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

(Form updated October 2023)

Use of Glyphosate in Operational Services

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 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	Environment – Parks & Grounds
Lead Officer and contact details	Jon Clubb – Head of Parks & Grounds Jonathan.clubb@northyorks.gov.uk
Names and roles of other people involved in carrying out the EIA	N/A
How will you pay due regard? e.g. working group, individual officer	Working group
When did the due regard process start?	July 2024

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 context is a review of the use of glyphosate (a herbicidal weedkiller) by North Yorkshire Council (NYC) across operational services, possible alternative approaches and implications, together with an overview of public health implications.

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 report sets out glyphosate usage by NYC and explores possible health impacts, the legislative context, actions pursued by other local authorities (via case studies).

Through producing the report, the Council will have a single view of glyphosate usage, and an increased awareness of the health and legislative context – to enable productive engagement with elected Members on how to safely and effectively maintain highway assets and the quality of the environment.

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

No specific wholesale changes to current operating models are proposed, but where it is prudent to do so, opportunities to harmonise approaches and reduce glyphosate usage should be explored.

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?)

The paper has been produced for the Scrutiny of Health Committee in response to discussion at the meeting of Full Council in February 2024 when the budget was being set. Members had raised concerns about the impact on public health from the use of the chemical ‘glyphosate’ in treating weeds by North Yorkshire Council.

Subsequently, Officers have consulted with Members via the Scrutiny of Health mid-cycle planning meeting and a small Officer working group has developed a paper for discussion at the Scrutiny of Health Committee on 18 December 2024.

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

At the present time, there are no economically viable alternatives to the current herbicidal treatments - the recommendations in the report are intended to be 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
Disability	X
Sex	X
Race	X
Gender reassignment	X
Sexual orientation	X
Religion or belief	X
Pregnancy or maternity	X
Marriage or civil partnership	X

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
have a low income?	X
are carers (unpaid family or friend)?	X
are from the Armed Forces Community	X

Section 8. Geographic impact – Please detail where the impact will be (please tick all that apply)
North Yorkshire wide	N/A
Craven
Hambleton
Harrogate
Richmondshire
Ryedale
Scarborough
Selby
If you have ticked one or more areas, will specific town(s)/village(s) be particularly impacted? If so, please specify below.
N/A

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.

N/A

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 report explores the direct delivery of operational services in the maintenance of highways infrastructure and open spaces, to minimise the impact of unwanted vegetation growth (weeds). No potential for discrimination or adverse impacts have been identified.

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 implementation of any recommendations will be reviewed by Officers from the relevant services and take into account stakeholder feedback.

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
Post implementation Review of EIA	HoS Parks & Grounds	December 2025	N/A	1:1 meetings
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 report to the Scrutiny of Health Committee explores the direct delivery of operational services in the maintenance of highways infrastructure and open spaces, to minimise the impact of unwanted vegetation growth (weeds). No potential for discrimination or adverse impacts have been identified in its preparation.

Section 14. Sign off section

This full EIA was completed by:

Name: Jon Clubb

Job title: Head of Parks & Grounds

Directorate: Environment

Signature:

Completion date: 25 November 2024

Authorised by relevant Assistant Director (signature): Barrie Mason

Date: 09/12/2024