourage and support future work around decarbonisation and the retrofit of homes.
Economically sustainable growth that enables people and places to prosper
We have already developed a strong Economic Growth Strategy which will drive clean growth in North Yorkshire and provide better opportunities for employment and skills. We want to attract investment and grow our economy to create new and exciting opportunities for our residents and businesses. To achieve this, we need to make the most of our unique economic offer and set a new level of ambition for sustainable growth. The economic priorities for North Yorkshire have already been fed into the emerging Economic Framework for the Combined Authority, and we will continue to work with the Mayor and Combined Authority to capitalise on the assets of York and North Yorkshire in support of our residents and businesses.
We want the county to have economically vibrant and thriving town centres, market towns, villages, hamlets and communities, where places can work together to drive growth whilst utilising their distinctive cultural and physical assets. Larger centres such as Harrogate, Scarborough, Selby, Skipton and Northallerton can be growth connectors that will drive economic activity in the county. The Town Deal programmes in Scarborough and Whitby will see over £25m of government investment in each town including renovations to Whitby swing bridge. The blue economy is also important, we want to further develop offshore opportunities as well harnessing the opportunities our harbours present.
North Yorkshire has a lower proportion of young people than the national average, 25% are under 25 compared to 29% nationally. This is because many younger people who attended higher education decide to leave the county and put roots down in other parts of the country. It is important that we attract and retain young people to live and work in North Yorkshire.
Our priorities for the next four years are:
· To support and deliver major infrastructure and regeneration projects across the county to create vibrant places, such as the £30m Transforming Cities Fund Station Gateway Projects in Harrogate, Selby and Skipton to regenerate the areas around the train station and improve links into the towns. The Revitalising Towns project will see over £4.25m invested in the three town centres of Selby, Tadcaster and Sherburn in Elmet.
· To harness North Yorkshire’s natural capital and promote the green and blue economies.
· To invest in land, buildings and sustainable infrastructure to support economic growth.
· To encourage and support an increase in good quality jobs, high value employment, wages and skills retention.
· To ensure the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) is delivered, developing a Local Skills Action Plan to address pressing skills gaps for businesses in priority sectors.
· To ensure that skills meet the needs of both existing and emerging industries including cyber, agriculture and bioeconomy, creative sector and low carbon sectors.
· To attract and retain young people and working age adults to live and work in North Yorkshire.
· To ensure that the places where people live, now and in the future, create new opportunities, promote well-being and reduce inequalities so that people have better lives, in stronger communities and achieve their potential.
Culture, heritage, arts and sustainable tourism all play their part in the economic growth of the county
Culture, heritage, arts and tourism all play an important part in North Yorkshire’s economy and the brand of North Yorkshire. Local businesses and cultural/event venues such as Scarborough Open Air Theatre and Harrogate Convention Centre, to name just a few, have an important part to play in the local economy. Harrogate Convention Centre has an impact on the local economy of around £30 million each year. This is also the case for events, including sporting events, held in the county. Past events include the Tour de Yorkshire and Tour de France cycle races. In 2024 the Long Course Weekend, an internationally recognised multi-sport event will be hosted by North Yorkshire.
We want to strengthen our tourist and cultural offer by ensuring there are year-round attractions and increase visitor spend. Tourism is worth more than £3.2 billion each year to York and North Yorkshire’s economy, and in excess of 60,000 workers are employed in the sector. A joint bid for a Local Visitor Economy Partnership for both York and North Yorkshire has been approved which will ensure we make the most of our natural assets and cultural offer, raise the profile of our fantastic places to boost the visitor economy and, of course, our unique food and drink offer.
Our priorities for the next four years are:
· To promote and improve North Yorkshire’s tourism infrastructure, sporting and cultural offer, to provide high quality, year-round attractions and venues to increase visitor spend.
· To promote accessible and environmentally sustainable tourism.
· To provide more opportunities for more people to participate in inclusive, relevant cultural activity.
· To increase opportunities to use engagement with culture, arts and heritage to improve health and wellbeing.
· To promote the importance of culture in place shaping and celebrating our distinctive culture and heritage. To maximise the impacts and benefits of Selby’s Priority Place status and sharing the learning and approach more widely.
· To support a strong, connected and collaborative cultural sector.
· To increase the digital connectivity of our council cultural assets.
· To ensure a network of inclusive and accessible libraries across North Yorkshire that support and develop literacy and creativity; increase digital skills and connectivity; improve health and wellbeing and are welcoming focal point for community activity.
New and existing businesses can thrive and grow
North Yorkshire has 32,645 micro, small and medium sized enterprises and 90 large enterprises. We want North Yorkshire to be a place where businesses can thrive and grow, where businesses are supported and operational barriers to business growth are addressed by securing investment and improvement in digital infrastructure. We also want North Yorkshire to be a place where businesses are able to network and forge links with other businesses/ organisations.
In order to enable local businesses to thrive, North Yorkshire Council will continue to work with partners and support developments at strategic employment sites. This includes along the A1 corridor with the development at Junction 47 (Flaxby), new motorway services at Junction 52 (Catterick), and a new Designer Outlet at Junction 53 (Scotch Corner). Along the A64 corridor we will see the further development of the Eden Enterprise Park near Malton, the proposed expansion of the Pickering Industrial Estate, including new starter units, and the expansion of the Scarborough Business Park, all of which will create further employment and economic growth opportunities. Along the M62 corridor we will see the redevelopment of the former Kellingley Colliery site in Selby and Eggborough Power Station site in Selby, as a major new employment parks.
Our priorities for the next four years are:
· To support and attract new and existing businesses including in the cyber, bioeconomy and low carbon sectors.
· To ensure businesses have access to, and are able to benefit from, business support services.
· To create a fair-trading environment which enables businesses to thrive.
