Equality impact assessment (EIA) form: evidencing paying due regard to protected characteristics
(Form updated October 2023)
Redeployment of Northallerton Civic Centre (Stone Cross)
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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.
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Name of Directorate and Service Area |
Resources – Property Service
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Lead Officer and contact details |
Philip Cowan
e-mail: philip.cowan@northyorks.gov.uk
Tel: 07973 736 814
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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 |
Working group comprising staff within Property Service.
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When did the due regard process start? |
July 2025
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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 proposal is for the transfer of NYC’s former Civic Centre in Hambleton, known as Stone Cross, to a successful purchaser following a marketing exercise.
The property has become vacant following Local Government Reorganisation and the operational teams that were based at the building have now been relocated to County Hall.
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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 Council has decided to close this building to generate revenue savings. The sale of the building will transfer the associated liabilities for the building to the new purchaser.
The Council will generate a Capital Receipt which will can then be invested in the Capital Programme.
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Section 3. What will change? What will be different for customers and/or staff?
The services that were delivered at Stone Cross have already been relocated to County Hall and the new Customer Hub on East Road, Northallerton.
Stone Cross is currently vacant. The sale of the closed building will not affect how services are currently being delivered.
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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, it is likely that planning consent will be required for the redevelopment of the site and the usual planning consultation will take place.
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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?
The proposal will have a positive impact on revenue costs associated with managing a vacant site. |
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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. |
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Age |
X
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Disability |
x |
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Sex |
x |
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Race |
x |
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Gender reassignment |
x |
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Sexual orientation |
x |
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Religion or belief |
x |
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Pregnancy or maternity |
x |
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Marriage or civil partnership |
X
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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. |
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..live in a rural area? |
x
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…have a low income? |
x
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…are carers (unpaid family or friend)?
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x |
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….. are from the Armed Forces Community
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x |
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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 |
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Craven |
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Hambleton |
Yes |
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Harrogate |
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Richmondshire |
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Ryedale |
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Scarborough |
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Selby |
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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 sale of this building will affect people in the Hambleton Area.
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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.
No
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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 |
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1. No adverse impact - no major change needed to the proposal. There is no potential for discrimination or adverse impact identified. |
x |
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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.)
The sale of a closed building that is now surplus to requirements is in line with NYC’s Redeployment Process.
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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?)
Any changes to the building on site will be monitored through the planning process. It is not proposed that NYC needs to monitor the future use of the site over and above this.
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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.
The sale of a vacant building is in NYC’s interests as the Council will benefit from revenue savings associated with managing a vacant building. The sale is likely to generate a significant capital receipt for NYC which can be reinvested in the Capital Programme.
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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: P Cowan
Completion date: 7th July 2025
Authorised by relevant Assistant Director (signature):
Date:
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