Renfrewshire Council

Renfrewshire's Places - Residential Design Guide EQIA

Part 1: Initial Screening

1. Officer and Department responsible for completing the Assessment

Judith Chalmers, Development and Housing Services

2. Name of policy, strategy or project

Renfrewshire's Places - Residential Design Guide

3. What is the main purpose or aims of the policy, strategy or project

Renfrewshire's Places has been prepared as a Planning Advice Note to provide good practice advice and design principles in line with what is set out in Scottish Government Guidance. It complements existing national and Local Development Plan policies. The purpose of Renfrewshire's Places is to encourage best practice and high quality design which will be useful to applicant, developers and development management staff through the pre application and application stage for planning permission and roads construction.

4. Who will be the beneficiaries of the policy/ strategy/ project?

Developers and stakeholders will be provided with good practice advice on developing successful and sustainable places the indications of good practice. The indicators of good practice have been agreed with many of the services in the Council that influence residential layouts and proposals. The good practice is an indicator of what works in developments. Local residents in Renfrewshire will therefore benefit from an improved residential environment to live in.

5. Has the policy/ strategy/ project been explained to those it might affect directly or indirectly?

Renfrewshire's places has been prepared for consultation with other Council services. The document will be consulted on externally by engagement, workshops, getting the thoughts, comments and information of a wide range of stakeholders who will be invited to participate in training and information sessions. This will be the part in the process where stakeholders can influence the document.

6. Have you consulted on the policy?

Yes, there have been internal stakeholder workshops whilst developing the document. More consultation will take place to further develop the document.

7. Impact on Equality Target Group

The policy/strategy/project could have a positive impact on any of the equality target groups or contributes to promoting equality, equal opportunities and improving relations with equality target groups.

The policy/strategy/project could have a negative impact on any equality target groups. If the impact is high a full EIA should be completed.

Race

No impact

Sex 

No impact

Disability 

Low positive impact - Renfrewshire's Places will have a positive impact in new Residential areas for people who have a disability such as a physical disability or sensory impairment as developers will be encouraged to limit the number of obstacles such as barriers in residential streets and include a variety of surfaces that may aid people with sensory impairment navigate.

Low negative impact - Renfrewshire's Places encourages the use of shared spaces (Shared Road/Footway) design rather than specific dedicated pavements so for people who have a disability such as a sensory impairment may be at a greater risk of an accident as they may be sharing the same space as vehicles. Although the main function of shared spaces is to reduce vehicle speeds and that pedestrian movements take priority over cyclists or vehicles.

Religion 

No impact

Sexual orientation

No impact

Age 

Low negative impact - A potential negative impact could arise from road safety for children and the elderly. Renfrewshire's Places encourages the use of shared spaces (Shared Road/Footway) design rather than specific dedicated pavements so the elderly and children may be using the same space as vehicles. However the nature of the shared space mitigates this negative low impact as it is specifically designed to slow traffic and enhance driver concentration/ attention. The encouragement of residential development in close proximity to services, facilities and public transport will be a positive impact for all areas of Renfrewshire's community.

Low positive impact - Shared surfaces can make it easier for people to move around, particularly wheelchair users and people pushing wheeled equipment such as prams this is because shared surfaces are not physically segregated by kerb or level differences into areas.

Gender reassignment 

No impact

Marriage and civil partnership

No impact

Pregnancy and maternity 

No impact

8. How this policy benefits the equality target groups identified in Section 7

Renfrewshire's Places is designed to ensure new residential developments are as inclusive as possible and address equality issues through improvements in street and residential design. Best practice examples have been used throughout the document to indicate which residential layouts currently work.

Confirmation that the best practice examples that are highlighted in Renfrewshire's Places Residential Design Guide will be during the consultation engagement workshops for stakeholders.

9. If there is a negative impact on any of the equality target groups, is the impact intended or legal?

The low negative impact issues identified in table 7 are not intended. The nature of shared surfaces is to encourage inclusivity, where people feel they can enjoy where they live without being impacted upon by various factors.

However shared surfaces area a fairly new innovation as need a period experimentation, a greater understanding of their function for users as well as for pedestrians, cyclist and other road users. These may have some minor initial negative factors but this is offset by the many benefits that employing this design technique would bring as the nature of the shared space mitigates the impact as it is specifically designed to slow traffic and enhance driver concentration/ attention.

10. What actions could be taken to amend the policy/strategy/project to minimise any impact identified?

Renfrewshire's Places has been published considering equality issues.

11. If there is no evidence that the policy/strategy/project promotes equality, equal opportunities or improves relations within equality target groups, what amendments could be made to achieve this?

Not Applicable

12. How will the policy/strategy/project be implemented including any necessary training?

Renfrewshire's Places will be published on the Council's Website. Training and understanding of how to use this document will be given to Council Staff, developers and other stakeholders to ensure the best practice advice and design standards can be successfully implemented into each residential development layout.

13. Full assessment necessary?

No

14. Date completed 

12/2/15