Equality Analysis (EA) (Formally Equality Impact Assessment)

Equality Analysis (EA) (formally Equality Impact Assessment)

Record Form

Department: Built environment

Team or Service Area Leading Assessment: Housing Client Team

Title of Policy/ Service or Function: Queens Park Redevelopment

Proposals to introduce/ alter/ delete policy, service, expenditure etc:

Date of proposals: 14th February 2013 Committee/Team: Executive

Lead Officer: Steve Matthews Head of Strategic Housing

STEP 1 - IDENTIFYING THE PURPOSE OR AIMS

1.  What type of policy, service or function is this?

Existing 5 New/ proposed a5 Changing/ updated 5

2.  What is the aim and purpose of the policy, service or function?

To redevelop the Queens Park estate

3.  Please outline any proposals being considered.

To approve the recommendation to appoint Lovell as the design and construction partner to work with the Council, BCH and the Queens Park community to design and then build a new neighbourhood at Queens Park.

4.  What outcomes do we want to achieve?

Create a more desirable and sustainable neighbourhood – a balanced
Community in a safe and healthy environment comprising a well integrated mix of decent homes of different types and tenures to support a range of household sizes and income.

5.  Who is the policy, service or function intended to help/ benefit?

Customers registered on the My home choice Fylde coast system and existing BCH tenants including those wishing to stay on Queen Park.

6.  Who are the main stakeholders/ customers/ communities of interest?

Customers registered on the My home choice Fylde coast system and existing BCH tenants including those wishing to stay on Queen Park.
Members of the public and their families, particularly those living close to the Queens Park estate.

7.  Does the policy, service or function have any existing aims in relation to Equality/ Diversity or community cohesion?

Meet existing and future customer expectations – an attractive and safe place to live in with good quality homes and public spaces.
Contribute to the provision of a mix of affordable house types and sizes more closely matched to housing needs of Blackpool, and that do more to help those in the greatest priority.
Create a more desirable and sustainable neighbourhood – a balanced community in a safe and healthy environment comprising a well integrated mix of decent homes of different types and tenures to support a range of household sizes and income.
The building of up to 30 market sale homes on Queens Park will promote a more sustainable community.
Achieve more integration between the community living in Queens Park and people living in the wider area, with the improved environment at Queens Park linked with wider improvements in private sector housing areas in inner Blackpool.
Help residents in Queens Park take opportunities and raise aspirations, including linking people into education, training and employment where appropriate.
Ensure that we meet the housing needs of existing and new residents with a range of health issues, including limited mobility

STEP 2 - CONSIDERING EXISTING INFORMATION AND WHAT THIS TELLS YOU

8.  Please summarise the main data/ research and performance management information in the box below.

Data/ information
An initial consultation event was held on the 15th June 2011 to seek residents’ views on the future of the estate, based on this a preferred option was selected to demolish the whole of the Queens Park estate. A further consultation event took place on 11th August 2011 at which this proposal was presented. The proposal showed that demolition and re-development could be undertaken in phases and that tenants who want to stay on the estate through the redevelopment process and move into a new home will be able to do so.
A Resident Project group has been set up made up of residents from the estate to ensure that the views and concerns of the wider community are communicated to and managed by the council throughout the development process.
·  A consultation event was held on the 17th April 2012 to inform Queens Park residents which properties had been selected in Phase one for demolition.
·  Inform residents of the reasons and factors which contributed to the decision on which properties are in Phase one.
·  Provide residents with the opportunity to comment on and make suggestions on the phasing plan.
·  Detail the proposed timeframe for delivery of the redevelopment project
·  Detail what this means for tenants in Phase one and subsequent phases.
Five companies were selected to come up with initial master plan designs for the new estate, which were displayed at a Design Event at the Boys and Girls club on the 25th July 2012.
At the event residents were asked for their comments on the design and layout, open space provision and pedestrian and vehicular routes into and out of the estate.
Comments from the event were reflected in a revised development brief which was provided to the two shortlisted developers.
Residents living in Ashworth Court, Charles Court and 5 X maisonette blocks in Healey Street are currently being supported to find new homes by the Relocation Team at Blackpool Coastal Housing.
All Residents on Queens Park have been visited by a member of the Team to establish if they want to remain on the estate or find a property away from Queens Park. Everyone who wants to move off the estate has also been registered on ‘MyHomeChoice Fylde Coast’ the new choice based lettings system and they are currently bidding on properties that they are interested in moving to.
The Relocation Team are also working closely with the Empty Homes Team to identify properties in Walter Robinson Court, for those Phase 1 residents who want to remain on the estate long term and will need to move into temporary accommodation until their new home is built.
BCH are aiming to rehouse all resident in Phase 1 in their new homes by April 2013. At this stage we anticipate no more than 40 residents from phase 1 staying and moving into a new property once built.
The RPG were involved in Stage 3 of the procurement process to select the preferred developer, Lovell as the design and development contractor for the Queens Park estate.
Research or comparative information
·  Queens Park is a relatively unpopular estate, with a high turnover of properties. The annual turnover rate is 25% compared to 13.5% for all Blackpool council stock. This turnover rate is likely to have a negative impact on the sustainability of the neighbourhood and carries higher costs to manage and repair.
·  Almost a quarter of properties are refused due to the applicant having changed their mind with regard to the area, despite applicants being encouraged to only place bids for properties in areas they are interested in.
·  Significantly fewer bids are placed on properties on Queens Park than throughout Blackpool as a whole.
·  A third of properties on Queens Park that become empty are simply abandoned by tenants.
·  According to the latest Status Survey, satisfaction levels in terms of overall quality of home, general condition of property, the neighbourhood as a place to live and value for money for rent were the lowest when compared to the rest of Blackpool.
·  The properties on Queens Park cost considerably more to maintain and manage than is received in rental income and also higher when compared to properties elsewhere in Blackpool. This will still be the case even if Decent Homes investment is carried out and completed.
·  Service charges associated with flats are high
·  Queens Park ranks as the 8th most deprived area in the country overall, out of 32,000 and is the 24th most deprived in terms of health deprivation and disability.
·  The government has asked the Council to respond to any changes to Council stock in the next 5 years.
·  Reprofile the Decent Homes Programme to reflect the reduction in funding and extension to the programme.
·  The properties on Queens Park require £4 million to bring them up to the Decent Homes standard
·  The amount of Decent Homes funding available has been significantly reduced by the new coalition government
Key findings of consultation and feedback
As Above

