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	Mutual Exchange Policy
Brief description of proposal	The proposal introduces a new Mutual Exchange Policy for North Yorkshire Council’s landlord services. The policy sets out how the Council will manage applications from social housing tenants who wish to exchange their homes. It details eligibility criteria, statutory checks, property inspections, decision‑making processes, legal completion requirements, and tenant responsibilities. The policy aims to support tenant mobility, ensure fair and lawful decision‑making, and promote efficient use of the housing stock across the council area.
Directorate	Community Development
Service area	Housing
Lead officer	Imogen Downie
Names and roles of other people involved in carrying out the impact assessment

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 Mutual Exchange Policy relates solely to the administrative and procedural management of mutual exchange applications within the Council’s landlord services. It does not introduce any new activity, service change, construction work, operational process, or resource use that would impact emissions, waste, water, land use, ecology, or resilience to climate change. The policy provides guidance on decision‑making and tenant responsibilities but does not alter how properties are used or managed in ways that could create environmental impacts. As no direct or indirect environmental effects have been identified, a full Climate Change Impact Assessment is not required.
Signed (Assistant Director or equivalent)	A Rowe
Date	24 March 2026