City of York Council

Equalities Impact Assessment

Who is submitting the proposal?

Directorate:		Directorate of Place
Service Area:		Transport
Name of the proposal :		Burton Stone Lane - Ward Committee Scheme CL-19-22 Speeding concerns
Lead officer:		Louise Robinson
Date assessment completed:		14^th December 2021
Names of those who contributed to the assessment :
Name	Job title		Organisation	Area of expertise

Step 1 – Aims and intended outcomes 

1.1

What is the purpose of the proposal? Please explain your proposal in Plain English avoiding acronyms and jargon.

The report details the proposals to address ongoing speeding and traffic volume concerns within the 20mph zone on Burton Stone Lane between the A19 Clifton and Grosvenor Road. The proposed scheme will replace the existing measures with a combination of a full width speed table, two priority give way features (with a single rubber speed cushion and cycle bypass at each), and a new pair of rubber speed cushions should serve to manage vehicle speeds to an acceptable level and reduce the perception experienced by residents. New locations for bus stops and the review of existing vehicle activated signs are also included.

1.2

Are there any external considerations? (Legislation/government directive/codes of practice etc.)

National traffic regulations and relevant guidance published by the Department for Transport (DfT) provide the background guidance on the provision of traffic calming features on the public highway. The Highways (Road Humps) Regulations 1996 / 1999 sets out the guidance relating to the provisions of traffic calming measures such as speed humps and cushions. Other guidance such as LTN1/07, published by the Department for Transport (DfT), provides wider guidance on the types and use of calming measures. LTN1/20 is a recent guidance published by DfT to assist in the design of cycle infrastructure. Other associated guidance and regulations have been referred to in the development of the design of the scheme. Reference has also made to the council’s speed management plan and the speed management protocol in determining the most appropriate measures to achieve the aims of the project.

1.3

Who are the stakeholders and what are their interests?

Stakeholder road user groups including emergency services, bus companies, cycling groups, equality and accessibility groups, and conservation groups as well as all other potential road users as persons or groups who would use Burton Stone Lane as a thoroughfare. Residents and businesses of Burton Stone Lane and adjoining streets as those who live in the immediate area and are subjected to the issues being experienced.

1.4

What results/outcomes do we want to achieve and for whom?  This section should explain what outcomes you want to achieve for service users, staff and/or the wider community. Demonstrate how the proposal links to the Council Plan (2019- 2023) and other corporate strategies and plans.

The primary objective is to make necessary improvements to the traffic calming along this section of Burton Stone Lane to address road safety concerns raised by residents without detrimental impact on other road users. The scheme will serve to lower and manage vehicle speeds to be more compliant with the 20mph speed limit and to reposition vehicles to a more appropriate alignment to prevent encroachment towards footways thereby improving facilities for pedestrians. The measures should serve to support the “Safe Communities and Culture for All” objective detailed in the Council Plan. Increased perception of road safety could lead to more active travel and satisfy the “Getting Around Sustainably” and “Health and Wellness” objectives. The need for the scheme was initiated by residents and is therefore demonstrating a Council that listens and is “Open and Effective”.

Step 2 – Gathering the information and feedback 

2.1	What sources of data, evidence and consultation feedback do we have to help us understand the impact of the proposal on equality rights and human rights? Please consider a range of sources, including: consultation exercises, surveys, feedback from staff, stakeholders, participants, research reports, the views of equality groups, as well your own experience of working in this area etc.
Source of data/supporting evidence		Reason for using
Public Consultation		To engage with residents and key stakeholders to gather their views on the proposals, and to shape the proposals to achieve a solution which better addresses the key concerns and issues. This includes pre-design engagement by Ward Members with residents.
Road safety assessment		Road safety assessments were carried out by Highway Safety Engineers (independent to the project) at various stages of the design process and a further audit will be undertaken after completion

Step 3 – Gaps in data and knowledge

3.1	What are the main gaps in information and understanding of the impact of your proposal?  Please indicate how any gaps will be dealt with.
Gaps in data or knowledge		Action to deal with this
Potential impact from future development		The planning process considers the impact of future development of the road network. The development of the barracks site and football ground are a concern to residents who consider that there will be a considerable increase in traffic as a result of this development. The proposed traffic calming measures should be robust enough to cater for any increased traffic.

Step 4 – Analysing the impacts or effects.

