Comprehensive Impact Assessment 2015/2016
The Public Sector Equality Duty which is set out in the Equality Act 2010 requires public authorities to have due regard to the need to:
• Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation.
• Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.
• Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.
Protected characteristics are: age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race (this includes ethnic or national origins,
colour or nationality), religion or belief (this includes lack of belief), gender and sexual orientation.
A very important part of the core purpose of carrying out a Comprehensive Impact Assessment is to assess the impact of a change
to services or policy on people with protected characteristics and to demonstrate that the Council has considered the aims of the
Equality Duty. The Equality Duty must be complied with before and at the time that a change to a service or a particular policy is
under consideration or a decision is taken. A public body cannot satisfy the Equality Duty by justifying a decision after it has been
taken.
Questions 4-7 are designed to assist in service decision making and compliance with the duties set out in Equality Act.
Note: Please use Plain English as this document will be published on the Council’s website.
Reference: DE8
Group:
Communities & Environment
Support officers:
Service:
Transport Strategy
Section:
Lead Officer:
Traffic Planning
Nicolas Clennett
st
Completion date: 1 September 2014
Review date: 30 January 2015
General information
(1) Name of Proposal/ Policy/Function:
Briefly describe the aims, objectives and
purpose of the Proposal/ Policy/Function
Invest in cameras to enforce traffic compliance in bus lanes
Enforce traffic compliance, promotion of public transport, tackle congestion
(2) Is this new or existing?
New
(3a) What are the main customer groups
affected by this Policy / Function
Drivers
(3b) Impact on geographical area
Neighbourhood Area:
East
Inner West
X
X
Specific Ward(s) affected?
Central
X
South
X
West
X
(4) Engagement - who has been, or will be, consulted in the development of the proposal/policy/function, and what has changed
as a result? NB: In this section please provide details of the engagement you have undertaken so far and any future engagement
planned. Consider individuals, groups you have already or plan to engage with, which may include service user groups, groups
with protected characteristics as set out in Section 6.
Date
Who was engagement activity
What were the issues that were raised from consultation/engagement activity?
with?
Ongoing Councillors
A number of Corporate Resources Advisory Groups are being held to brief councillors on
the context, intended approach and development of the draft proposals.
4 Nov –
30 Dec
2014
Public consultation
Consultation portal results highlighted that 27 respondents were supportive of this
proposal, however 20 were not. In addition, other comments received via the portal
included:
• Keep bus lanes for rush hours, but open up during the day to other traffic
• There could be more income generated if traffic violations were punished.
Community organisations also provided comments:
• Installation of bus lane cameras would unfairly penalise drivers who contribute to
road improvements through vehicle excise duty
• Positioning of bus lane cameras needed to be carefully considered as some areas
(eg London) have them placed close to where vehicles are able to join the lane
which unfairly penalises drivers.
• Based on a conclusion that this proposal could have a higher potential impact on
disabled and elderly people, they could not support the proposal.
(5) Has the data analysed during development of the proposal/policy/function highlighted any key issues?
(Service Data – e.g. Comments and complaints, user surveys, database statistics, etc. Local –Strategic Needs Assessment, JSNA,
Household Survey, viewpoint, etc. National – e.g. Census, Labour Force Survey, etc.)
Information Source
Traffic data
Analysis / Conclusions made from this information
6) Equalities: Groups affected by Proposal/Policy/Function - Based on your information what impact will this proposal have on the
following groups?
Please note we have a legal duty to consider impacts (actual/potential/disadvantageous/ beneficial) to individuals and/or groups
with a protected characteristics set out in law under the Equality Act 2010.
Please tick in the appropriate box in Section 6 to indicate your assessment and then use section 7-13 to provide further
information.