· To invest in modern technology to create jobs.
· To utilise improving digital infrastructure to support businesses.
North Yorkshire has a high profile, is influential nationally and receives its fair share of resources
North Yorkshire Council will provide a strong voice for North Yorkshire to attract inward investment and tackle priorities effectively on the wider stage. Working alongside the new Mayor, there is a chance to restate the importance of North Yorkshire in the regional and national economy, and highlight potential of our unique combination of assets.
Our priorities for the next four years are:
· To champion the case for a fairer share of resources for North Yorkshire and raise the profile of North Yorkshire on the national stage.
· To influence government policy.
· To realise the potential of devolution.
· To maximise access to external funding.
People are supported to have a good quality of life and enjoy active and healthy lifestyles
We want everyone in North Yorkshire to live long, healthy and active lives. To make sure this is the case for children, we must work with families and partners to encourage, promote and facilitate healthy choices. While 70.1% of adults in North Yorkshire are already classed as “physically active” - compared to an average of 67.3% for the country as a whole - we will continue to promote health and wellbeing through positive choices and provision of information to help people stay healthy. We want to provide high quality opportunities for participation in sport and physical activity at all levels and at all stages of life. In 2023 Harrogate leisure and Wellness Centre reopened following a £13.5 million renovation, and Knaresborough’s new £17.5 million leisure and wellness centre opened. These projects complement a wider £47.9 million investment in leisure provision. Particular attention will also be given to the social, emotional and mental health.
Our priorities for the next four years are:
· To encourage people to make informed choices about their health and encourage active and healthy lifestyles.
· To improve mental health and wellbeing, in particular for those with severe and enduring mental illness.
· To transform our core leisure centres into local sport and active wellbeing hubs, with a focus on health, wellbeing and participation for all.
· To manage and provide high quality, sustainable and inclusive sport and wellbeing facilities.
· To work collaboratively with partners to develop locally based, accessible sport and active wellbeing services in a range of locations.
· Support community groups and local grassroots sports clubs in providing inclusive opportunities for people to become more active.
· Improve the skills of the sport and active wellbeing workforce to support a renewed focus on health and wellbeing.
· To support a more active environment that makes it easier to move more and which prioritises opportunities for safe play, walking and cycling.
· To develop a centre for public health excellence including in research, training, and behavioural science.
Reduced variations in health through tackling the root causes of inequality
Health outcomes vary significantly across the county. For children these inequalities are apparent in areas such as breastfeeding initiation and smoking during pregnancy. For young people, the inequalities lie in areas such as hospital admissions for alcohol specific conditions. Childhood obesity, although low in general, is higher than the national average in parts of the county and although most adults enjoy a healthy life, too many people in North Yorkshire are living in ill health for the later years of their life and then dying earlier than their peers. The gap in life expectancy between our most and least deprived wards can be as much as 11 years for men and 13 years for women. We want to close these gaps and thereby reduce health inequalities.
Our priorities for the next four years are:
· To reduce health and social inequalities through healthy place-shaping and targeted work with groups, communities and neighbourhoods.
· To address the wider social, economic and environmental determinants which influence health inequalities and compromise the health, well-being and life chances of children and young people, such as child poverty, home and road safety.
People can access good public health services and social care across our different communities
With the sparse nature of the county, the council faces a key challenge in the sustainability of rural services and ensuring the highest standard of social care for children and adults, wherever they live in the county. Costs in the care market can vary significantly from one part of the county to another.
For residents, the challenge is often accessing services; for example, the average travelling time to the nearest GP is three times higher than the national average in parts of the County and for many individuals will be significantly higher. Our Scrutiny of Health Committee will work to ensure that, where possible, rurality or other circumstances will not prevent people from accessing good quality health services in their area.
Our priorities for the next four years are:
· To work with community organisations to prevent, reduce and delay the need for long-term care
· To support and develop care providers, improving sustainability and quality.
· To work with a range of organisations from the health, independent and voluntary sectors to develop a sustainable, diverse and innovative care market that meets the varied needs of the people of North Yorkshire and ensures quality and dignity for all.
· To work closely with local NHS partners to continue to prevent hospital admission, get people home from hospital and to support people to live in their own homes for as long as possible.
· To develop our in-house social care services, where appropriate, to improve choice, service availability and value for money.
· To continue to develop our extra care and supported housing services as an alternative to residential care.
· To reduce waiting lists for adult social care services wherever possible and to support people if they are waiting for longer-term care.
· To develop a broader range of support (including supported housing) for younger adults with disabilities and mental health issues and to expand drug and alcohol treatment services.
People have control and choice in relation to their independence and social care support
We want everyone to be able to live long and independent lives as far as possible. Adults supported through social care must feel that their time and experiences are valued and that their home is their choice.
We will work with partners to promote the use of modern designs and innovative construction techniques that create accessible, adaptable, and efficient homes that can meet people’s changing needs over time and embrace technology together to enhance quality of life.
Our priorities for the next four years are:
· To support people to live independently in their home of choice by preventing, reducing and delaying the need for longer-term social care services.
· To support people to access preventative services, technology and supported housing, which helps them to live more independently.
People are free from harm and feel safe and protected
We want everyone to feel and be safe, with individuals, organisations and communities all playing a part in preventing, identifying, and reporting neglect or abuse. We also want North Yorkshire to continue to be a safe place to live, working with our partners to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour. Furthermore, through our work with multi-agency children and adult safeguarding boards, we will work together to deliver our statutory duties and ensure all people are safe from harm and abuse, taking particular care of the 500 children in care, around 370 subject to a Child Protection Plan and the 1000 with a Child in Need plan.
Our priorities for the next four years are:
· To keep all people safe from harm or abuse.
