London Borough of Newham

Initial Equality Impact Assessment Form

Title of

Parks Capital Programme

Purpose for Initial EQIA

Pick from listCabinet ReportNew Policy/Strategy/Service?FunctionNew Project/Scheme/initiativeAdapted Policy/Strategy/Service/FunctionPolicy/Service/Function reviewProject/Scheme/Initiative reviewOther If other, please specify

Officer Responsible (to be completed by the report author)

Name: Mark Perkins / Ext: 30317
Directorate: Pick from ListResourcesEnvironmentChildren & Young People Chief Executive'sRegeneration, Planning & PropertyCustomer ServicesAdults, Community & Leisure / Division Leisure (Infrastructure)
Signature: Nick Ely

Form must be signed and dated by the relevant Executive Director

Executive Director: Graham Betts Date:
Comment:
Signature:

Corporate Planning & Partnerships

Signed off by: Date:
Comments:

PLEASE ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS

1.  What are the aims, objectives and purpose of the including desired outcomes:

1.1 Newham Parks Development Plan Vision
The development plan vision approved at Cabinet in May 2009 is that by 2014 every resident will have access to high quality, safe and sustainable parks and open spaces.
This vision will be achieved through a step change improvement in the quality and range of landscapes, features and facilities in our parks and open spaces. Each park and open space will have a core set of high quality features and facilities but will also have a unique character that reflects and supports local need and encourages increased use
Over the lifetime of this plan the Council will:
 Ensure local community involvement in all major improvement projects
 Deliver increased community usage and involvement in parks and open spaces
 Invest in areas where need is greatest
 Improve buildings and toilets in priority parks
 Improve infrastructure and landscape quality in priority parks and open spaces
 Develop outdoor recreational facilities to support increased levels of physical activity (including MUGAs, youth zones, walking routes and trim trails)
 Improve the quality of outdoor sports through the creation of ‘Sports Hubs’ at key sites.
 Complete the borough-wide renewal of parks and open spaces play provision
 Deliver ‘whole site’ improvement to our poorest quality parks
 Improve selected open spaces as ‘neighbourhood greens’
 Develop selected parks as suitable venues for larger events
1.2 Core Principles of the Play Strategy
• Play is an activity which has a value in its own right. It is about the fun and satisfaction of the participant and benefits it brings to children, young people, families and communities.
• Every child and young person in Newham should be able to access play opportunities, play activities and play facilities relevant to their needs and play aspirations.
• Children and young people in Newham have the right to hazard free play environments and to lead active, healthy lives.
• Children and young people should be involved in the design of the environment in which they play. Their views, opinions and experiences should be taken into account in the development of policies and strategies and the decision making processes which impact upon their lives.
1.3 Aim of the Play Plan
To improve the opportunities for play for Newham children and young people
The Capital programme also delivers key elements of the Newhams Play Plan Objectives:
Improve participation
Improve access to freeplay
Improve quantity of provision of play spaces
Improve the quality of play

2.  Who are the main people that will be affected?

Borough residents (existing and potential park users) and non-residential visitors to parks and open spaces

3.  How relevant is the to the following equality strands

Age / Disability / Gender / Race / Religion / Belief / Sexual
Orientation
Relevance / Pick from listHighMediumLow / Pick from listHighMediumLow / Pick from listHighMediumLow / Pick from listHighMediumLow / Pick from listHighMediumLow / Pick from listHighMediumLow

4.  What positive impact could the have overall and on different groups? (Please provide evidence e.g. consultation, monitoring etc)

