Stage 1: Scope of the Equality Impact Assessment
- What is being assessed? (Title or description of the policy, strategy, service, function)
Interim Policy Statement (IPS): Sites for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople in Wycombe District
The IPS will be implemented primarily by the Planning & Sustainability service, with input from Housing and other services as appropriate.
2. What is the purpose? (A short statement about its aim or objectives)
To set out a policy context and implementation framework for delivering sites to meet short-term needs.
3. Who is affected? (The people it covers)
The travelling community and, potentially, settled communities if there is one in the vicinity
4. Are there any other organisations involved in delivery? (Other agencies, Voluntary sector)
Potentially Bucks and Oxon Gypsy & Traveller Service or Registered Social Landlords or other private landowners
5. What are the external drivers for change? (i.e. Legal, National Policy, Partnership, etc)
National policy (Housing Act 2004, OPDM Circular 01/2006 & Circular 04/2007) requires local planning authorities to allocate sites for Gypsies & Travellers within their planning area.
Regional targets are included within the emerging South East Plan Partial Review for the number of Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople(GTTS) sites which need to be allocated in Wycombe District
6. Does the service, or the way you implement it, affect the public or staff directly?
Yes. The allocation of sites for GTTS will provide the travelling community with legal locations to settle.
The allocation of sites may affect settled communities if there is one in the vicinity of an allocated GTTS site.
7. Does it affect how other services are provided?
Yes. The siting of GTTS sites within the district may increase the demand for other services such as health care and education.
8. Is there information e.g. survey data or complaints that suggest that it is affecting particular groups of people?
A Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Needs Assessment carried out in 2006 suggests that there is a need for additional ‘pitches’ and this is being carried forward in the South East Plan Partial Review. There has been a number of complaints regarding existing and unauthorised Gypsy and Traveller sites from members of the settled community.
9. Does it have employment implications?
Yes. There may be an addition to the labour supply within the district.
If you have answered ‘yes’ to one or more of questions 6,7,8 or 9 you will need to carry out a full Equality Impact Assessment.
10. Using the assessment in Questions 6-9 above, should a full assessment be carried out?YES
11. What is the justification for the decision about full assessment?
This exercise has a direct impact on both the settled and Gypsy and Traveller community.
If the answer to Q10 is ‘yes’ stage 4 of the assessment must be completed within 3 months. If applicable, it will also need to be completed in line with the rolling 3 year plan.
12. Who undertook this assessment?Name: David Dewar
Job Title: Planning Policy Officer
Phone: 01494 421570
Email:
Please send this form to your Equality Champion (See Corporate, Equality and Young People on WySpace for a current list) and copy it to Claire Hook, Equalities Officer at . You must do this to enable the challenge process to be applied effectively.
If, following the challenge process, it is agreed with the Equalities Officer that no further Stages need to be completed please ensure that your Head of Service signs off the assessment (below) and forwards it to the Equality officer for publication.
If, following the challenge process, it is agreed with the Equalities Officer that Stages 2-4 need to be completed there is no need for Head of Service sign off at this Stage.
This preliminary impact assessment was approved by the following Head of Service:
Name:
Date:
NB Heads of Service are responsible for ensuring that the EIA accurately reflects the service area and has been completed in line with the rolling 3 year programme.
Stage 2: Information Gathering
1. Have you carried out work to identify the profile of your users or do you have information that describes the profile? (Please state all sources of information you have used to map and understand the individuals and their needs)The Thames Valley Gypsy & Traveller Accommodation Assessments (GTAA) (2006) assessed the extent of the need of Gypsy and Travellers within the ThamesValley (including Buckinghamshire) and subsequently identified pitch requirements for each of the local authorities within the ThamesValley. As part of the Thames Valley GTAA, interviews were undertaken with the wider Gypsies & Travellers community across the South East.
The Baker Associates Site Study also undertook work to identify the profile of GTTS communities within Wycombe district.