· To safeguard children, as well as supporting families in difficulty to ensure they receive help at the earliest opportunity and working with families to set clear outcomes to enable them to stay together.
· Our Looked After Children’s strategy sets out how we will deliver our duties as corporate parents. Where it is unsafe for a child to remain at home, we will provide safe, stable and secure permanence arrangements and ensure that children are well supported to leave the care system.
· To safeguard adults, with individuals, organisations, and communities all playing a part in preventing, identifying, and reporting neglect or abuse.
· To deliver effective community safety and public protection functions, tackling crime, domestic abuse, anti- social behaviour and unsafe and unfair trading practices.
· To improve road safety in order to prevent injury, disability and death caused by road collisions.
People can achieve their full potential through lifelong education and learning
We want everyone to have opportunities to reach their full potential. There are over 88,000 children attending North Yorkshire schools and school nursery classes. More than 4,500 children and young people are supported with an Education, Health and Care plan funded by North Yorkshire Council. These children need to be school ready when they start their formal education and then supported in good or outstanding schools in order to raise achievement levels.
The majority of schools and attainment levels are good across the county; at the end of the 2022/23 Academic year 83.2% of schools in North Yorkshire were assessed to be good or outstanding by Ofsted and although this means the majority of pupils in the county do attend a good school, there is more to be done to reach and exceed the national level of 87.9%. Aspirations should be high and lifelong learning encouraged; the opportunities to access learning and develop skills should be with local providers whenever practical, enabling people to progress whilst remaining in North Yorkshire should they wish. This in turn will increase levels of social mobility that are currently low in some parts of the county, and lead to rewarding and fulfilling lives.
There are plans for new schools in North Yorkshire, such as a new £3.5 million development on the site of the former Woodfield Community Primary School in Harrogate and the new primary school to serve new houses in north Northallerton.
Our priorities for the next four years are:
· To work in partnership with school leaders to champion educational excellence so all children attend inclusive provision that is good or outstanding, have high aspirations and are supported to achieve their full potential.
· To create a strong partnership with Teaching School Hubs (TSH) in line with national developments.
· To ensure sufficient school places in the right locations of the right quality.
· To promote sustainability of small schools by continuing to support financial management, collaboration, curriculum delivery and quality of education.
· To focus on closing the disadvantage gap, particularly for children eligible for Free School Meals and Service Children.
· To support schools in preparation for the Ofsted inspection framework.
· To work with school leaders to improve the attendance of vulnerable groups.
· To work with school leaders to reduce the use of fixed term and permanent exclusions to improve outcomes for children and young people.
· To strengthen the early identification and the range of education provision for children with SEND.
· To work with school leaders to raise the outcomes for children and young people including SEND, identifying schools showing significant levels of under-achievement.
· To strengthen our work with partners and communities to improve outcomes through our Childhood Futures programme.
· To ensure that there are clear pathways for all people after education through the promotion of apprenticeships, training, work placements and further education including adult education.
People are better supported, by strengthening families or other appropriate networks
We all require support from time to time, starting with a supported family life and then support through appropriate groups and networks as we get older. In North Yorkshire Children’s Social Care receive almost 5,000 referrals every year and the Children’s and Families Early Help Team support approximately 8,000 children in more than 4,000 households each year. We want families to be empowered and resilient and networks such as schools, support organisations and the voluntary and community sector to understand and help address issues so that people can access appropriate support when they need it.
Our priorities for the next four years are:
· To provide early intervention, our education providers, Early Help team and health partners will work with children and families to overcome their challenges, thrive and be able to sustain this long term.
· To provide safe and healthy care within fostering and connected / kinship care households.
· To tackle loneliness and isolation.
· To embed the approach of working with people to help them draw on their strengths and assets, including what others around them, in their relationships and their communities, are, or could be, doing to support them. This is part of a programme to ensure confident and consistent practice that meets people’s needs. In particular, we will focus on improving support for carers and people with mental health issues.
· To work with communities and partners in the voluntary sector to develop enriching activities and support for children, young people and families.
In times of hardship, support is provided to those that need it most
The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the importance of supporting each other and this has been further highlighted by the cost-of-living crisis. In times of hardship, support will be provided to those individuals and communities that require it, whether this is through the provision of information, advice and guidance, or by administering support funds that give financial support directly to where it is needed. In 2022/23 the North Yorkshire Local Assistance Fund (NYLAF) received over 11,000 applications for support and over £1.4 million was invested in the scheme to help local people who were struggling.
Our priorities for the next four years are:
· To administer support through ongoing schemes such as funds/ grants/ benefits.
· To support those that need help to access suitable accommodation, access to education and access to the help and support services they need.
· To ensure people of all ages know where to get information, advice and support when they need it.
· To establish an integrated refugee and resettlement service that welcomes and supports people to settle in North Yorkshire.
Good quality, value for money services that are customer focused and accessible to all
We will provide efficient and effective joined up services that customers can access in the most appropriate way. It will be simpler and easier for residents to access services as there is one organisation, one website and one phone number for all the support and services they need.
Our priorities for the next four years are:
· To ensure services provide value for money.
A well led and managed, financially sustainable and forward-thinking council
North Yorkshire Council, through its elected members (councillors) and senior officers, will have strong leadership and vision. We will ensure that the council is financially sustainable through effective management of our resources, responsible budget management and income generation. This is increasingly important in the challenging climate of extreme financial pressures which local government faces. We will be flexible, adaptable and innovative in our ways of working to maximise our resources. Across all areas of the council transformation projects have been established to improve efficiency of services and join up services in a way that makes sense to residents, businesses and communities.
Our priorities for the next four years are:
· To deliver a successful transformation programme now and in the years to come, maximising the benefits of bringing eight councils into one to improve services for residents.
· To rationalise our property including making it more energy efficient and environmentally sustainable.
· To operate on a commercial basis where it is appropriate to do so and invest in council owned assets to drive revenue generation opportunities to fund Corporate Plans.
· To be ‘digital by choice’, where possible to provide services online and also provide an alternative option for those who are unable to access the internet.
· To use data to inform decision making by councillors and officers.
· To ensure technology, organisational development and the corporate estate supports innovative, enterprising and inclusive working.
· To maximise the use of technology to provide more efficient services.
A carbon neutral council
We understand the importance of mitigating the causes and impacts of climate change, now and for future generations. Therefore, we are working towards our goal of the council becoming operationally net zero by 2030. To achieve this, we will reduce North Yorkshire Council’s operational emissions.
Our priorities for the next four years are:
· To ensure that the council’s property and assets support our climate change objectives through improved energy efficiency of our properties including heating, ventilation, water use, electricity use for power and lighting.
· To increase access to vehicles using alternative fuels such as electric, hydrogen and other low-carbon options and create a ‘fleet decarbonisation plan’ for all council vehicles.
· To reduce the amount of business miles travelled in employees’ own vehicles by encouraging alternatives such as active travel, public transport, virtual meetings, and the use of technology.
· To understand and lessen the emissions embedded in goods and services associated with our operations.
· To ensure that wherever possible council waste is reduced, reused and recycled, and to reduce our use of single use plastics.
· To provide Climate Change Awareness Training for elected members (councillors) and employees.
· To embed climate change into every service and into policy and decision making so that taking climate responsible actions becomes ‘business as usual’.
One council, where colleagues work together to achieve our ambitions and support each other
We want our council to be diverse and inclusive, and have a motivated, innovative, and committed workforce. We recognise the valuable contribution our employees make to deliver high quality services across the county.
Our priorities for the next four years are:
· To build on our diverse and inclusive culture, where colleagues are supported, valued and everyone can reach their full potential.
To be added in after the budget has been approved by Full Council.
To include:
As a council, it is essential that we understand the communities we serve and ensure that our services meet their diverse needs. As an employer, we draw strength from a workforce that represents those communities and the different ideas and views generated from the range of backgrounds and experiences that our staff have.
Reflecting the importance of equality, diversity and inclusion, we have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to work to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between different people with different characteristics when carrying out our activities.
As a part of that duty, we set ourselves high-level objectives, outlined below, which are regularly monitored and reported through our performance framework. At the current time of significant change across the council, these objectives will be reviewed to ensure they reflect new opportunities or challenges faced as we redesign consolidated services. They may, therefore, change over the period of this plan.
To understand the needs of our
communities and work with them to meet those needs
We will:
To demonstrate commitment to equality,
diversity and inclusion as an organisation, show leadership across the county
and work in partnership to improve equality, diversity and inclusion
We will:
To provide responsive services and
effective customer care to all
We will:
To have a diverse and engaged
workforce and fair and inclusive employment practices
We will:
Our strategic approach to measuring performance starts with this Council Plan, which sets out the council’s key priorities. The Council Plan is underpinned by a number of corporate-level strategies which provide greater detail and guidance on priority areas such as Medium Term Financial Planning and Capital Plans, or Economic Growth. In support of these, Service Plans then identify the objectives and actions which services will undertake to deliver those strategies. The objectives and performance of each member of staff is then outlined and monitored through Individual Performance Management.
To assess performance across all these strategies and plans, the council has two types of indicators:
The Key Performance Indicators used to monitor the Council Plan will need to align with the emerging Office of Local Government (OFLOG) performance framework. New indicators are being brought forward in tranches, so North Yorkshire Council will use these as a basis for the KPIs which are reported quarterly. These will be supplemented with indicators which reflect the local context or in areas where OFLOG is not yet reporting.
Key Performance Indicators will be reported to Management Board and Executive on a quarterly basis, with Service Performance Indicators reported to service management teams as frequently as is operationally required.
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North Yorkshire Council, County Hall, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, DL7 8AD
You can request this information in another language or format at northyorks.gov.uk/accessibility
Equality impact assessment (EIA) form: evidencing paying due regard to protected characteristics
(Form updated October 2023)
Council Plan 2024-2028
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 |
Strategy and Performance, Local Engagement
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Lead Officer and contact details |
Alaina Kitching, Senior Strategy and Performance Officer
Alaina.Kitching@northyorks.gov.uk
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Names and roles of other people involved in carrying out the EIA |
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How will you pay due regard? e.g. working group, individual officer |
This overarching EIA has been carried out by an individual officer with advice and assistance from colleagues in the corporate equality, diversity and inclusion group. Individual EIAs have or will be carried out on each of specific service changes related to the council’s priorities for the next year, and the methods used will vary appropriately.
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When did the due regard process start? |
September 2023
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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?)
The Council Plan is the Council’s overall high-level strategic plan. It is the public facing document expressing the Council’s vision and priorities for the next four years.
The Council Plan is also the key strategic document which sets the performance framework for all Council services. As such the Plan does not contain detailed information about specific service delivery. Detail at service level has been and/or will be impact assessed by directorate colleagues.
Individual elements of the Plan are also subject to specific and separate impact assessments as part of the budget decision-making process. Members in agreeing the budget, will also take into account compounding factors, such as the rural nature of the county.
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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 purpose of the plan is to inform stakeholders including elected members, officers, partners, the public, and the Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities about the Council’s vision, how the Council sees its role going forward and the priorities for the organisation. This plan has been developed in the context of public sector financial restraint, and unprecedented service demand pressures. Funding provided by central government to local authorities to deliver services has been reduced significantly in recent years. The cost of living rises have only exacerbated this, and we know that the long term financial position remains uncertain and difficult.