9.  What are the impacts or effects for Key Protected Characteristics?

Age
The estate is made up of 4 no. 16 storey tower blocks - Ashworth Court, Charles Court, Churchill Court and Elizabeth Court, each containing 32 one bed and 32 two bed flats, and one tower block – Walter Robinson court with 129 one bed flats, and low rise blocks of maisonettes and flats comprising 60 three bedroom maisonettes, 8 two bed flats, 26 one bed flats and 16 bedsits.
Currently, if the lifts break down or in the event of a fire in the tower blocks the only means of escape and exit for tenants including older and disabled tenants would be via the stairwells located in each of the blocks. Consequently, the demolition of the existing blocks will greatly assist with current Health and safety issues and DDA compliancy in the event of such incidents. The redevelopment project aims to create a more desirable and sustainable neighbourhood – a balanced community in a safe and healthy environment comprising a well integrated mix of decent homes of different types and tenures to support a range of household sizes and income.
The consultation events detailed above have been held in DDA compliant accessible facilities on the estate.
Residents unable to attend the events were provided with the opportunity to speak to officers to receive information and ask questions raise concerns etc.
Resident Project Group members were also able to update residents including those unable to attend the consultation events and or inform officers of the requirements to speak to the tenant over the phone, send information out or carry out a home visit.
The council’s allocation policy ensures that these groups are assessed fairly when assessing for rehousing.
Disability
As above.
There is a requirement for the developer to build accommodation for a range of life styles and needs. The developer will as part of the contract requirements make provisions for Lifetime homes compliant homes in ground floor one and two bedroom flats and a minimum of 30% of houses throughout their schemes and to comply with the unit size requirements set out in the development brief which includes meeting the requirement of the code for sustainable homes Level 3 and HQI targets. The council also expects the contractor to achieve a Building for Life score of 14 (silver) rather than the minimum of 12.
Gender Reassignment
The redevelopment of Queens Park will not inadvertently affect this group
Marriage and Civil partnership
The redevelopment of Queens Park will not inadvertently affect this group
Pregnancy and Maternity
The redevelopment of Queens Park will not inadvertently affect this group
Race
The redevelopment of Queens Park will not inadvertently affect this group
Religion and Belief
The redevelopment of Queens Park will not inadvertently affect this group
Sex
The redevelopment of Queens Park will not inadvertently affect this group
Sexual Orientation
Although, according to the Status Survey 2010 there are a higher proportion of gay men in the Central area than the other BCH management areas, the redevelopment of Queens Park will not inadvertently affect this group.

12. What do you know about how the proposals could affect community cohesion?

We are committed to protecting the existing community. All residents on the estate have been given the option the stay on the estate through the redevelopment process and move into a new property once built. It may be that in some cases a move to temporary accommodation off the estate is required but it is perfectly feasible to keep most tenants who want to stay on the estate through the redevelopment process.
The redevelopment will be phased to retain one or two blocks whilst new accommodation is provided. Tenants can be then be moved into the new housing to make way for the final phases of the development. Where it is necessary to accommodate tenants off site in the short term, especially families, they will be involved in the design and development process and we will keep in touch with them through regular events and newsletters.
The Council has more than enough accommodation to be able to offer all existing tenants alternative accommodation. If it’s in existing stock the terms of tenancies will remain unchanged, if it’s in new stock we also expect to be able to offer the same security of tenure. Rent levels will be higher for new homes, although this will be partially offset by reduced service charges. The difference between the cost of renting an existing flat and a new home is likely to be least for 1 bedroom properties that are needed by the majority of existing residents.
BCH relocation officers are located on the Queens Park estate, providing tenants with accessible advice and support if needed. Furthermore, each tenant has been visited by the Relocation Team on an individual basis and their needs assessed. For those tenants wanting to move off the estate, support with completing the MyHomeChoice application form and the bidding process has been given. Vulnerable tenants have also been given extra help with packing and moving if needed.
A Resident Project Group has been set up made of residents from the estate to ensure that the views and concerns of the wider community are communicated to and managed by the council throughout the development process.
The RPG have been involved throughout the process to date, in selecting the design and contractor for the redevelopment of Queens Park.
The RPG will continue to be involved throughout the process going forward in receiving updates from the contractor on the project, to raise resident related concerns and or issues during the construction stage and to receive information and raise concerns relating to any housing management issues that may arise.
The wider Queens Park community will be involved and kept informed thorough regular newsletters, consultation events, open meetings, RPG website and the Council’s website.

STEP 3 - ANALYSISING THE IMPACT