Appendix G

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

(Form updated October 2023)

Ceasing provision of Christmas trees for selected towns and provision of hanging baskets for urban areas

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	Parks and Grounds
Lead Officer and contact details	Jonathan Clubb – Head of Parks & Grounds
Names and roles of other people involved in carrying out the EIA
How will you pay due regard? e.g., working group, individual officer	Individual officer.
When did the due regard process start?	December 2025

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 in two parts; firstly, to recommend that Christmas trees are no longer provided free of charge to parishes that were in the former Harrogate Borough Council area; Harrogate, Starbeck, Knaresborough, Ripon, Boroughbridge, Masham and Pateley Bridge, and the former non-parished areas of Scarborough Borough Council i.e. Scarborough, Filey and Whitby.

Secondly, to stop the provision of municipal hanging baskets in urban areas at a cost to the Council.

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.)

Both proposals are put forward as part of the Environment Directorate financial savings plan, with planned implementation in the 2026/27 financial year. Due to the long lead in time for the production of plants, some impacts for hanging baskets may be not be felt ‘on the ground’ until 2027/28.

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

Christmas trees will not be provided, erected, and dismantled free of charge. However, North Yorkshire Council will be able to provide parishes or other organisations with this service for an appropriate fee.

Hanging baskets will not be provided in urban areas, for example – on lampposts. Commercial arrangements to provide town centre baskets and troughs are unaffected by this proposal.

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?)

NYC elected members have been consulted on the proposals as part of the regular budget setting challenge sessions.

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

If implemented, the proposals will realise a saving of £27k (£14k relating to Christmas trees, and £13k relating to Hanging Baskets).

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	Christmas trees are symbolic of Christian beliefs. If the proposal is implemented and subsequently there is no alternatively funded provision, it may be perceived that things have been made worse for people with this protected characteristic.
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	x
Richmondshire
Ryedale
Scarborough	X
Selby
If you have ticked one or more areas, will specific town(s)/village(s) be particularly impacted? If so, please specify below.
Harrogate, Starbeck, Knaresborough, Ripon, Boroughbridge, Masham, Pateley Bridge, Scarborough, Filey and Whitby.

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.
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.	x
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 assessment has identified an adverse impact, however, there is a reasonable likelihood that alternative arrangements will be made by others for the provision of Christmas trees in the affected areas that will mitigate this impact.

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?)

To undertake a post implementation review 12 months after any changes are made.

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	Head of Parks & Grounds	Jan 2027

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 assessment has identified an adverse impact to those with a protected characteristic for religion and beliefs. However, there is a reasonable likelihood that alternative arrangements will be made by others for the provision of Christmas trees in the affected areas that will mitigate this impact.

Section 14. Sign off section.

This full EIA was completed by:

Name: Job title: Jon Clubb, Head of Parks & Grounds

Directorate: Environment

Signature:

Completion date: 12 December 2025

Authorised by relevant Assistant Director (signature): Barrie Mason

Date: 22/12/2025