The establishment of the unitary council means that savings for 2024/25 are concentrated on increased efficiency and the reduction of duplication. Consolidating eight local authorities into a single organisation is also enabling significant ongoing savings to be made from the rationalisation of services.
The plan gives performance information, plans for the coming year and the budget position. |
Section 3. What will change? What will be different for customers and/or staff?
Our approach in the Council Plan focuses on providing leadership on the key issues for people and places in North Yorkshire, enabling people to do more for themselves, and ensuring the delivery of infrastructure services to enable a thriving county and services to the most vulnerable people.
Specific changes to services are being developed as part of the Council’s transformation programme and for each project within this programme due regard will be paid to equalities. This will include separate equality impact assessments where screening suggests this is necessary, and where relevant, consultation. Work to assess cumulative impacts of the programme through aggregation of information from these individual assessments is on-going. A summary of equality impacts for projects with savings in 2024/25 is provided with the budget papers and documentation evidencing due regard is provided, for all projects.
Our ambitious transformation programme, will enable the council to refocus its operating model around its key priorities and outcomes, redesigning its interactions with customers and partners and front and back-office functions. We will remain focused on maintaining a strong financial grip and on delivering further financial savings or income growth. |
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?)
All directorates were engaged with, and had the opportunity to influence the ambitions and priorities included in the plan. Councillors were also engaged with during the development of the plan.
Findings from ‘Let’s Talk Money’ budget and Council Plan consultation were also used to inform the plan.
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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 Council Plan 2024-2028 will have significant financial implications as it outlines the key programmes of work that will be carried out, all of which have been identified during development of the annual budget and Medium Term Financial Strategy.
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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 |
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North Yorkshire has a lower proportion of young people than the national average- 24.5% under 25 compared to 29.2% nationally.[1]
In 2020 11.4% of 16 – 17 year olds were identified as NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training) against an England value of 5.5%.[2] Nationally the unemployment rate for 16-24 year olds is high. The unemployment rate for people aged 16 and over for the UK was 4.2%, for the period August to October 2021.[3]
In 2021, 25% of the county’s adult population was over the age of 65. This is higher than the national percentage of 18.4%.[4] Every year the population of older people increases, and with it the demand for the care and support which the council provides. By 2035, 32.60% of North Yorkshire’s total population will be aged 65+ and 5.97% will be aged 85+. Nationally 23.26% will be 65+ and 4.05% will be 85+ by 2035.
Our ambitions for children and young people are achieving their full potential through lifelong education and learning, good career choices with access to relevant skills, living safely and happily, and being healthy. Detailed EIAs will be undertaken on specific projects implemented to realise these ambitions.
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Disability |
|
X |
|
North Yorkshire has a lower proportion (19.3%) of people with a disability or long-term limiting illness whose day-to-day activities are limited a lot- against the national average of 23.69%.[5] However, this will rise to 20.89% of the 65+ population in North Yorkshire, against a national average of 24.86%.
Our ambitions for disabled and other vulnerable people are that they will be safe, live longer, healthier, independent lives and that we ensure that people have more choice and control over support to meet their social care needs. Detailed EIAs will be undertaken on specific projects implemented to realise these ambitions.
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Sex |
X |
|
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The proportion of females is slightly higher (51%) than that of males (49%).[6] This pattern is reflected across all districts, with the exception of Richmondshire where the large number of predominantly male military personnel have the effect of reversing the proportions.
There were 13,648 lone parent households in North Yorkshire in 2011[7], of which 11,958 had a female lone parent (87.6%).
Our ambitions will not have any anticipated impacts on people specifically due to them sharing this particular protected characteristic.
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Race |
X |
|
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North Yorkshire has a much lower proportion (4.77%) of people who identify with a non-UK identity than the national average (12%).[8]
Our ambitions will not have any anticipated impacts on people specifically due to them sharing this particular protected characteristic.
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Gender reassignment |
X |
|
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The Gender Identity Research and Education Society (GIRES) suggests that across the UK: 1% of employees and service users may be experiencing some degree of gender variance. At some point, about 0.2% may undergo transition (i.e. gender reassignment). Around 0.025% have so far sought medical help and about 0.015% have probably undergone transition. In any year 0.003% may start transition.
Our ambitions will not have any anticipated impacts on people specifically due to them sharing this particular protected characteristic.
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Sexual orientation |
X |
|
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The government estimates that 5 – 7% of the population are gay, lesbian or bisexual. We have no evidence to suggest that this is not the case in North Yorkshire.[9]
Our ambitions will not have any anticipated impacts on people specifically due to them sharing this particular protected characteristic.
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Religion or belief |
X |
|
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North Yorkshire has higher levels of Christians (55.6%) than the national average (46.2%), and lower levels of all other religions than the national average. Percentages of those with no religion or not stating their religion are broadly similar to the national average.[10]
Our ambitions will not have any anticipated impacts on people specifically due to them sharing this particular protected characteristic.
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Pregnancy or maternity |
X |
|
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In 2021 there were 5133 live births in North Yorkshire.
In 2020 the conception rate per 1000 for under 18’s was 10.9. This is below the rate for England (13).[11]
In 2020/21 4.2% of deliveries in North Yorkshire were to mothers from ethnic minorities, compared to the England value of 21.6%.[12]
Our ambitions will not have any anticipated impacts on people specifically due to them sharing this particular protected characteristic.
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Marriage or civil partnership |
X |
|
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A higher percentage of North Yorkshire’s population is married or in a civil partnership (53.7%) than the national average (46.8%).[13]
Our ambitions will not have any anticipated impacts on people specifically due to them sharing this particular protected characteristic.
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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 |
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The population in North
Yorkshire is generally sparser than the national average (77 people per
square kilometre as opposed to 434 nationally). In some parts of the county
this is lower still (Ryedale 36, Richmondshire 38, Craven 48, Hambleton 69).[14]
Distance travelled to access services is further than the national average.