Overall
The Parks Development Plan seeks to deliver step change improvement for the broadest number of residents who either already visit Newham parks and open spaces or may be persuaded to do so through targeted improvements to features and facilities.
a) Age
Improved access to play spaces for children and young people living in densely populated urban areas and reduce the distance they have to travel to access quality play opportunities
Specific consultative techniques are used to gain the views of various age groups in order to gain insight into the needs and desires for types of play according to age.
All play area improvement projects are informed by local consultation with target audiences - children and carers, young people etc. Some sports facilities are age specific e.g adult pitches, junior pitches, mini soccer.
Older generations are well represented in community consulations and in the membership of parks Friends groups where formed.
Multi Use Games areas(MUGA) are normally established on park perimeters to allow longer opening times to occupy young people & provide diversionary activity space.
Over the lifetime of the play plan we would expect to see a positive reflection in NI198 'Children's satisfaction with play spaces' - baseline to be established. / b) Disability
Increased opportunities for children and young people and disabled children and young people to take acceptable risks and explore their limits by developing park play opportunities in order to improve social inclusion .
All site proposals are forwarded to stakeholder groups relevant to each location. In addition Action for the Rights for Disabled People in Newham are invited to comment on all schemes.
All capital improvements are now designed to be compliant with DDA criteria and this applies to buildings as well as the general park layout & specific items of equipment (benches or play structures)
c) Gender
The borough Play Plan identifies types of play across genders and design sessions are held on individual sites involving schools - this work is able to draw out preferences e.g. boys like to climb, girls like to swing.
Mention wider consultation and addressing safety considerations to encourage increased usage by groups for whom this may be a barrier eg. females, the elderly etc / d) Race
Events to encourge on site participation in consultations draw in a good cross section of park users.
e.g. trim trails and walking routes in parks - we have found that these are particularly popular with Asian women in the morning when this group feels more comfortable about visiting parks for exercise.
e) Religion / Belief
Not been raised as an issue in relation to these capital improvements / f) Sexual Orientation
Not been raised as an issue in relation to these capital improvements
g) Other groups

5.  What negative impact could the have overall and on different groups and (if possible) how can it be justified and / or eliminated? (Please provide evidence e.g. consultation, complaints, monitoring etc)

Overall
A ' Parks & Open Spaces Design Guide ' has been devleoped in order to ensure best practice in the design & implementation of the improvements balance uses and identify potential conflicts - dog walkers, domination by childrens or youth provision.
Parks Masterplans provide a framework for capital investment and are directly informed by the local community to ensure that as much community input as possible is achieved where sites are likely to see comprehensive change or improvement - in order to ensure that all change is fully considered and negative impacts are minimised See below 9 Action Planning
a) Age
Parks and Open Spaces Design Guide / b) Disability
Parks and Open Spaces Design Guide
c) Gender
Parks and Open Spaces Design Guide / d) Race
e) Religion / Belief / f) Sexual Orientation
g) Other groups

6.  If you have undertaken any internal / external research or consultation(s) please list them below (including purpose and summary of analysis)

1. The Parks Development Plan summarises proposals across the full portfolio of parks & open spaces - this plan was used to shortlist projects put forward to the internal Capital Programme. All projects have been subjected to local consultation to draw out local resident & stakeholder views on the type and location of improvements at each park/open space.
A Separate Appendix will list all sites covered by the Capital Programme.
2. Newham Play Plan led by Childrens & Young Peoples service (CYPS) was based on extensive research with pre-school and school aged children, aged 0 to 12.
CYPS established a Steering group combining Council services with third Sector partners managing play facilities. During 2006/7 a wide ranging consultation with the children of Newham through interactive questionnaires was carried out through schools & disabled children’s groups.
Leisure Infrastructure team has partnered with CYPS to coordinate bids to draw in additional external funds to meet the play needs of the boroughs younger population as a key element of this capital programme which delivers the parks development plan.
Resulting bids were to:
2.1 Big Lottery projects The key beneficiaries of these projects will be the local disabled and non-disabled children and young people who live close to the parks that have the newly designed space installed specifically:
King George V Park - to create a natural play environment and inclusive play space with informal oversight from Newham City Farm
Brampton Park - to refurbish existing and provide new equipment to enable this space to be fully inclusive and provide water play opportunities.
2.2 Play Builder
These projects will maximise the engagement of children and promote the importance of play through innovative design providing naturalistic and environmental play experiences beyond traditional play equipment (logs, rocks, sand pits water features etc). Currently 7 sites benefitting from this additional resource plus likely to receive more in the new round of bids.
2.3 Aiming High (DCSF)funding initially benefits 4 sites (seeking similar number in next round of bids)This funding is specifically for providing improved accible play for children with disabilities over and above that required by law.
The capital programme will increase opportunities for play for thousands of Newham's children and young people, its main beneficiaries, who live in the most play deprived areas of the borough.
The play improvements to parks, and facilitation through CYPS play rangers, will increase free, good quality play opportunities for all children and young people (from ethnic minority, traveller, refugee and asylum seeker, disabled and disadvantaged communities) significantly reducing barriers to play by April 2011.
Site specific consultations ensure greater participation of children and young people in the development and delivery of quality play opportunities to ensure children and young people are satisfied with their play spaces.
3 Parks and Open Spaces Design Guide
The guide has specific sections that follow designs to meet the needs or characteristics of each community using a park reflecting the requirements and preferences of the community. Approved by Newham Design Review Panel in Jan 2010.
4. Other strategies/Research
• Corporate Plan
• Childhood Obesity Action Plan
• Biodiversity Action Plan (due to launch March/April 2010
• Sports, Activities and Culture Strategy (draft)
• Walking Policy Statementt
· 

