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Date of Screening:
April 2020
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Directorate:
Place, Planning and
Regeneration
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Section: Planning
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1. Activity to be
assessed
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Crowthorne Neighbourhood Plan
(incorporating modifications)
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2. What is the
activity?
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Policy/strategy
Function/procedure
Project
Review
Service
Organisational
change
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3. Is it a new or existing
activity?
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New
Existing
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4. Officer responsible for
the screening
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Jonathan Salmon, Planning
Assistant, Development Plan
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5. Who are the members of
the screening team?
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Max Baker, Head of Planning &
Sue Scott, Development Plan Team Manager
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6. What is the purpose of
the activity?
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Crowthorne Parish
Council has written a Neighbourhood Development Plan (the Plan) for
its area with the involvement and help of the local
community.
The Plan sets out
objectives for the future of the area and contains planning
policies to guide the development and use of land in Crowthorne
Parish.
The Plan has been
subject to two formal public consultations (under Regulation 14 and
Regulation 16 of the
Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations (2012) (as amended))
and has been examined by an Independent Examiner. The Examiner has
recommended that, subject to the modifications recommended in his
report, the Crowthorne Neighbourhood Plan is submitted to
referendum. The Council considered the recommendations in the
Examiner’s report (and the reasons for them) and published a
‘Post Examination Decision Statement’ on 17 June 2020.
The Council also agreed to submit the Plan to
referendum.
A local community
referendum was held in Crowthorne Parish on 6 May 2020. At
this referendum more than half of those who voted did so in favour
of making the Crowthorne Neighbourhood Plan, bringing it into force
with immediate effect.
The Council is
required to choose whether to “make” the Crowthorne
Neighbourhood Plan (whether to keep it in legal force). If made,
the Crowthorne Neighbourhood Plan will continue to form part of the
statutory Bracknell Forest Development Plan and to be used in the
determination of planning applications relating to land in
Crowthorne Parish.
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7. Who is the activity
designed to benefit/target?
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The Crowthorne
Neighbourhood Plan aims to create benefits for everyone who lives,
works, shops, or spends leisure time in Crowthorne Parish. The
planning policies will be used when determining planning
applications relating to land within the Parish. The Plan
will be used by applicants and Council Officers to shape new
development in Crowthorne Parish. Neighbourhood Planning is an
initiative that was brought in by the government to help empower
local communities.
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Protected
Characteristics
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Is there an equality
impact?
If so, what kind of equality
impact may there be, and is the impact positive or adverse or is
there a potential for both?
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What evidence do you have to
support this?
E.g. equality monitoring data,
consultation results, customer satisfaction information
etc
Please add a narrative to justify
your claims around impacts and describe the analysis and
interpretation of evidence to support your conclusion as this will
inform members decision making, include consultation
results/satisfaction information/equality monitoring
data
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8.
Disability Equality – this can include physical, mental
health, learning or sensory disabilities including conditions such
as dementia.
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Neutral impact (see
third column).
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The policies
within the Plan relate to the protection and enhancement of the
character of ‘character areas’ within the Parish,
protection and enhancement of the environment (including air
quality and biodiversity), protection and enhancement of the
vitality of the district and local centres within the parish, and
protection of employment within the parish. These policies should
have a positive impact on all who live and work within the parish
equally rather than specific groups, so there is not thought to be
any equality impact. There are no policies within the plan that
make provisions for specific groups of people.
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9. Racial
equality
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Neutral impact (see
third column).
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The policies within the Plan
relate to the protection and enhancement of the character of
‘character areas’ within the Parish, protection and
enhancement of the environment (including air quality and
biodiversity), protection and enhancement of the vitality of the
district and local centres within the parish, and protection of
employment within the parish. These policies should have a positive
impact on all who live and work within the parish equally rather
than specific groups, so there is not thought to be any equality
impact. There are no policies within the plan that make provisions
for specific groups of people.
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10. Gender
equality
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Neutral impact (see
third column).
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The policies within the Plan
relate to the protection and enhancement of the character of
‘character areas’ within the Parish, protection and
enhancement of the environment (including air quality and
biodiversity), protection and enhancement of the vitality of the
district and local centres within the parish, and protection of
employment within the parish. These policies should have a positive
impact on all who live and work within the parish equally rather
than specific groups, so there is not thought to be any equality
impact. There are no policies within the plan that make provisions
for specific groups of people.
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11. Sexual
orientation equality
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Neutral impact (see
why in the third column).
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The policies within the Plan
relate to the protection and enhancement of the character of
‘character areas’ within the Parish, protection and
enhancement of the environment (including air quality and
biodiversity), protection and enhancement of the vitality of the
district and local centres within the parish, and protection of
employment within the parish. These policies should have a positive
impact on all who live and work within the parish equally rather
than specific groups, so there is not thought to be any equality
impact. There are no policies within the plan that make provisions
for specific groups of people.
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12. Gender
re-assignment
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Neutral impact (see
third column).
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The policies
within the Plan relate to the protection and enhancement of the
character of ‘character areas’ within the Parish,
protection and enhancement of the environment (including air
quality and biodiversity), protection and enhancement of the
vitality of the district and local centres within the parish, and
protection of employment within the parish. These policies should
have a positive impact on all who live and work within the parish
equally rather than specific groups, so there is not thought to be
any equality impact. There are no policies within the plan that
make provisions for specific groups of people.
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13. Age
equality
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Neutral impact (see
third column).
