City of York Council

Equalities Impact Assessment

Who is submitting the proposal?

 

Directorate:

 

City Development

Service Area:

 

Strategic Planning Policy

Name of the proposal :

 

Outcomes of the Community Infrastructure Levy Draft Charging Schedule examination

Lead officer:

 

Alison Stockdale, Strategic Planning Policy Manager

Date assessment completed:

 

23 October 2025

Names of those who contributed to the assessment:

Name                                         

  Job title

Organisation

Area of expertise

Alison Cooke

Head of Strategic Planning Policy

City of York Council

Strategic Planning Policy

Laura Williams

Assistant Director Customer, Communities and Inclusion

City of York Council

 

Customer, Communities and Inclusion

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 purpose of a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is to pay for infrastructure to support development. This charge will sit alongside existing S106 obligations which will continue for affordable housing and other on-site infrastructure. The CIL charging schedule has now been examined by an independent examiner, as required by the CIL Regulations 2010, and this proposal considers the outcomes of the examination and how to proceed with implementation of the levy.

1.2

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

 

The power to charge a CIL was introduced by Part 11 of the Planning Act 2008. The detailed implementation of a CIL charging schedule is governed by the CIL Regulations 2010 as amended). These cover matters such as the procedure for setting CIL, charging and collecting the levy and liability for payment. Further guidance in contained with the National Planning Policy Guidance.

1.3

Who are the stakeholders and what are their interests?

 

Stakeholders include residents, businesses including developers and landowners across the entirety of the City of York area. Residents and businesses within the city will benefit from infrastructure funded by the Levy. It is also noted that a portion of the CIL goes to communities most directly impacted by development to be spent on projects related to the demands that development places on the area.

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 intention is to implement the introduction of a CIL to help pay for infrastructure to support development. This charge on development operates alongside S106, which can continue to be used for affordable housing and other on-site infrastructure. A charging authority can think strategically in their use of CIL to ensure that key infrastructure priorities in their Local Plan are delivered to facilitate growth and the economic benefits of their area. In particular it will directly support priorities in the Council Plan related to health and wellbeing, education and skills, transport and sustainability by helping to fund infrastructure and indirectly contribute to all of the priorities by contributing to sustainability, quality, health and equality of people and places.

             

 

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

City of York Local Plan 2025[1]

This sets the policy context for receiving developer contributions. Funding raised by the CIL will support infrastructure required to deliver development identified in the Local Plan.

Submission documents for the CIL examination

Documents submitted for the CIL examination include an updated Infrastructure Delivery Plan July 2025[2], which details the infrastructure required to deliver the Local Plan, and which may be funded in part by CIL. The submission documents also include a series of viability assessments from 2022, 2023 and 2025[3] (CSD7, CSD 6a & 6b, CSD5) which evidence the impact charging the levy will have on the viability of development across the city.

Consultation responses

The Council has carried out 3 consultations[4] on the draft CIL charging schedule. Responses to these consultations were received predominantly from the developer community and relate to the impacts of charging the CIL on future development. A number of responses were also received from other interested parties and address the impact of CIL funding on infrastructure provision.

 

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

The Council has not yet agreed a spend strategy for the CIL income

Further papers will be brought to Executive early in 2026 to consider a spend strategy for CIL within the boundaries set by the CIL Regulations. These allow for 5% of CIL income to be kept for administration costs, 15-25% to be spent by the local community impacted by the development and 70-80% to be spent by the Council on infrastructure projects which support development across the authority area.

 

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

Once introduced the CIL will provide funding for infrastructure needs arising from development within the Authority including health care provision, education, transport and green infrastructure.

+

L

Disability

 

Once introduced the CIL will provide funding for infrastructure needs arising from development within the Authority including health care provision, education, transport and green infrastructure.

+

L

Gender

 

No impacts identified

0

n/a

Gender Reassignment

No impacts identified

0

n/a

Marriage and civil partnership

No impacts identified

0

n/a

Pregnancy

and maternity

No impacts identified

0

n/a

Race

No impacts identified

0

n/a

Religion

and belief

No impacts identified

0

n/a

Sexual

orientation

No impacts identified

0

n/a

Other Socio-economic groups including :

Could other socio-economic groups be affected e.g. carers, ex-offenders, low incomes?

 

Carer

No impacts identified

0

n/a

Low income

groups

No impacts identified

0

n/a

Veterans, Armed Forces Community

No impacts identified

0

n/a

Impact on human rights:

 

 

List any human rights impacted.

The Convention rights applicable are:  

 

Protocol 1, Article 2: Right to education 

+

L

 

 

 

 

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?

The CIL will support the positive impact measures identified in the Local Plan. In particular it will provide for infrastructure to support development detailed in the Local Plan (excepting on-site infrastructure is identified within Local Plan policies which will be secured via S106 agreement).

 

A CIL spend strategy, taking into account development impacts, will be used to guide any future spend in York after a period of accrual of CIL funding. This strategy will need to be evidence-led and will be critical to ensure that the right range of infrastructure is delivered in the right place and at the right time – including for education uses where there are particular challenges in projecting demand in the medium to longer term. The CIL spend strategy along with data on the actual spend of CIL receipts will be reported in the Council’s Infrastructure Funding Statement[5], annual publication, which is requirement of the CIL Regulations 2010 (as amended). The Council already publishes a report in connection with Section 106 receipts and expenditure as required by these regulations. Discussions are ongoing with colleagues and other stakeholders regarding management of the CIL spend and a further paper will be taken to Executive early in 2026 with recommendations on the spend strategy.

 

 

 

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:

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 EIA demonstrates the proposal is robust.  There is no potential for unlawful discrimination or adverse impacts. Opportunities to advance equality and foster good relations will be applied throughout the implementation of the CIL Charging Schedule. The Infrastructure Funding Statement will contain detail on the CIL Spend Strategy and actual spend of CIL receipts. A proportion of the CIL receipt will also be paid to local communities most impacted by the development in accordance with the CIL Regulations 2010 (as amended).

 

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

 

 

 

 

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?

 

Monitoring of CIL will take place in the Infrastructure Funding Statement which is updated every year and identifies CIL revenues and spend. It must also identify where the funds have been allocated. This enables communities to have a better understanding of how CIL has been used to deliver infrastructure in their area.

 

 



[1] https://www.york.gov.uk/downloads/file/10103/city-of-york-adopted-local-plan-2025

[2] CSD9 – Local Plan Infrastructure Delivery Plan July 2025

[3] https://www.york.gov.uk/planning-policy/community-infrastructure-levy/3

[4] https://www.york.gov.uk/planning-policy/community-infrastructure-levy/2

[5] https://www.york.gov.uk/planning-building/annual-infrastructure-funding-statement