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

(Form updated October 2023)

Closure of Wentworth Street & Back of Micklegate Public Conveniences

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	Environment – Waste Operations and Street Scene
Lead Officer and contact details	Steven Goddard <Steven.Goddard@northyorks.gov.uk>
Names and roles of other people involved in carrying out the EIA	Steven Goddard
How will you pay due regard? e.g. working group, individual officer	Service users
When did the due regard process start?	Ongoing process

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 Equality Impact Assessment is about the proposed permanent closure of two public toilet facilities—Wentworth Street in Malton and Back of Micklegate in Selby. It assesses the potential impact of stopping these services on different groups within the community, particularly those with protected characteristics, and outlines measures to mitigate any negative effects.

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 proposal aims to permanently close two public toilet facilities—Wentworth Street in Malton and Back of Micklegate in Selby—to improve financial sustainability, reduce safety risks, and support more efficient asset management. The council hopes to achieve cost savings by eliminating high maintenance and refurbishment costs, while also addressing persistent issues such as vandalism and anti-social behaviour. By redirecting resources to better located and more accessible alternatives, the authority seeks to deliver public convenience services in a safer, more effective, and sustainable manner.

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

The main change will be the permanent removal of public access to the Wentworth Street and Back of Micklegate toilet facilities. For customers, this means they will need to use alternative nearby toilets, such as those at Market Place in Malton. While this may cause some inconvenience—particularly for elderly users, disabled individuals, or those unfamiliar with the area, additional signage will be provided to help redirect users. For staff, there will be minimal impact, as the facilities are maintained by external contractors who have been notified, and no staffing changes or contractual issues are anticipated.

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?)

Consultation has taken place with local ward members and stakeholders regarding the proposed closure of the Wentworth Street facility in Malton. While some concerns were raised, there was general recognition of the site’s operational challenges and proximity to alternative provision. No formal consultation has yet been carried out for the Back of Micklegate facility in Selby, which has been closed since March 2025 with minimal feedback received. Further consultation will be required for this site and will involve engaging local stakeholders, community representatives, and service users through appropriate channels such as public notices, direct communication, and local forums to ensure all views are considered before a final decision is made.

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 reduce costs for the council by eliminating ongoing expenses related to maintenance, cleaning, utilities, and security at both sites. Refurbishment of Wentworth Street was deemed financially unviable, and Back of Micklegate has incurred repeated repair costs due to vandalism. Closure of these facilities will contribute to the council’s broader efficiency targets and support its financial sustainability objectives.

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	Older individuals may find it more difficult inconvenient to travel to alternative facilities, especially if mobility is limited.
Disability			X	People with physical or hidden disabilities may rely on accessible public toilets and could be affected. Additional signage be installed to direct users to nearby alternative facilities.
Sex	X			No impact
Race	X			No impact
Gender reassignment	X			No impact
Sexual orientation	X			No impact
Religion or belief	X			No impact
Pregnancy or maternity			X	During pregnancy, there is a need to access facilities more frequently However, there are alternative facilities nearby
Marriage or civil partnership	X			No impact

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	Individuals with limited financial means may be less able to access private facilities (e.g. cafés or shops) and rely more on free public toilets.
…are carers (unpaid family or friend)?		X		Carers accompanying dependents may benefit from clearer signage and improved facilities at Market Place.
….. are from the Armed Forces Community	X			No impact

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

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.
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)	X
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 Council does not have a statutory responsibility to provide public conveniences, but in order to continue to be able to provide a service it is proposed to review and rationalise current facilities within an agreed framework. There could be negative impact for some service users and this may disproportionately impact on some groups including older people and disabled people.

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?)

Closed sites should display clear signage directing the public to the nearest available facility, including RADAR or Changing Places toilets where relevant, along with a brief explanation for the closure. To ensure the changes are effective and equitable, a formal review should be undertaken after 12 months of operation, incorporating public consultation and an assessment of the impact on all user groups, particularly those with protected characteristics.

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 found potential negative impacts on older people, disabled individuals, and families due to reduced toilet access. To mitigate this, it recommends clear signage at closed sites, explanations for closures, and a 12-month review with further consultation. Legal advice highlights the need to meet Equality Act duties. Next steps include implementing signage, updating the EIA, and planning the review.

Section 14. Sign off section

This full EIA was completed by:

Name: Steven Goddard

Job title: Public Conveniences Manager

Directorate: Environment

Signature:

Completion date: 12/08/2025

Authorised by relevant Assistant Director (signature):

Date: