Equality Impact Assessment Form Reference – 3E13
Department / Sport & Culture / Version no / 4.0Assessed by / Ian Wood / Date created / 19/10/15
Final approval / Phil Barker / Date signed off / 12/2/16
Section 1: What is being assessed?
1.1 Name of proposal to be assessed:
Transfer ownership of playing pitches and facilities to sports clubs, Parish Councils and community organisations.
Some sports pitch management and maintenance including changing facilities would transfer to clubs, parishes and community groups to operate as community assets. This may require the consolidation of multiple clubs onto to a single site to reduce the current dependency on pitches used only by one team and to provide more cost effective opportunities for club or community management. Club or community management will increase the potential for access to sponsorship, fund raising activity and grant funding.
1.2 Describe the proposal under assessment and what change it would result in if implemented:
The transfer of sports pitch management and maintenance, including changing facilities, to local clubs, community groups or Parish Councils with a view to them operating the sites as a club/community asset.
This may well involve the consolidation of a number of clubs onto a hub site to both reduce the current over dependency on single team pitches and also provide more cost effective facilities for self management.
It may be necessary to invest in the proposed sites prior to transfer, which may be financed through the sale of surplus sites.
Successful transfer would have a positive impact on both the facility and the local community.
Whilst Clubs, Community Groups or Parish Councils will still have to allow access to the general public on an informal basis, there exists the potential to improve facilities through sponsorship, grant funding or fund raising opportunities.
Section 2: What the impact of the proposal is likely to be
TheEquality Act 2010 requires the Council to have due regard to the need to-
· eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation;
· advance equality of opportunity between different groups; and
· foster good relations between different groups
2.1 Will this proposal advance equality of opportunity for people who share a protected characteristic and/or foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those that do not? If yes, please explain further.
There are no direct impacts on protected characteristic groups as a result of this proposal.
2.2 Will this proposal have a positive impact and help to eliminate discrimination and harassment against, or the victimisation of people who share a protected characteristic? If yes, please explain further.
There are no direct impacts on protected characteristic groups as a result of this proposal.
2.3 Will this proposal potentially have a negative or disproportionate impact on people who share a protected characteristic? If yes, please explain further.
Equality assessment carried out indicates that this proposal is likely to have no or a low impact on everyone, and so there is no disproportionate impact on any group who share protected characteristics
Possible low impact on some clubs who may have a lower level of membership/players and/or financial resources at their disposal and the proposal could ultimately force a number of clubs to merge or disband.
2.4 Please indicate the level of negative impact on each of the protected characteristics?
(Please indicate high (H), medium (M), low (L), no effect (N) for each)
Protected Characteristics: / Impact(H, M, L, N)
Age / L
Disability / L
Gender reassignment / N
Race / N
Religion/Belief / N
Pregnancy and maternity / N
Sexual Orientation / N
Sex / N
Marriage and civil partnership / N
Additional consideration:
Low income/low wage / L
2.4 How could the disproportionate negative impacts be mitigated or eliminated?
As mentioned in 1.2 above, there exists the potential for Clubs/Community Groups/Parish Councils to enhance and develop a facility through the addition of grant funding opportunities, sponsorship or fund raising. Also the facility could be developed as a ‘hub’ for the wider community to use.
The Service would seek to support individual/groups of clubs both directly and through the National Governing Bodies to take overall responsibility and would consider an incremental approach over a defined period to achieve the end results.
Section 3: What evidence you have used?
3.1 What evidence do you hold to back up this assessment?
Due to ongoing budget reductions the parks service has not always been able to offer the level of maintenance to sports pitches/facilities that some clubs demand and the potential transfer of facilities to teams/community groups supports the ‘New Deal’ approach. This could both deliver improved facilities and also reduce direct costs to the service.
3.2 Do you need further evidence?
It is anticipated that further engagement/consultation will take place with local Clubs/Community Groups/Parish Councils, and in addition to this, consultation will also be carried out with National Governing Bodies (FA, WRCFA, ECB, RFU and local leagues).
This level of consultation with key stakeholders will provide a platform to assess the level of appetite for the proposal of the ‘Transfer of Management of Sports Pitches/Facilities’.
Section 4: Consultation Feedback
4.1 Results from any previous consultations
None
4.2 Your departmental feedback
N/A
4.3 Feedback from current consultation
Concern was expressed that the proposals will have an adverse impact on low income across the district and would reduce their ability to take part in sporting activity. This doesn’t fit with the Council’s policy around reducing obesity and encouraging people to have a healthier lifestyle.
There was also concern that different groups would be using the facilities on a regular basis which could lead to a decline, for example the standard and quality of the pitches. It was suggested the Council could work with partners to develop quality standards and explore other alternative funding streams e.g. Sports England
4.4 Your departmental response to this feedback – include any changes made to the proposal as a result of the feedback
If the sports pitches transfer to community management then the reduction in cost as a result of volunteers operating the facilities could reduce the cost of access to sports facilities. However, in any agreement an upper limit on charges would be included in the agreement as it has been at sports grounds in the district that have already moved to this approach.
Pitches will not be overplayed as any agreement with a community sports club would include limitations on play and quality standards required prior to any play as a result of wet weather conditions.
A community sports club has greater access to external capital funding from Sport England, Football Foundation, National Lottery, etc and the Council will continue to work with sports clubs to access this funding potential.
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