The Lower Super Output Area (LSOA), which covers the Dales ward in Ryedale,
is in the 10% most deprived in England for Geographical Barriers to Services.[15]
Rurality can also mean
higher costs for such things as fuel for heating. One of our ambitions is that communities are supported and work together to improve their local area. This is particularly important in rural areas where provision of traditional services is likely to change.
Another of our ambitions is a well connected and planned place with good transport links and digital connectivity. This is especially important in rural areas were transport and digital connectivity is a challenge.
Detailed EIAs will be undertaken on specific projects implemented to realise these ambitions.
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…have a low income? |
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X |
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The proportion of households in deprivation in North Yorkshire reduced between 2011 and 2021. In 2011 52.1% of households in North Yorkshire were deprived in at least one of the four dimensions (employment, education, health and disability, housing). By 2021 this had fallen to 46.7%. This 5.4 percentage point reduction in North Yorkshire compared with a 5.9 percentage point reduction across England as a whole, with the proportion of households in deprivation in North Yorkshire remaining below the national average.[16]
Scarborough is the only North Yorkshire district above the national average level of deprivation. 9 out of the 10 most deprived neighbourhoods in North Yorkshire in 2021 were in Scarborough district.[17] North Yorkshire also has a number of lower super output areas within the 20% most deprived in England (23 in 2019, rising from 18 in 2010) and three LSOAs in Scarborough town are within the most deprived 1% in England.[18]
Figures for long-term unemployment in North Yorkshire (0.8%) are lower than the national average (1.9%).[19]
The percentage of children in absolute low-income families is 11.3%, compared to the England value of 15.1%.[20]
The percentage of the population who claim out of work benefits in North Yorkshire is 2.0%, compared to a Great Britain percentage of 3.7% (Nomis – ONS September 2022).
Percentage of people in North Yorkshire unemployed (June 2021 – June 2022) 3% - Great Britain 3.8%.[21]
One of our ambitions is for North Yorkshire to have economically sustainable growth that enables people and places to prosper. Improved job opportunities could impact positively on those on a low income.
Another of our ambitions is in times of hardship, support is provided to those that need it most, whether this is through the provision of information, advice and guidance, or by administering support funds that give financial support directly where it is needed.
Detailed EIAs will be undertaken on specific projects implemented to realise these ambitions.
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…are carers (unpaid family or friend)?
|
|
X |
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Carers’ allowance claimants make up 0.98% of North Yorkshire’s population.[22] This is lower than the average for England (1.42%) but there are variations across the county. It is likely, however, that these figures do not reflect the true number of people carrying out caring roles in the county as many do not claim allowances.
One of our ambitions is vulnerable people are supported by strengthening families or other appropriate networks, this includes improving support for carers across North Yorkshire, which will have a positive impact on their lives.
Detailed EIAs will be undertaken on specific projects implemented to realise these ambitions.
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….. are from the Armed Forces Community
|
|
X |
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North Yorkshire has 29,831 Armed Forces Veterans.
Richmondshire has the highest proportion of Armed Forces Veterans in North Yorkshire at 9.5% (3,962), which is the third highest nationally.
The proportion of veterans in Richmondshire is more than double the national average rate, which is 3.8%.
Harrogate has the highest number of Armed Forces Veterans in North Yorkshire with 7,076 (5.2%).
Our ambition good quality, value for money services that are customer focused and accessible to all includes the priority ‘to deliver on our longstanding commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant, to ensure military personnel, military veterans and their families continue to receive equal access to high quality local services, including education, housing and health care’.
Detailed EIAs will be undertaken on specific projects implemented to realise these ambitions.
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Section 8. Geographic impact – Please detail where the impact will be (please tick all that apply) |
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North Yorkshire wide |
Yes
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Craven |
Yes
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Hambleton |
Yes
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Harrogate |
Yes
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Richmondshire |
Yes |
Ryedale |
Yes
|
Scarborough |
Yes
|
Selby |
Yes
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If you have ticked one or more areas, will specific town(s)/village(s) be particularly impacted? If so, please specify below. |
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The Council Plan is the Council’s overall high-level strategic plan. However, the plan does refer to specific projects which will have an impact on certain areas in North Yorkshire, where this is the case detailed EIAs will be undertaken on these specific projects.
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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 Council Plan will not affect anyone more because of a combination of protected characteristics.
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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. |
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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) |
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4. Actual or potential unlawful discrimination - stop and remove the proposal – The EIA identifies actual or potential unlawful discrimination. It must be stopped. |
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Explanation of why option has been chosen. (Include any advice given by Legal Services.)
Our ambitions and high level outcomes as detailed in the Council Plan aspire to improve outcomes for everyone in North Yorkshire.
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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?)
Progress against priority actions in the Council Plan are monitored on a quarterly basis as part of our Performance Framework. Reports are taken to Management Board, and the Executive.
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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. |
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Action |
Lead |
By when |
Progress |
Monitoring arrangements |
Ensure that individual plans relating to the specific service changes contributing to achieving the broad outcomes of the Council Plan are appropriately assessed to identify any potential equality impacts on people with protected characteristics before specific decisions are taken.
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Will depend on service: likely to be appropriate Assistant Director
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As plans are developed and before specific decisions taken |
|
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Ensure that any cumulative impacts on people with protected characteristics are identified by providing an overview of individual plans
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Corporate Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion Group |
As plans are developed and before specific decisions taken |
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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.
Our ambitions in the Council Plan are for better outcomes for all North Yorkshire residents despite a tough fiscal climate and unprecedented service demand pressures. Our transformation programme aims to save money but also to make sure we are doing things more efficiently and effectively by making the best decisions at the right time.