Positive
Age (Children 0-16, Young people 16-24, 25-59 year olds,
60+ year olds)
Disability (Physical/mobility, Sensory impairment, Learning
Difficulties, Mental Health, including impact on Carers,
Gender
Gender Reassignment
Sexual Orientation (Lesbians, Gay Men, Bisexual)
Religion or Belief groups (including those of no religion or
faith)
Marriage and Civil Partnership
Neutral
Race - (BME groups, Gypsies & Travellers, Asylum Seekers
& Refugees, New and Emerging Communities)
Pregnancy and Maternity
Negative
Unsure
(7) Equality
As a service provider, employer and
community leader, we are committed to
achieving equal opportunity, being
wholly inclusive and ensuring fair
access for everyone. What impact will
this proposal/ policy/function have on;
Equality of opportunity across all
diverse groups
Eliminating discrimination, harassment,
and victimisation
Fostering good relations between
groups:- i.e. community cohesion
between groups with different protected
characteristics and/or those groups with
protected characteristics and those
without
Access to services /facilities/information
Description of Impact (Please include
assessment of any longer term cumulative
considerations and state whether it is a
Positive, Negative or Neutral impact or
whether you are unsure of the impact?
Positive impact.
Mitigation – how will you address any
disadvantage? (Please state whether any
described mitigation has undergone a
review/challenge process and set out what this
process involved?)
(8) Health & Wellbeing
Public health can be viewed as three
core disciplines - extending life
expectancy, improving quality of life and
reducing health inequalities. What
potential impact, if any, will this
proposal/policy/function have on the
public health and wellbeing, specifically
on;
Extending life expectancy
Improving quality of life
Reducing health inequalities
Description of Impact (Please include
assessment of any longer term cumulative
considerations and state whether it is a
Positive, Negative or Neutral impact or
whether you are unsure of the impact?)
No discernable impact
Mitigation – how will you address any
disadvantage? (Please state whether any
described mitigation has undergone a
review/challenge process and set out what this
process involved?)
(9) Environment
We have a responsibility to minimise the
impact of our own operations on the
environment and acknowledges the
contribution it can make to protecting
and enhancing the natural, historic and
cultural environmental impact. Any
analysis requires consideration of the
impact of any proposals across multiple
areas. What impact will this proposal/
policy/function have on areas such as;
Physical Environment
Built Environment
Natural Environment
Transportation
Waste Management
Description of Impact (Please include
assessment of any longer term cumulative
considerations and state whether it is a
Positive, Negative or Neutral impact or
whether you are unsure of the impact?)
Positive on Transportation (cars will be
discouraged from using bus lanes illegally),
resulting in improved reliability of buses and,
in turn, making the choice of a more
sustainable transport mode more attractive.
Mitigation – how will you address any
disadvantage? (Please state whether any
described mitigation has undergone a
review/challenge process and set out what this
process involved?)
(10) Economy
Description of Impact (Please include
assessment of any longer term cumulative
considerations and state whether it is a
Positive, Negative or Neutral impact or
whether you are unsure of the impact?)
By analysing the effects policies,
services, decisions and proposals have
on people and communities, we can
No discernable impact
ensure that our actions lead to
sustainable policies and services that
bring economic benefits to communities,
or that we minimise or remove any
economic disadvantage decisions might
cause. Outline what impact this
proposal/policy/function will have on
economic matters e.g.
• Child and family poverty
• Financial inclusion
• Supporting people into employment
• Economic performance and growth supporting business start-up
development and survival, including
social enterprises
Mitigation – how will you address any
disadvantage? Please state whether any
described mitigation has undergone a
review/challenge process and set out what this
process involved?)
(11) Community Safety
Community safety aims to achieve a
reduction in crime and ASB resulting in
a safer place for people to live, work
and spend their leisure time. Outline
what impact this proposal/ policy/
function will have on the Council’s
statutory duty to address;
Crime and disorder
Reduction in anti-social behaviour
Hate crime (Race/Homophobia/
Disability etc.)
Substance misuse
Behaviour adversely affecting the local
environment
Reducing re-offending
Description of Impact (Please include
assessment of any longer term cumulative
considerations)
No discernable impact
Mitigation – how will you address any
disadvantage? Please state whether any
described mitigation has undergone a review/
challenge process and set out what this process
involved?)
(12) Cabinet decision
Should the proposal require Cabinet approval, an analysis of the issues raised in the CIA must be included in the relevant implications
section of the Cabinet report. Because of the specific legal duty (the public sector equality duty) regarding the protected characteristics
please set out in the CIA the Equality and Diversity implications to be transposed into an appendix of the Cabinet report.
SIGNED:
Completing Officer
Nicolas Clennett
SIGNED:
Service Director
Nicolas Clennett
SIGNED:
Strategic Director
Paul Dowling