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

(Form updated October 2023)

Transfer part of the former Lower Graham School to the Coast and Vale Learning Trust or another successor Trust.

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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	Resources – Property Service
Lead Officer and contact details	Philip Cowan e-mail: philip.cowan@northyorks.gov.uk Tel: 07973 736 814
Names and roles of other people involved in carrying out the EIA
How will you pay due regard? e.g. working group, individual officer	Working group comprising Property Service and Children and Young People Service
When did the due regard process start?	June 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 proposal is for the transfer of NYC’s land, known as the former Lower Graham School on Lady Edith’s Drive, Scarborough, to the Coast and vale Learning Trust, or another nominated Trust. This transfer will see significant investment from the DFE into the delivery of a new school to replace the existing school following the identification of RAAC.

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.)

This transfer is being proposed to unlock the investment in Education in North Yorkshire and to improve the learning environment for pupils in the area.

The Council will see a reduced revenue spend as a result of the transfer as it will no longer be funding the management and security of the vacant buildings at the former Lower Graham Site.

Following completion, the current Scalby School will revert back to NYC for redeployment.

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

A new school for secondary education will be build by the DFE and will provide new and modern educational facilities to pupils within the catchment.

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?)

No public consultation has taken place.

In due course, as the proposals advance, planning consent will be required for elements of the project and the usual planning consultation will take place.

Consultation seeking the necessary consents from the DFE, including S77 consent under the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 will commence shortly.

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

This proposal will see significant investment into educational services in North Yorkshire.

The proposal will have a positive impact on revenue costs associated with managing a vacant site.

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		This will create a new and modern learning environment for pupils.
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
Craven
Hambleton
Harrogate
Richmondshire
Ryedale
Scarborough	Yes
Selby
If you have ticked one or more areas, will specific town(s)/village(s) be particularly impacted? If so, please specify below.
The proposed transaction will improve the learning environment for pupils within the catchment of Scalby School.

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.

No

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 proposal is specifically to open a new school providing secondary education replacing a school that is currently providing most of the education in temporary classrooms. This proposal will see significant investment in North Yorkshire Education.

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?)

Once operational further information will be available to NYC in relation to the operation of the school and how this affects other mainstream provision.

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 transfer of NYC’s land at the Lower Graham Site will have a positive impact on the education of local children by providing new and modern education facilities.

The Council will benefit from revenue savings associated with managing a vacant building and a positive impact on the revenue costs associated with SEN provision.

The proposal will have a positive impact on the local community.

Section 14. Sign off section

This full EIA was completed by:

Name:             Philip Cowan

Job title:         Estates Manager – Commercial and Major Projects

Directorate:    Resources

Signature:     

Completion date:  10^th February 2025

Authorised by relevant Assistant Director (signature):

Date: