Residential Extensions and Alterations
Supplementary Planning Document (SPD 2)
Equality Analysis
Screening Data
1. What are the objectives and expected outcomes of your proposal? Why is it needed? Make sure you highlight any proposed changes.
The Residential Extensions & Alterations Supplementary Planning Document (SPD 2)will when adopted replace the existing Brent Altering and Extending Your Home Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG 5), adopted in September 2002. This document sets urban design principles and advice that will ensure that the quality of built residential development that comes forward in the Borough is improved. It is supplementary to planning policies in the 2010 Brent Core Strategy, plus other policies within the Brent Local Plan and the London Plan.
The overarching objectives of the SPD2are:
a)To support residents in meeting their housing needs through the adaptation of existing residential properties; and
b)The expectation that development proposals make a positive design contribution to the Borough as a whole and relate well to the surrounding area.
2. Who is affected by the proposal? Consider residents, staff and external stakeholders.
The proposal will essentially impact on local residents. The SPD will be applicable across the whole Borough. As such the population characteristics are:
Roughly 50/50 male/female population split.
The population has a white British representation at 16.4%, Asian/Asian British (Indian Sub-continent) at 23.8% and a Black/African/Caribbean/African British population split at 18.8%.
In terms of disability 14.5% of the population have their day to day activities limited by health issues.
In terms of religion41.5% are Christian, 18.6% are Muslim and 17.8% are Hindu in Brent.
In terms of the age of the population, Brent has 24.9% of the population as younger people (under 20) whilst over 60s represent 14.5% of the population.
It is estimated that the Lesbian, Gay and Bi-sexual (LGB) population in Brent is between 15,561–21,785; 3112 people experience gender variance and 62 are transgender people.
3.1 Could the proposal impact on people in different ways because of their equality characteristics?
There are a number of ways that the SPD could impact on people in different ways because of their equality characteristics. The SPD seeks to allow householders to extend their properties in sympathetic ways. This could positively address the needs of certain groups with protected characteristics that might benefit from an extension to a property which might not currently meet their needs. For example this could relate to meeting the needs of new parents through pregnancy and maternity by providing additional space to accommodate children/better undertake childcare. It might assist those with a disability who may require additional space for specialist equipment/living conditions to better address their disability, e.g. larger ground floor with level access, wheelchair friendly properties with more generous proportions, accessible development. It might also better relate to meeting the needs of larger families, more typically found within ethnic minority groups in Brent who live with extended families or have a greater number of people in a household than average.
3.2 Could the proposal have a disproportionate impact on some equality groups?
If you answered 'Yes' please indicate which equality characteristic(s) are impacted
It is not considered that the proposed developments will have a disproportionate adverse impact on groups with protected equality characteristics.
3.3 Would the proposal change or remove services used by vulnerable groups of people?
No, neither directly or indirectly as a result of the draft SPD.
3.4 Does the proposal relate to an area with known inequalities?
The guidance relates to the Borough as a whole, which has some areas of high levels of deprivation as measured by the Indices of Multiple Deprivation, which includes measures for overcrowding of housing.
3.5 Is the proposal likely to be sensitive or important for some people because of their equality characteristics?
As set out above, the guidance will be sensitive or important for some people because of their equality characteristics.
3.6 Does the proposal relate to one of Brent'sequality objectives?
The SPD relates to a multiplicity of strategic priorities and equality and human rights objectives as set out in the Equalities Action Plan 2015. These include:
Supporting local enterprise, generating jobs for local people, helping people into work and promoting fair pay.
Indirectly the SPD is likely to assist in meeting some of these elements. The small scale nature of the developments will mean that they are predominantly undertaken by small scale/local builders, thus supporting local enterprise and generating jobs for local people.
Making sure that our children and young people have access to the best education and training, achieve to their potential and have the best start in life.
This will result in some cases through children having the appropriate levels of space in the home, which should increase educational attainment through better being able to find space to study and get better sleep, for instance by not sharing a bedroom.
Enabling people to live healthier lives and reducing health inequalities.
The potential for additional space might allow some households to lead healthier lives through allowing people sufficient living space, rather than cramped conditions which might impact both on physical and mental health.
Making sure that Brent is an attractive place to live, with a pleasant, sustainable environment, clean streets and well-cared for parks and green spaces.
This one of the most significant elements of SPD, providing for a high quality residential environments in which people want to live.
Continuing to reduce crime, especially violent crime, and making people feel safer.
The SPD will reduce the opportunities for crime by providing places built along good urban design principles. These include defining private and public space, building properties and places that provide the opportunity for increased passive surveillance of the public realm.
Increasing the supply of affordable, good quality housing.
The guide allows the opportunity for reducing the need to move, so that families can reduce costs and perhaps more readily meet their housing needs within their existing property.While increasing the size of the home will increase its value, compared to other larger homes it may be relatively more affordable.
Building community resilience and promoting citizenship.
This would be achieved through creating an environment in which people are less likely to move as their property will meet their housing needs for longer, rather than encouraging them to move.
Making sure that everyone in the borough is able to participate in local democracy, has a fair say in the way that services are delivered, and is listened to and taken seriously.
The SPD will be subject to consultation and an opportunity for comment before it is adopted by Cabinet.
Recommend this EA for Full Analysis?
No
Analysis
5.What effects could your policy have on different equality groups and on cohesion and good relations?
5.1Age (select all that apply)
A positive impact is one that advances equality, encourages participation from under-represented groups or improves relations between different groups of people.
A negative impact is one that causes a disadvantage, results in poorer outcomes for people with some equality characteristics, does not include steps to address any existing inequalities or that could cause tensions or conflict in the local community.
Positive
Neutral
Negative
Please give details: The SPD will help numerous age groups better meet their needs. For younger people this could be through the provision of additional space which might reduce their need to share bedrooms and allow for separate areas for study at home. For older people, the adaptation of homes through extensions could perhaps allow them to stay in their properties longer, if for example they suffered from an age related disability which required the need for greater space/adapted homes.
5.2Disability (select all that apply)
Positive
Neutral
Negative
Please give details:
The adaptation of homes through extensions could perhaps allow those with a disability to stay in their properties longer, e.g. greater space requirements, accommodation predominantly at ground floor to reduce the need to go upstairs, etc.
5.3Gender Identity (select all that apply)
Positive
Neutral
Negative
Please give details:
There are not considered to be any specific gender identity issues related to the SPD.
5.4Marriage and civil partnership (select all that apply)
Positive
Neutral
Negative
Please give details:
There are not considered to be any specific marriage and civil partnership issues related to the SPD
5.5Pregnancy and maternity (select all that apply)
Positive
Neutral
Negative
Please give details:
The potential for extension of homes might allow this group to better meet their needs through more convenient level access and wider doorways which will be better for families with children in buggies, plus the provision of additional bedrooms.
5.5Race (select all that apply)
Positive
Neutral
Negative
Please give details:
As identified the area has a high representation of BME groups. The potential to extend homes will benefit those races that typically live within an extended family in one property, or might be more likely to have larger families due to a greater number of children within the household, typically associated with first or second generation immigrants.
5.7Religion or belief (select all that apply)
Positive
Neutral
Negative
Please give details:
Religions or beliefs can be interpreted and practiced differently by race, for some there is a greater split between males and females in terms of household roles and social interaction within the home, which might create the need for additional space. As such the ability to extend homes within the guidance provided in the SPD would allow households to better accommodate their needs.
5.8Sex (select all that apply)
Positive
Neutral
Negative
Please give details:
No significant differences have been identified in relation to sex aspects, other than those related to specific other characteristics, e.g. pregnancy and maternity.
5.9Sexual orientation (select all that apply)
Positive
Neutral
Negative
Please give details:
No significant impacts either negative or positive has been identified in relation to this characteristic.
6.Could any of the impacts you have identified be unlawful under the Equality Act 2010? Prohibited acts include direct and indirect discrimination, harassment, victimisation and failure to make a reasonable adjustment.
Yes
No
7.Please provide a brief summary of any research or engagement initiatives that have been carried out to formulate your proposal.
The SPD has been subject to internal consultation essentially with officers within planning who deal with planning applications or requests to extend dwellings. The SPD has also been subject to external consultation and feedback from this has informed the final SPD.
What did you find out from consultation or data analysis?
Only a handful of responses have been received as a result of the public consultation. These related mostly to typos and requests for clarification and did not relate to the needs of particular equality groups. As such, the consultation suggests that there are no significant equality implications.
Were the participants in any engagement initiatives representative of the people who will be affected by your proposal?
The SPD is intended to affect all home-owners equally. As such the public consultation and its respondents are considered representative.
How did your findings and the wider evidence base inform the proposal?
Officers have a high appreciation of the impacts that guidance and planning policies can have on impacting on equalities. This is reflected in the guide’s content which it is considered does not either directly or indirectly promote adverse impacts for those with protected characteristics.
8.What actions will you take to enhance the potential positive impacts that you have identified?
As a result of the consultation responses, the document has been clarified, in writing and illustrations, to make the guidance better understandable to all. Planning officers in their consideration of planning applications will attempt to ensure that equalities aspects are positively addressed through proposed developments.
9.What actions will you take to remove or reduce the potential negative impacts that you have identified?
Not applicable
10.Please explain how any remaining negative impacts can be justified?
Not applicable
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