Initial Climate Change Impact Assessment (Form created August 2021)

The intention of this document is to help the council to gain an initial understanding of the impact of a project or decision on the environment. This document should be completed in consultation with the supporting guidance. Dependent on this initial assessment you may need to go on to complete a full Climate Change Impact Assessment. The final document will be published as part of the decision-making process.

If you have any additional queries, which are not covered by the guidance please email climatechange@northyorks.gov.uk

Title of proposal	Tenancy Agreement and Tenancy Policy Changes
Brief description of proposal	North Yorkshire Council proposes to harmonise tenancy management across its housing stock by adopting a unified Tenancy Agreement for secure and introductory tenancies (from April 2026), replacing legacy agreements inherited from Harrogate, Richmondshire and Selby. Existing Harrogate and Selby flexible tenancies will remain on legacy terms until their fixed term ends. In parallel, amendments to the Tenancy Policy include introducing a 52‑week rent collection period and aligning tenancy start/end dates with weekly rent cycles. The changes are intended to improve legal compliance, operational efficiency and consistency for tenants.
Directorate	Community Development
Service area	Housing
Lead officer	Carl Doolan
Names and roles of other people involved in carrying out the impact assessment	Imogen Downie

The chart below contains the main environmental factors to consider in your initial assessment – choose the appropriate option from the drop-down list for each one.

Remember to think about the following;

· Travel

· Construction

· Data storage

· Use of buildings

· Change of land use

· Opportunities for recycling and reuse

Environmental factor to consider	For the council	For the county	Overall
Greenhouse gas emissions	No effect on emissions	No Effect on emissions	No effect on emissions
Waste	No effect on waste	No effect on waste	No effect on waste
Water use	No effect on water usage	No effect on water usage	No effect on water usage
Pollution (air, land, water, noise, light)	No effect on pollution	No effect on pollution	No effect on pollution
Resilience to adverse weather/climate events (flooding, drought etc)	No effect on resilience	No effect on resilience	No effect on resilience
Ecological effects (biodiversity, loss of habitat etc)	No effect on ecology	No effect on ecology	No effect on ecology
Heritage and landscape	No effect on heritage and landscape	No effect on heritage and landscape	No effect on heritage and landscape

If any of these factors are likely to result in a negative or positive environmental impact then a full climate change impact assessment will be required. It is important that we capture information about both positive and negative impacts to aid the council in calculating its carbon footprint and environmental impact.

Decision (Please tick one option)	Full CCIA not relevant or proportionate:	x	Continue to full CCIA:
Reason for decision	The proposal relates to administrative and policy changes concerning tenancy agreements and rent collection processes. It does not involve physical development, construction, or changes to land use. The environmental impact is minimal and as such, a full Climate Change Impact Assessment is not considered proportionate or necessary.
Signed (Assistant Director or equivalent)	A Rowe
Date	15 January 2026