7.  Do you need to undertake any further consultation? If so what and with whom?

Yes on a site by site basis as each Capital scheme is developed - all groups targeted using same techniques identified above

8.  Has a full impact assessment been planned or completed?

Yes No
If yes please state timescales

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9.  Action Planning

No / Identified Impact (positive or negative) / Objective / Actions / Outcomes / Timescales / Milestones / Lead Officer
1 / Sectors of the community feel excluded from decision making on new park facilities / Encourage local\ownership of park design, layout of facilities
Also to ensure 'duty to consult' is carried out / Create Consultation Checklist summarising different approaches to be used
Identifyestablished users, stakeholders, and potentail users
consultation events you do - face-to-face, evidence from Liveability Survey, specific safety surveys etc
Ensure Ward Cllrs involved from plan conception through to implementation. / Ensure broad represenation following equality strands is consistant across all capital schemes
e.g. All ages and abilities confident to visit parks.
Prioritised 'wish list' from community / specific to each location as part of consultation & implementation / Nick Ely
2 / Seek quality & sustainable design / Capital programme installs facilities which are fit for purpose, robust, & designed within resources avilable to be future proofed (e.g. adapting to climate change) / Follow Parks and Open Spaces Design Guide
Input from specific groups e.g schools, friends of park, user groups
Keep abreast of best practice / Input from specific groups e.g schools, friends of park, user groups
Involve experts benchmark with similar authorities / during design phase / Tony Wyatt
3 / Seek responsible dog walking/exercising / Balance usage ensure no one activity of group dominate use of individual parks / Face to face discussions with dog owners at consultation events
Seek view of Council Animalwarden team on beahviour patterns of owners and dogs when given differeing options for walking routes
Debate 'to fence or not to fence' around children ply areas / Address concerns about dogs and dog fouling / tbc / Community Safety team taking corporate lead
4 / Youth intimidation of other park users - e.g. loitering in groups at children's play areas, toilets, specific benches
Associated perception of ASB/Crime - drugs, drink, petty vandalism / Balance usage ensure no one activity of group dominate use of individual parks / Design solutions to ensure areas or facilities are sited to allow observation/surveilance
talk to young people about what they want & how they use the park to solve it as a safety / intimidation concern / Reduce Fear of crime and anti-social behaviour / design phase of each project / Tony Wyatt
5 / New facilities, buildings or structures may attract graffitti or vandalism / Change perception on the lack & quality of Newham parks facilities so that they are viewed as well maintained quality facilities which engender confident visitors / Ensure quality maintenance and response times to graffitti, litter & vandalism / increase confience of users that staff are in parks and keeping areas safe and well maintained / Handover dates on completion.
Ongoing as part of Grounds Maintenance contract / Greenspace/ contractos (Serco)
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10 Have the above actions been incorporated into your Service Plan?
Yes No
If No how will these actions be monitored?

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