Appendix B

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

(Form updated April 2023)

Making of the Pannal and Burn Bridge Neighbourhood Development Plan 2021-2035

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.

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	Community Development, Planning
Lead Officer and contact details	Ruth Parker, Principal Planning Policy and Place Officer Ruth.parker@northyorks.gov.uk Joe Varga, Planning Policy and Place Officer Joe.Varga@northyorks.gov.uk
Names and roles of other people involved in carrying out the EIA	None
How will you pay due regard? e.g. working group, individual officer	The Pannal and Burn Bridge Neighbourhood Development Plan 2021-2035 (the Neighbourhood Plan) has been prepared by Pannal and Burn Bridge Parish Council. North Yorkshire Council planning policy officers have advised on preparation as part of local planning authority’s duty to support those preparing neighbourhood plans. This has included, where necessary, highlighting where emerging policies may be discriminatory to people with protected characteristics, which would be illegal, and explaining the absolute need to change approach. Feedback on emerging approaches would also highlight where these could be amended to better advance the equality of opportunity for people with protected characteristics and foster good relations between groups.
When did the due regard process start?	On-going from start of preparation of the plan.

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

This EIA relates to the Pannal and Burn Bridge Neighbourhood Development Plan 2021-2035. Neighbourhood plans are prepared by qualifying bodies external to North Yorkshire Council and seek to put in place planning policy to guide future development and the use of land in a neighbourhood area. This neighbourhood plan has been prepared by Pannal and Burn Bridge Parish Council and relates to the parish of Pannal and Burn Bridge.

Following preparation, the Neighbourhood Plan has been submitted to the local planning authority and an independent examination has taken place. The examination concluded that the Neighbourhood Plan, subject to modifications, meets the basic conditions and other relevant legal requirements and should, therefore, proceed to the referendum stage. On 16 July 2024 the Council’s Executive formally agreed with the Examiner’s findings and on 3 October 2024 a referendum took place, which achieved a positive result.

Following the referendum, the Neighbourhood Plan has come into force as part of the statutory development plan. North Yorkshire Council is now required to formally ‘make’ (adopt) the plan.

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.)

Town planning provisions within The Localism Act 2011 enable qualifying bodies, such as parish level councils, to prepare Neighbourhood Plans. Neighbourhood Plans set out policies in relation to the development and use of land within a neighbourhood area. Following preparation, and subject to meeting the ‘basic conditions’ and receiving a positive result at referendum, Neighbourhood Plans are ‘made’ (adopted) by the local planning authority (LPA).

Once ‘made’, neighbourhood plans become legally part of the statutory development plan and must be used to determine planning applications within the neighbourhood area, alongside other development plan policies. Planning law requires that applications for planning permission are determined in-line with the statutory development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise.

Following submission of the Neighbourhood Plan to the Local Planning Authority, an independent examination and a positive result at referendum, North Yorkshire Council is now required to formally ‘make’ (adopt) the plan.

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

The Neighbourhood Plan will be formally ‘made’ (adopted) by the Council. Following a positive result at referendum the Neighbourhood Plan is used to determine applications for planning permission within the Pannal and Burn Bridge parish area.

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?)

Preparation of the plan by the parish council has involved on-going engagement with stakeholders, including the local community, and a formal opportunity for interested parties to comment on a draft of the plan to inform consideration of further revisions.

Following submission of the plan to the local planning authority, North Yorkshire Council has carried out a formal consultation on the plan and supporting documents, as required by The Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012 (as amended), further details including responses are available at: https://consult.harrogate.gov.uk/kse/event/37408.

An independent examination, informed by the formal consultation, has taken place to consider whether the plan meets legal requirements. At the request of the examiner, a further focussed consultation was carried out on a Design Code supporting document as part of the examination, further details including responses are available at: https://consult.harrogate.gov.uk/kse/event/37851

Electors in the parish have supported the ‘making’ (adoption) of the plan, which achieved a positive result at referendum.

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

Cost neutral.

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		Policy GNE5 provides support for new open space types including provision for small (sic- considered young) people. Policy TTT1 supports improving the quality of footpaths that may be particularly beneficial to those with mobility problems, which disproportionally affects older people. Policy CFS1 seeks to retain particular community facilities and policy CFS2 encourages the provision of particular new facilities. The retention and extension of community facility provision will be particularly beneficial to older people who may have a greater reliance on nearby facilities. It may also be particularly beneficial to other age groups where the provision or activities within, such as youth clubs, is aimed at particular those age groups. Policy H2 seeks to ensure that development is not approved unless there is sufficient primary education capacity. This would be particularly beneficial to young people of primary school age. Policy H3 seeks to encourage housing proposals to deliver housing suitable for older people.
Disability		X		Policy TTT1 supports improving the quality of footpaths that, depending on the nature of improvements, may be particularly beneficial to people with disabilities whose disability creates difficulty with mobility. Policies TTT2 and TTT3 respectively prevent the loss of certain parking and seek higher levels of parking in particular areas. This would help prevent pavement parking that can create obstacles for people with disabilities who are wheelchair users. Policy CFS1 seeks to retain particular community facilities and policy CFS2 encourages the provision of particular new facilities. The retention and extension of community facility provision will be particularly beneficial to people with disabilities who may have a greater reliance on nearby facilities. Policy H2 seeks to ensure that development is not approved where it would lead to adverse impacts on air quality. This would be beneficial to people with disabilities where the disability relates to respiratory problems. Policy H3 seeks to encourage proposals to deliver accessible housing. This would be particularly beneficial to people with disabilities, including wheelchair users.
Sex	X			No relevant policies within the plan
Race	X			No relevant policies within the plan
Gender reassignment	X			No relevant policies within the plan
Sexual orientation	X			No relevant policies within the plan
Religion or belief		X		Policy CFS1 seeks to retain particular named community facilities, including two churches. The retention of these places of worship will be particularly beneficial to people who hold Christian beliefs. It is understood that the churches protected are the only places of worship within the parish.
Pregnancy or maternity		X		Policies TTT2 and TTT3 respectively prevent the loss of certain parking and seek higher levels of parking in particular areas. This would help prevent pavement parking that can create obstacles for people with pushchairs or prams Policy CFS1 seeks to retain particular community facilities and policy CFS2 encourages the provision of particular new facilities. The retention and extension of community facility provision may be particularly beneficial to people experiencing pregnancy or a recent birth, allowing greater social contract and, dependant on the nature of provision, opportunities to meet people with the same protected characteristics.
Marriage or civil partnership				Not relevant as the proposal does not relate to North Yorkshire Council in its capacity as an employer

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		The Neighbourhood Plan seeks to support sustainable development in the Pannal and Burn Bridge parish.
…have a low income?		X		Policy H3 seeks to encourage housing proposals to deliver starter homes.
…are carers (unpaid family or friend)?	X			No relevant policies within the plan

Section 8. Geographic impact – Please detail where the impact will be (please tick all that apply)
North Yorkshire wide
Craven district
Hambleton district
Harrogate district	The parish of Pannal and Burn Bridge within the parliamentary constituency of Harrogate and Knaresborough and the former Harrogate district.
Richmondshire district
Ryedale district
Scarborough district
Selby district
If you have ticked one or more districts, will specific town(s)/village(s) be particularly impacted? If so, please specify below.
Pannal and Burn Bridge

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.

It is not considered that the proposal will affect people more because of a combination of protected characteristics.

Section 10. Next steps to address the anticipated impact. Select one of the following options and explain why this has been chosen. (Remember: we have an anticipatory duty to make reasonable adjustments so that disabled people can access services and work for us)	Tick option chosen
1. No adverse impact - no major change needed to the proposal. There is no potential for discrimination or adverse impact identified.	X
2. Adverse impact - adjust the proposal - The EIA identifies potential problems or missed opportunities. We will change our proposal to reduce or remove these adverse impacts, or we will achieve our aim in another way which will not make things worse for people.
3. Adverse impact - continue the proposal - The EIA identifies potential problems or missed opportunities. We cannot change our proposal to reduce or remove these adverse impacts, nor can we achieve our aim in another way which will not make things worse for people. (There must be compelling reasons for continuing with proposals which will have the most adverse impacts. Get advice from Legal Services)
4. Actual or potential unlawful discrimination - stop and remove the proposal – The EIA identifies actual or potential unlawful discrimination. It must be stopped.
Explanation of why option has been chosen. (Include any advice given by Legal Services.) The EIA demonstrates that the policies within the Neighbourhood Plan are robust, and the evidence shows no potential for discrimination. Opportunities to advance the equality of opportunity for people with protected characteristics and foster good relations between groups have been taken.

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

The Neighbourhood Plan includes a monitoring framework by which the impacts of policies can be assessed.

The policies will be used to determine applications for planning permission. If a decision making applying the policies identities that application of a policy may be discriminatory in a particular circumstance, this would be a material consideration when making the decision. Planning law requires applications to be determined in line with the statutory development plan- of which the Neighbourhood Plan would be part- unless material considerations indicate otherwise. The Equalities Act requires consideration of the Public sector Equality Duty when making decisions.

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

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

The EIA of the Neighbourhood Plan demonstrates that the policies within the plan do not show potential for discrimination, and that opportunities to advance the equality of opportunity for people with protected characteristics and foster good relations between groups have been taken.

While many of the policies within the plan are not relevant to equalities, the plan includes policies that will ‘make things better’ for people with protected characteristics. The protected characteristics with the largest number of positive benefits identified are age and disability, although the plan will also be beneficial in relation to religion or belief and pregnancy or maternity.

In conclusion, it is considered that this EIA demonstrates that the public sector equality duty has been met.

Section 14. Sign off section

This full EIA was initially completed ahead of the Neighbourhood Plan referendum by:

Name: Joe Varga

Job title: Senior Policy and Delivery officer

Directorate: Community Development

Signature:

Completion date:  01/05/2024

Authorised by relevant Assistant Director (signature):

Date: 30 May 2024

The EIA has been reviewed following a positive result at referendum. As the plan content is unchanged the findings are unaltered.

18 October 2024.