2. Please describe the groups and / or mechanisms you use to engage / consult with service users?
- Public consultation was held on the Interim Policy Statement from 15 December 2009 – 29January 2010. Consultation materials, including the IPS, were made available on the WDC website and at the Council offices in High Wycombe and at the Area Information Offices at Princes Risborough and Marlow. All Parish/Town Councils and known stakeholder groups were advised.
- A stakeholder group was set up comprising a range of parties, including representatives from both travelling and settled communities, parish councils and the Housing Association. This met to discuss a range of issues, focusing on suitable criteria for sites, and inviting suggestions for potential sites.
- Consultation with a number of organisations with experience of Gypsy & Traveller-related planning issues was also undertaken. These included Buckinghamshire County Council, local Parish Councils, and Minority Ethnic & Traveller Achievement Service (METAS).
3. Is this ongoing? (if not please give reasons why)
Public consultation on the IPS closed on Friday 29 January 2010. Targeted consultation with specific stakeholders will be on-going until the adoption of the Interim Policy Statement (anticipated to be in early March 2010).
Further consultation will be undertaken on any longer-term proposals for GTTS sites as part of the wider Wycombe Development Framework process.
4. Have you done any work to understand the impacts of your service/ policy/ review on these user groups? This may include any consultation/ research / studies you have used.
Baker Associates were commissioned to undertake an assessment of potential G&T sites across the district. The assessment used a criteria-based appraisal to assess potential sites which addressed issues such as size of sites, location and proximity to services and highway network. The impacts on both the travelling and settled communities were assessed.
Consultation with members of both the travelling and settled communities as set out under Q.2 also helped to understand the impacts of this policy approach. Consultation also contributed to understanding the needs of the different racial groups / nationalities within the Gypsy & Traveller community itself and the impact of this policy approach on the different groups. A member Task & Finish Group have scrutinised the impact of the IPS as part of the Task & Finish Group process. The responses from the public consultation have been analysed as part of the assessment of the impacts of the IPS on user groups.
5. Is there any further consultation or research planned?
Further consultation will be undertaken on any longer-term proposals for GTTS sites as part of the wider Wycombe Development Framework process. Consultation would also take place in connection with any planning applications which arise from this IPS.
6. If there are gaps in your knowledge are there any experts/relevant groups that can be contacted to get further views or evidence on these issues?
Yes
6a. If Yes, please list them and explain how you will obtain their views:
On-going consultation with the travelling community will help the Council to increase their understanding of the needs and operations of the travelling community, including the needs of individual racial groups within the travelling community itself. This process has been started through the setting up of the stakeholder group and through consultation as part of the IPS. The Council is also in regular dialogue with the Bucks & Oxon Gypsy & Traveller Liaison Service and METAS.
7. Do you need to carry out further research?
Yes
7a.If yes give details:
Interviews need to be undertaken with members of the existing Gypsy & Traveller communities currently residing in Wycombe district to get a better understanding of their future needs and requirements in relation to site provision.
This picture of needs to be continually monitored through dialogue with the GTTS community in the district.
Further work is required on the deliverability of the sites identified (this is being undertaken by Baker Associates).
Sites to meet shorter-term need to be identified in the Interim Policy Statement (IPS) on Sites for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople.
Sites to meet longer-term need to be identified through the Local Development Framework process, via the Development Management Development Plan Document (programmed for adoption in 2014).
Stage 3: Making a Judgement (Analysis)
1. Please state what you have done to date to take into account the needs / promote service for each of the strands with respect to this policy / procedure / function / review.Age /
- Consulted with METAS regarding the education needs of young people in the travelling community.
- Consultation with the travelling community as to the needs of older members of the community, such as the need to become a static community due to old age
- Identification in site criteria of the need to be accessible to local services including GP services and primary & secondary schools
Disability / This would be taken into account as appropriate on an individual site basis.
Gender / N/A
Low income /
- Consultation with WDC Housing services to understand requirements for housing and issues of affordability
- Investigated ways in which sites can be brought forward in the short-term to meet need and address current deficiencies, including the allocation of a local authority run site to meet future affordable housing needs of the G&T community
- Identification in site criteria of proximity to a bus route
Race /
- Identification, through consultation, of different groups within the G&T community and their different needs, including:
- Romany Gypsies
- Irish Travellers
- New Travellers
- Identification of potential issues relating to settled communities, including means of integration between travelling and settled communities.
Religion / belief / N/A
Sexual orientation / N/A
2. From the information above and the description of your service state the likely positive and negative impacts for each strand
Age /
- Location of sites accessible to facilities, such as schools and GP services will ensure that the needs of the younger and older members of the communities are met.
Disability / N/A
Gender / N/A
Low income /
- The proposed mechanisms for deliverability may help to address future affordable housing needs of the G&T community, for example through the delivery of sites by an Registered Social Landlord (RSL)
Race /
- The policy aims to provide sites suitable for the needs and requirements of the different groups within the G&T communities. This will reduce the need for illegal encampments which negatively affect both the travelling and settled communities.
- There is a perception amongst settled communities that the presence of a G&T site in proximity to the community will have a negative impact on the area, including an unacceptable impact on the environment and a heightened fear of crime and social tension. This may impact on social cohesion between the two communities.
Religion / belief / N/A
Sexual orientation / N/A
3. Which impacts are:
a) Avoidable? Please explain your answers.
- Increased awareness and understanding between the travelling and settled communities around requirements, needs and lifestyles of both groups would help to ease social tension between the communities. This could be achieved through further consultation and liaison between the two communities.
b) Unavoidable? Please explain your answers
Stage 4: Monitoring (Publication and Review)
1. Please state the actions you will take to promote equality or to address any adverse impact
Equality Improvement Plan (EIP)
Equality Target(eg Improved evaluation by school children attending formal sessions) / Equality Action (many actions may work towards one target)
(eg i) devise pre-evaluation process, ii) devise post-evaluation process, iii) implement evaluation, iv) collate findings & make recommendations) / Intended outcome * / Deadline for completion / WDC officer responsible / Job Title / Email address / Phone number
Increased understanding of the needs & requirements of different sectors & racial groups of the GTTS communities / 1)Undertake interviews with members of the G&T community and continue consultation on ongoing basis to understand needs of local travelling community.
2)Identification of sites to meet shorter-term need in Interim Policy Statement (IPS).
3)Allocation of any further sites to meet longer-term need through the Local Development Framework process. / More detailed information on needs (including numbers of sites & pitches) to contribute to decision making process. / 1) Site visits and interviews carried out with members of the travelling community on 16th Feb 2010.
2) 8th March Cabinet to consider IPS.
3) Work to start on Development Management DPD in 2011. / David Dewar / Planning Policy Officer / / x3570
Ensure that sites identified for allocation are deliverable / 1)Undertake further research on deliverability of sites
2)To include input from WDC Homes and Housing department / More detailed information on deliverability of sites to contribute to decision making process. / Baker Associates Consultation and Delivery Report to be published following publication of IPS. To form a framework for future delivery actions. / David Dewar (work to be undertaken by Paul Jobson, Baker Associates + WDC Housing department) / Planning Policy Officer / / x3570
Longer-term pro-active approach to the promotion of social cohesion between settled and travelling community / Continue with on-going dialogue between communities as part of stakeholder group.
Actions to be determined after Cabinet decision on 08/03/10 / Reduced social tension between communities. / Subject to decision at Cabinet 08/03/10 – but longer-term action.
- Intended outcome relates to how the results of the action will be used. (for eg. If you have an action to consult please provide an intended outcome that shows what you will use the information gained for, and how this will make a real-life equality improvement for people).
- Please note that all actions MUST have a completion date – ‘ongoing’ is not acceptable.
NB you will be required to provide quarterly updates on these actions to your Equality Champion until they are completed.
Confirmation that actions are agreed and EIA approved for publication:Head of Service signature………………………………………………………….
Date received by Equalities Officer…………………………………………………….
NB Heads of Service are responsible for ensuring that the EIA accurately reflects the service area and has been completed in line with the rolling 3 year programme.