4.1	Please consider what the evidence tells you about the likely impact (positive or negative) on people sharing a protected characteristic, i.e. how significant could the impacts be if we did not make any adjustments? Remember the duty is also positive – so please identify where the proposal offers opportunities to promote equality and/or foster good relations.
Equality Groups and Human Rights.		Key Findings/Impacts	Positive (+) Negative (-) Neutral (0)	High (H) Medium (M) Low (L)
Age		Vehicle paths further away from the footway should result in less conflict between vehicles and pedestrians. Improved spacing of bus stops reducing the walking distance between stops and residence.	+	L
Disability		Vehicle paths further away from the footway should result in less conflict between vehicles and pedestrians. Improved spacing of bus stops reducing the walking distance between stops and residence. Improvement in spacings of speed cushions for adapted bicycles / trikes however still does not meet LTN 1/20 DfT guidance on Cycle Infrastructure Design. Alternative cycle routes are available.	+	L
Gender		None	0
Gender Reassignment		None	0
Marriage and civil partnership		None	0
Pregnancy and maternity		Vehicle paths further away from the footway should result in less conflict between vehicles and pedestrians, with benefits for pram / pushchair users. Improved spacing of bus stops reducing the walking distance between stops and residence.	+	L
Race		None	0
Religion and belief		None	0
Sexual orientation		None	0
Other Socio-economic groups including :		Could other socio-economic groups be affected e.g. carers, ex-offenders, low incomes?
Carer		None	0
Low income groups		Improved spacing of bus stops reducing the walking distance between stops and residence.	+	L
Veterans, Armed Forces Community		None	0
Other		None	0
Impact on human rights:
List any human rights impacted.		None	0

Use the following guidance to inform your responses:

Indicate:

- Where you think that the proposal could have a POSITIVE impact on any of the equality groups like promoting equality and equal opportunities or improving relations within equality groups

- Where you think that the proposal could have a NEGATIVE impact on any of the equality groups, i.e. it could disadvantage them

- Where you think that this proposal has a NEUTRAL effect on any of the equality groups listed below i.e. it has no effect currently on equality groups.

It is important to remember that a proposal may be highly relevant to one aspect of equality and not relevant to another.

High impact (The proposal or process is very equality relevant)	There is significant potential for or evidence of adverse impact The proposal is institution wide or public facing The proposal has consequences for or affects significant numbers of people The proposal has the potential to make a significant contribution to promoting equality and the exercise of human rights.
Medium impact (The proposal or process is somewhat equality relevant)	There is some evidence to suggest potential for or evidence of adverse impact The proposal is institution wide or across services, but mainly internal The proposal has consequences for or affects some people The proposal has the potential to make a contribution to promoting equality and the exercise of human rights
Low impact (The proposal or process might be equality relevant)	There is little evidence to suggest that the proposal could result in adverse impact The proposal operates in a limited way The proposal has consequences for or affects few people The proposal may have the potential to contribute to promoting equality and the exercise of human rights

Step 5 - Mitigating adverse impacts and maximising positive impacts

5.1

Based on your findings, explain ways you plan to mitigate any unlawful prohibited conduct or unwanted adverse impact. Where positive impacts have been identified, what is been done to optimise opportunities to advance equality or foster good relations?

Post-completion speed surveys will be undertaken to assess the success of the scheme in reducing and managing schemes to an acceptable level. If proven not to do so, further measures or amendments may need to be considered. A road safety audit will be undertaken after completion to review the completed scheme. Pedestrian facilities will not be improved as part of this scheme despite the fact that footways are narrow - there is insufficient road space available to widen footways. Despite this, there is a separate scheme funded by maintenance to upgrade the condition of the footways and this would enhance their quality and remove tripping hazards etc.

Step 6 – Recommendations and conclusions of the assessment

6.1	Having considered the potential or actual impacts you should be in a position to make an informed judgement on what should be done. In all cases, document your reasoning that justifies your decision. There are four main options you can take:
- No major change to the proposal – the EIA demonstrates the proposal is robust.  There is no                         potential  for unlawful discrimination or adverse impact and you have taken all opportunities to    advance equality and foster good relations, subject to continuing monitor and review.
- Adjust the proposal – the EIA identifies potential problems or missed opportunities. This involves taking steps to remove any barriers, to better advance quality or to foster good relations. - Continue with the proposal (despite the potential for adverse impact) – you should clearly set out the justifications for doing this and how you believe the decision is compatible with our obligations under the duty - Stop and remove the proposal – if there are adverse effects that are not justified and cannot be mitigated, you should consider stopping the proposal altogether. If a proposal leads to unlawful discrimination it should be removed or changed. Important: If there are any adverse impacts you cannot mitigate, please provide a compelling reason in the justification column.
Option selected		Conclusions/justification
No major change to the proposal		The proposal has a neutral or slightly beneficial impact on some protected interest groups.

Step 7 – Summary of agreed actions resulting from the assessment

7.1	What action, by whom, will be undertaken as a result of the impact assessment.
Impact/issue		Action to be taken	Person responsible	Timescale
N/A		N/A	N/A	N/A

Step 8 - Monitor, review and improve

8. 1	How will the impact of your proposal be monitored and improved upon going forward?   Consider how will you identify the impact of activities on protected characteristics and other marginalised groups going forward? How will any learning and enhancements be capitalised on and embedded?
	Vehicle speed surveys will be undertaken to monitor the effectiveness of the scheme at reducing traffic speed. Lower speeds should indicate improved road safety with benefits for all road users.