Equality Impact Assessment (Version: 2020 2.0)
Part 1: Screening
When reviewing, planning or providing services Bassetlaw District Council needs to assess the impacts on people. Both residents and staff, of how it works - or is planning to – work (in relation to things like disability). It has to take steps to remove/minimise any harm it identifies. It has to help people to participate in its services and public life. 'Equality Impact Assessments' (EIAs) prompt people to think things through, considering people’s different needs in relation to the law on equalities. The first stage of the process is known as ‘screening’ and is used to come to a decision about whether and why further analysis is – or is not – required. EIAs are published in line with transparency requirements.
Name of policy/activity/project/practice
- Public Spaces Protection Order – Worksop Town Centre 2022
- Public Spaces Protection Order – Retford Town Centre 2022
This is a change to the two existing Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs).
Screening undertaken
Persons undertaking EIA: Richard Gadsby – Policy & Scrutiny Officer, Nikala Elliott-Carter – Community Safety and Safeguarding Manager.
Brief description of policy/activity/project/practice: including its main purpose, aims, objectives and projected outcomes. Who is it intended to affect or benefit (the target population)? How do these fit in with the wider aims of the organisation?
Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) are one of the tools that Councils can use to help tackle anti-social behaviour locally. PSPOs are aimed at ensuring public spaces can be enjoyed free from anti-social behaviour. They allow Councils to set an area where things such as drinking alcohol on the street, or causing nuisance, harassment, alarm and distress can be banned.
Breaching the order is a criminal offence and it allows the Police or Council to issue a Fixed Penalty Notice of £100. However, should the matter be taken to court and following a successful conviction, magistrates have the power to order the offender to pay a fine of up to £1,000. The current PSPOs Worksop and Retford Town Centres run until 16 June 2022 and therefore the Council is seeking to undertake public consultation on two new PSPOs to replace these. The PSPOs will be in place for 3 years.
Links to the Council Plan:
- Investing in Place - We will invest in our high streets and look to their long-term future.
- Investing in Communities - The Council exists to support local people and improve the quality of life for our residents. We will work with partners to develop the Council led Project Steppingstones, which provides practical support in reducing drug and alcohol dependency and seeks to get people off the streets.
Impact
How will the aims affect our duty to:
- Promote equality of opportunity?
The PSPOs do not affect the Council’s duty to promote the equality of opportunity.
- Eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation?
The PSPOs help strengthen the Council’s ability to tackle discrimination and harassment by providing the ability for an authorised officer to enforce against a list of specified anti-social behaviours.
- Promote good community relations?
The PSPOs strengthen the Council’s ability to provide safe town centres and promote good community relations by listening to and acting on the concerns of the community.
- Promote positive attitudes towards people with protected characteristics?
The PSPOs do not affect the Council’s ability to promote positive attitudes towards people with protected characteristics.
- Encourage participation of people with protected characteristics?
The Consultation on the PSPOs is open for 6 weeks and is in an accessible format to encourage everyone to participate. In addition, Members were briefed on the proposals on 4 April 2022.
- Protect and promote Human Rights?
Careful consideration has been given to ensure the PSPOs do not infringe on people’s Human Rights.
- For example, think about it from the perspectives of different groups in society. Does it cause harm or a benefit to any group(s) differently to others? Will it differentially affect:
- Black, Asian or other ethnic minority and/or cultural groups?
- Disabled people? And their carers?
- Transgender people?
- Men and women?
- Lesbians, gay men and/or bisexual people?
- Different religious communities/groups?
- People of a particular age e.g. older people or children and young people?
- Any other groups?
- People with flexible or agreed working patterns?
No disproportionate impacts identified.
- Are there any aspects, including how it is delivered, or accessed, that could contribute to inequalities? (This should relate to all areas including Human Rights.)
No aspects of the PSPOs are considered to contribute to inequalities.
- If the proposals have negative impacts then a FULL Assessment (Appendix 2) MUST be completed. - Not applicable.
Within this table, state whether the policy or function will have a positive or negative impact across the following factors and provide any comments.
|
Factor |
Positive Impact |
Neutral Impact |
Negative Impact |
Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
All residents and/or those who work/shop/play in the district
|
Positive |
|
|
The PSPOs aim to stop behaviour in Worksop and Retford Town Centres that is making life worse for the local community, ensuring the Town Centres remain safe places to live, visit and work. |
|
Age |
Positive |
|
|
The new PSPOs have removed a specific prohibition on younger age groups gathering. The conditions within the proposed PSPOs apply to all age groups without singling out any group. |
|
Disability |
|
Neutral |
|
There is no impact on people with disabilities. |
|
Sex |
|
Neutral |
|
There is no impact on any particular sex. |
|
Gender reassignment |
|
Neutral |
|
There is no impact in relation to gender reassignment. |
|
Race |
|
Neutral |
|
There is no impact on any particular race. |
|
Religion or belief (including no belief) |
|
Neutral |
|
There is no impact on religion or belief (or lack of belief). |
|
Sexuality |
|
Neutral |
|
There is no impact on the sexuality protected characteristic. |
|
Marriage and Civil Partnership (applies only to work matters) |
|
Neutral |
|
N/A (No impact). |
|
Pregnancy and maternity (including breastfeeding) |
|
Neutral |
|
There is no impact relating to pregnancy and maternity. |
|
Socio economic (including rural and poverty) |
Positive |
|
|
The PSPOs seek to ensure the Town Centres remain safe places to live, visit and work. This has a positive impact on society as well as helping to assist the economic development of the Town Centres. |
|
Human rights |
|
Neutral |
|
It is not regarded that the proposed changes to the PSPOs will have an impact on any of the human rights. |
If you have identified negative impacts a FULL assessment (Appendix 2) MUST be completed.
Evidence Base for Screening
List the evidence sources you have used to make this assessment (i.e. the known evidence)
- Crime Statistics – Nottinghamshire Police
- Breaches of current PSPOs for Worksop and Retford Town Centres.
- Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014
- Scrutiny Review of Town Centre ASB
- Amendment to the Police, Crime, Sentencing Courts Bill that provides for the Vagrancy Act 1824 to be repealed in full in England and Wales*.
*This includes repealing section 3 of the Act, which currently makes begging an offence, and section 4 of the Act, which currently creates a range of offences including persons who sleep in an outdoor setting, or in any deserted or unoccupied building.
- Are there any significant gaps in the known evidence base? If so what are your recommendations for how and by when those gaps will be filled?
The Community Safety Team have adequate information to design PSPOs so they can be more effective in helping to enforce against ASB. Ongoing monitoring will assess the effectiveness of the PSPOs and overall management of ASB in the town centres.
Consultation
A six-week public consultation on the PSPOs is taking place to gauge support for the proposals. This includes a standard set of demographics questions to help understand any differences in levels of support from different groups, for example, business owners, particular age groups etc.
In addition, Elected Members were briefed on the proposals on 4 April 2022 and the proposals were shared electronically with all Elected Members after the briefing.
The Council’s Overview and Scrutiny function were notified of the PSPO consultation as part of the Task and Finish Group review of Town Centre ASB.
Head of Service
I am satisfied with the results of the EIA.
Signature of Head of Service
EIA Ref. No. PSPO T/C 04/2022
Created April 2022
Last Updated on Friday, March 10, 2023