The anticipated impacts of our ambitions are therefore positive ones. Due regard to equalities will be paid when making decisions on actions to realise these ambitions and, where appropriate, these will be subject to full EIAs.
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Section 14. Sign off section
This full EIA was completed by:
Name: Alaina Kitching Job title: Senior Strategy and Performance Officer Directorate: Local Engagement Signature: Alaina Kitching
Completion date: 13/12/2023
Authorised by relevant Assistant Director (signature): Will Boardman, Head of Strategy and Performance
Date: 05/01/2024
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Climate change impact assessment
The purpose of this assessment is to help us understand the likely impacts of our decisions on the environment of North Yorkshire and on our aspiration to achieve net carbon neutrality by 2030, or as close to that date as possible. The intention is to mitigate negative effects and identify projects which will have positive effects.
This document should be completed in consultation with the supporting guidance. The final document will be published as part of the decision making process and should be written in Plain English.
If you have any additional queries which are not covered by the guidance please email climatechange@northyorks.gov.uk
Version 2: amended 11 August 2021
Title of proposal |
Council Plan 2024-2028 |
Brief description of proposal |
The Council Plan is the council’s overall high level strategic plan. It is the public facing document expressing the Council’s vision for modernising and refocusing the organisation to enable it to achieve the major budget savings which will be required.
The Council Plan is also the key strategic document which sets the performance framework for all Council services. As such the Plan does not contain detailed information about specific service delivery. Detail at service level has been and/or will be impact assessed by directorate colleagues.
Individual elements of the Plan are also subject to specific and separate impact assessments.
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Directorate |
Local Engagement |
Service area |
Strategy and Performance |
Lead officer |
Alaina Kitching, Senior Strategy and Performance Officer |
Names and roles of other people involved in carrying out the impact assessment |
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Date impact assessment started |
September 2023 |
Options appraisal Were any other options considered in trying to achieve the aim of this project? If so, please give brief details and explain why alternative options were not progressed.
No other options were considered in trying to achieve the aim of this project. The Council Plan is the council’s overall high level strategic plan for the direction of the Council. This Climate Change Impact Assessment for the Council Plan is a high-level assessment. Individual elements of the Plan will be subject to specific and separate impact assessments were deemed necessary.
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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, detailing estimated savings or costs where this is possible.
The Council Plan 2024 – 2028 will have significant financial implications as it outlines the key programmes of work that will be carried out, all of which have been identified during development of the annual budget and Medium Term Financial Strategy.
This plan has been developed in the context of public sector financial restraint, and unprecedented service demand pressures. Funding provided by central government to local authorities to deliver services has been reduced significantly in recent years. The rise in cost of living have only exacerbated this, and we know that the long term financial position remains uncertain and difficult. The establishment of the unitary council means that savings for 2024/25 are concentrated on increased efficiency and the reduction of duplication, as well as improving customer experience, where this is possible.
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How will this proposal impact on the environment?
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Positive impact (Place a X in the box below where relevant) |
No impact (Place a X in the box below where relevant) |
Negative impact (Place a X in the box below where relevant) |
Explain why will it have this effect and over what timescale?
Where possible/relevant please include: · Changes over and above business as usual · Evidence or measurement of effect · Figures for CO2e · Links to relevant documents |
Explain how you plan to mitigate any negative impacts.
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Explain how you plan to improve any positive outcomes as far as possible. |
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Minimise greenhouse gas emissions e.g. reducing emissions from travel, increasing energy efficiencies etc.
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Emissions from travel |
X |
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The place and environment section of the Council Plan includes the ambition ‘a clean, environmentally sustainable and attractive place to live, work and visit’. This covers how we will work towards our goal of supporting the region to be carbon neutral by 2034 and carbon negative by 2040. This includes a priority to encourage and support sustainable living in our communities and towns as well as the transport in between, including making it easier to charge electric vehicles, access public transport that meets the needs of the user and promoting and encouraging active travel including walking, wheeling and cycling.
The Organisation section of the Council Plan includes the ambition for the council to be operationally net zero by 2030. This includes the priority to increase access to vehicles using alternative fuels such as electric, hydrogen and other low-carbon options and create a ‘fleet decarbonisation plan’ for all council vehicles. There is also a priority is to reduce the amount of business miles travelled in employees’ own vehicles by encouraging alternatives such as active travel, public transport and virtual meetings and the use of technology.
The Council Plan ambition a well led and managed, financially sustainable and forward-thinking council has a priority to ensure technology, organisational development and corporate estate supports innovative, enterprising and inclusive working. New ways of working will allow for more remote working, which will have a positive impact on the environment, as less staff will travel to work.
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Emissions from construction |
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X |
The Council Plan refers to a number of projects such as the major highway improvement scheme on the A59 at Kex Gill, the Transforming Cities Fund Station Gateway Projects in Harrogate, Selby and Skipton, the Town Deal programmes in Scarborough and Whitby.
This CCIA is a high-level assessment and specific impact assessments will be carried out for projects where necessary. |
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Emissions from running of buildings |
X |
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Within the organisation section of the Council Plan there is a priority to ensure that the council’s property and assets support our climate change objectives through improved energy efficiency of our properties including heating, ventilation, water use, and electricity use for power and lighting. The council plan ambition good quality, affordable and sustainable housing that meets the needs of our communities has a priority to encourage and support future work around decarbonisation and the retrofit of homes.
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Emissions from data storage |
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X |
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The Council Plan does not directly impact on data storage.