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The policies
within the Plan relate to the protection and enhancement of the
character of ‘character areas’ within the Parish,
protection and enhancement of the environment (including air
quality and biodiversity), protection and enhancement of the
vitality of the district and local centres within the parish, and
protection of employment within the parish. These policies should
have a positive impact on all who live and work within the parish
equally rather than specific groups, so there is not thought to be
any equality impact. There are no policies within the plan that
make provisions for specific groups of people.
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14. Religion and
belief equality
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Neutral impact (see
third column).
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The policies within the Plan
relate to the protection and enhancement of the character of
‘character areas’ within the Parish, protection and
enhancement of the environment (including air quality and
biodiversity), protection and enhancement of the vitality of the
district and local centres within the parish, and protection of
employment within the parish. These policies should have a positive
impact on all who live and work within the parish equally rather
than specific groups, so there is not thought to be any equality
impact. There are no policies within the plan that make provisions
for specific groups of people.
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15. Pregnancy and maternity
equality
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Neutral impact (see
third column).
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The policies
within the Plan relate to the protection and enhancement of the
character of ‘character areas’ within the Parish,
protection and enhancement of the environment (including air
quality and biodiversity), protection and enhancement of the
vitality of the district and local centres within the parish, and
protection of employment within the parish. These policies should
have a positive impact on all who live and work within the parish
equally rather than specific groups, so there is not thought to be
any equality impact. There are no policies within the plan that
make provisions for specific groups of people.
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16. Marriage and civil partnership
equality
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Neutral impact (see
third column).
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The policies within the Plan
relate to the protection and enhancement of the character of
‘character areas’ within the Parish, protection and
enhancement of the environment (including air quality and
biodiversity), protection and enhancement of the vitality of the
district and local centres within the parish, and protection of
employment within the parish. These policies should have a positive
impact on all who live and work within the parish equally rather
than specific groups, so there is not thought to be any equality
impact. There are no policies within the plan that make provisions
for specific groups of people.
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17. Please give
details of any other potential impacts on any other group (e.g.
those on lower incomes/carers/ex-offenders, armed forces
communities) and on promoting good community
relations.
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Overall the Plan aims to improve
the social wellbeing, environment and economic prospects of the
area:
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The Plan seeks to
provide additional habitat resources for wildlife and green spaces
for the community wherever practicable through policy
CR12.
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The Plan seeks to
protect the environment in terms of biodiversity through policy
CR12 and air quality through policy CR9.
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The Plan seeks to
protect provision of employment within the Parish through policy
CR11.
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It also seeks to
improve the built environment and protect the character of areas
within the Parish through design policies CR1-CR8.
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Lastly the plan seeks
to protect and enhance the vitality of Crowthorne High Street and
to protect the provision of shops and community uses within
Crowthorne High Street and Station Parade through policies CR9 and
CR10.
The Plan therefore should result
in a positive impact on the community. In addition, this is a Plan
that has been prepared and written by the local community - not
Bracknell Forest Council - and as such it reflects local
community issues/views and aspirations.
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18. If an adverse/negative impact has been identified
can it be justified on grounds of promoting equality of opportunity
for one group or for any other reason?
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N/A
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19. If there is
any difference in the impact of the activity when considered for
each of the equality groups listed in 8 – 14 above; how
significant is the difference in terms of its nature and the number
of people likely to be affected?
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No negative impacts have been
identified in respect of any of the groups listed in 8 – 16
above.
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20. Could the
impact constitute unlawful discrimination in relation to any of the
Equality Duties?
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N
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No.
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21. What
further information or data is required to better understand the
impact? Where and how can that information be obtained?
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The Crowthorne Neighbourhood Plan
will continue to form part of the statutory Development Plan for
Bracknell Forest once ‘made’. Therefore, relevant
planning policies will be monitored as part of the planning
Authority Monitoring Reports.
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22. On the
basis of sections 7 – 17 above is a full impact assessment
required?
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N
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Full assessment not required as no
potentially negative impacts have been identified, and the Plan has
been produced by and for the local community in Crowthorne Parish.
Furthermore, the electorate of Crowthorne Parish voted for the Plan
to be made at a local community referendum.
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23. If a full impact assessment is
not required; what actions will you take to reduce or remove any
potential differential/adverse impact, to further promote equality
of opportunity through this activity or to obtain further
information or data? Please complete the action plan in
full, adding more rows as needed.
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Action
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Timescale
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Person
Responsible
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Milestone/Success
Criteria
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‘Make’ the Plan so
that it can continue to be used when determining planning
applications.
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1
June 2021
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Executive
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Executive agree to keep the Plan into legal force and a decision is
published (in accordance with Regulation 19).
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Monitor the effectiveness or
otherwise of planning policies in the Crowthorne Neighbourhood
Plan.
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Ongoing following making the
Plan
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Development Plan Team
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As decisions on planning applications are made using policies in
the Crowthorne Neighbourhood Plan (both delegated, committee and
appeals), an understanding of the effectiveness of the policies
will be gained.
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24. Which service, business
or work plan will these actions be included in?
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Planning
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25. Please list the current
actions undertaken to advance equality or examples of good practice
identified as part of the screening?
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Crowthorne Parish Council undertook consultation to inform the
preparation of the Plan prior to submitting the Plan to the
Council. Bracknell Forest Council undertook a statutory 6-week
public consultation on the submission version of the Crowthorne
Neighbourhood Plan. The Plan was subject to a local community
referendum to ensure the process is democratic.
Current national and local policies seek to improve transport and
connectivity (including sustainable transport options), ensure
provision of community facilities, protect the environment, improve
communications and ensure appropriate built form across the
Borough. Bracknell Forest Council also consults the community
during the preparation of all Local Plans and monitors the impact
of policies.
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26. Head of Planning
signature.
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 Signature:
Date:
04/05/2021
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