This CCIA is a high-level assessment and specific impact assessments on individual projects will be carried out where necessary. |
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Other |
X |
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The council plan ambition a carbon neutral council includes the priority to understand and lessen emissions embedded on goods and services associated with our operations. |
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Minimise waste: Reduce, reuse, recycle and compost e.g. reducing use of single use plastic |
x |
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In the Place and Environment section of the Council plan there is an ambition for the region to be carbon neutral by 2034, and carbon negative by 2040. In order to achieve this, we will work with partners to encourage climate responsible actions, this includes the priority to encourage and assist everyone to reduce, reuse and recycle waste.
The Organisation section has an ambition is for the council to be operationally net zero by 2030. This includes the priority to ensure that wherever possible council waste is reduced, reused and recycled, and to reduce out use of single use plastics. |
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Reduce water consumption |
X |
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In the organisation section of the Council Plan under the ambition a carbon neutral council there is a priority to ensure the council’s property and assets support our climate change objectives, this includes the reduction of water use/ consumption. |
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Minimise pollution (including air, land, water, light and noise)
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X |
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The Council Plan ambition a clean, environmentally sustainable and attractive place to live, work and visit has a priority to protect the local environment and ensure our air, streets, beaches and open spaces are kept clean and attractive. There is also a priority to encourage and support sustainable living in our communities and towns as well as the transport in between, including making it easier to charge electric vehicles and promoting and encouraging active travel including walking, wheeling and cycling.
The Organisation section of the Council Plan includes the ambition for the council to be operationally net zero by 2030. This includes the priority to increase access to vehicles using alternative fuels such as electric, hydrogen and other low-carbon options and create a ‘fleet decarbonisation plan’ for all council vehicles. There is also a priority is to reduce the amount of business miles travelled in employees’ own vehicles by encouraging alternatives such as active travel, public transport and virtual meetings and the use of technology.
The Council Plan ambition a well led and managed, financially sustainable and forward-thinking council has a priority to ensure technology, organisational development and corporate estate supports innovative, enterprising and inclusive working. New ways of working will allow for more remote working, which will have a positive impact on the environment, as less staff will travel to work.
Working towards these goals will have a positive impact on the environment and reduce air pollution.
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Ensure resilience to the effects of climate change e.g. reducing flood risk, mitigating effects of drier, hotter summers |
X |
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The Place and environment section sets out our goal for the region to the carbon neutral by 2034 and carbon negative by 2040, one of the ways we will do this is through adaptation, preparing for the climate to change. This section has a priority to create a North Yorkshire Adaptation Plan to support services and residents and businesses to prepare for the climate to change. |
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Enhance conservation and wildlife
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X |
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One of the ambitions in the place and environment section is for North Yorkshire to be a clean, environmentally sustainable, and attractive place to live, work and visit. This includes several priorities around enhancing conservation/ preserving the place for future generations. These include: to promote biodiversity and support nature recovery, to promote sustainable land use and green spaces, to prioritise nature-based solutions in climate change activity. |
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Safeguard the distinctive characteristics, features and special qualities of North Yorkshire’s landscape
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X |
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At a high level the Council Plan includes our vision for North Yorkshire ‘We want to build on North Yorkshire’s natural capital, strong local economy and resilient communities, to improve the way local services are delivered and support a good quality of life’. It is noted in the about North Yorkshire section that ‘Our county has an enviable identity, globally renowned for its culture, spectacular landscapes’.
To achieve our vision we need to protect what makes North Yorkshire special, including the special qualities of its landscapes. This high-level vision is therefore embedded in the work of the council and its partnerships to enhance the environment and develop tourism and the green economy.
The place and environment section includes the ambition that North Yorkshire is a clean, environmentally sustainable, and attractive place to live, work and visit. This includes a number of priorities around preserving the distinctive characteristics, features and special qualities of North Yorkshire’s landscape. These include: to promote biodiversity and support nature recovery, to promote sustainable land use and green spaces, to prioritise nature-based solutions in climate change activity.
Specific impact assessments will be carried out for projects where necessary. |
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Other (please state below)
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X |
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The council plan ambition a carbon neutral council includes the priority to embed climate change into every service and into policy decision making so that taking climate responsible actions becomes ‘business as usual’. |
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Are there any recognised good practice environmental standards in relation to this proposal? If so, please detail how this proposal meets those standards. |
No
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Summary Summarise the findings of your impact assessment, including impacts, the 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 Council Plan is a high-level strategic document that sets the direction for the council. As such, the Plan does not contain detailed information about specific service delivery. Detail at service level has been and/or will be impact assessed by directorate colleagues.
The ambitions within the Council Plan ‘A clean, environmentally sustainable and attractive place to live, work and visit’ and ‘A carbon neutral council’ and associated priorities set our goals and vision for tackling climate change and aim to have a positive impact on the environment. We as a council aspire to become more environmentally sustainable, further reduce carbon emissions and increase the resilience of the county to climate change.
The council plan also includes the priority ‘to embed climate change into every service and into policy decision making so that taking climate responsible actions becomes ‘business as usual’’.
Further details are set out in our Climate change Strategy.
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Sign off section
This climate change impact assessment was completed by:
Authorised by relevant Assistant Director (signature): Will Boardman, Head of Strategy and Performance
Date: 05/01/2024
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[1] Census 2021
[2] Office for Health Improvement and Disparities 2020
[3] ONS UK labour market statistics 2021
[4] Census 2021
[5] Poppi 2019
[6] Census 2021
[7] Census 2011
[8] Census 2021
[9] Census 2011
[10] Census 2021
[11] Office for Health Improvement and Disparities 2020
[12] Office for Health Improvement and Disparities 2020
[13] Census 2011
[14] Census 2021
[15] Index of Multiple Deprivation, Indices of Deprivation 2019
[16] Census 2021
[17] Census 2021
[18] Index of multiple deprivation 2019
[19] Office for Health Improvement and Disparities 2021/22
[20] Census 2021
[21] Nomis, September 2022
[22] May 2018, ONS