Equality Impact Assessment for Co-Creation: A Contemporary Colchester City Centre (LUFR2 bid)

Name of policy to be assessed

Co-Creation: A Contemporary Colchester City Centre (LUFR2 bid)

Budget Strategy Theme

Capital Infrastructure Provision & Economic Regeneration

1. What is the main purpose of the policy?

The main purpose of the policy is to deliver several inter-related key elements:

A new highway scheme which supersedes the current outdated 1960’s era road layout at St Botolph’s Circus. Notably the removal of all underpasses and creation of new, direct surface (at grade) access for pedestrians and cyclists both here and across Southway between Stanwell Street and St Johns Gate.
Two attractive mixed use (residential and commercial) schemes at Vineyard Street and Britannia Way replacing the current surface car parks and other uses.
An attractive, safe and accessible new pedestrian route between Town Station and Firstsite.
New public realm in conjunction with the two mixed use schemes, including a new bike hub providing for safe and secure storage and hire of bikes, e-bikes, e-cargo bikes and e-scooters.
The completion of a Kerbless Streets scheme -Short Wyre Street.
Shopfront improvement scheme.

Long-term, this work will be absorbed into the preparation and implementation of a new masterplan for Colchester’s town centre.

2. What main areas or activities does the policy cover?

Walking, cycling and general traffic flows within the area, providing coherent links within and beyond this vital gateway, coupled with increasing densities and raising values.

3. Are there changes to an existing policy being considered in this assessment?

No policy changes, but responds to/delivers against policies including reducing crime and antisocial behaviour, improving air quality, boosting economic activity in the town centre, promoting active and sustainable travel, protecting our rich heritage and culture - aligns to a number of priorities in CBC’s strategic plan, and ECC’s priorities.

4. Who are the main audience, users or customers who will be affected by the policy?

The main groups who will be affected by the policy are:

Anybody resident in the borough of Colchester and beyond interfacing this key south-eastern gateway to the core town centre, for example:

visitors
tourists
businesses and residents in southern & eastern urban areas, for example Greenstead and Monkwick, plus rail passengers arriving from London and Tendring

5. What outcomes does the Council want to achieve from the policy?

More people walking and cycling within and beyond the intervention area.
More people sustainably travelling within and beyond the intervention area.
Safer environment.
Less congestion.
Improved air quality.
Better health.
Reduced crime and antisocial behaviour.
Improved look and feel and civic pride replacing worn / tired assets.
Better awareness and coherence/ connectedness for our key cultural and heritage assets.
175 new homes including 30% affordable, meeting housing need.

6. Are other service areas or partner agencies involved in delivery?

This project will be delivered within the existing and established ‘We Are Colchester’ (Town Deal) programme, and will be delivered jointly by Colchester Borough Council and Essex County Council.

7. Relevant information, data, surveys or consultations

A full monitoring and evaluation plan will be developed to capture, consider and celebrate the success of the various elements of the overall scheme.

8. The ‘general duty’

The ‘general duty’ states that we must have “due regard” to the need to:

eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation
advance equality of opportunity between people who share a ‘protected characteristic’ and those who do not
foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not

Not all policies help us to meet the ‘general duty’, but most do.

Because the schemes will be designed to benefit everybody who is resident in Colchester (and visitors from outside the Borough), it is believed there will be no discrimination and the programme will provide equal opportunities for all.

9. How does the policy help us to improve health/reduce health inequalities for residents?

The Council has an important role in improving residents’ health under the Health and Social Care Act 2012.

This relates to both its ‘core functions’ (such as housing, leisure, green spaces and environmental health) and to its ‘enabling roles’ (such as economic development, planning and engaging with communities).

The Council recognises that its Public Sector Equality Duty and its role in improving health are interrelated and mutually supportive. This is especially true across the ‘protected characteristics’ of age and disability.

This policy helps us to improve health / reduce health inequalities for residents:

By delivering a large scheme that will significantly increase the safety, accessibility and quality of a key zone at the periphery of Colchester’s core town centre, we will improve the local environment for the Borough’s residents and visitors from beyond the local area.
More people will be encouraged to walk and cycle, thereby improving sustainable travel, but, more importantly, health. In particular, if people can be encouraged out of their cars and to cycle, the health benefits are increased further. Any modal shift from cars to sustainable methods of transport will provide benefits including improved air quality and improved mental and physical health.
New and attractive public realm and public space (including tree planting) is included –there are strong, tangible and well-proven links between quality of physical environment and mental health.
Through attractive design and removing the flaws inherent in the 1960’s era infrastructure which dominates this area, this scheme will make the environment of our town centre significantly safer for all users.
Several protected characterics will be positively affected through this scheme, in particular:
- People with a physical disability and/or reduced mobility or greater vulnerability will benefit from removal of unsuitable and unsafe steps and ramps which hinder safe passage through this zone including for uses of wheelchairs, electric wheelchairs, mobility scooters and adapted bikes / e-bikes etc.
- Women will benefit from the greatly improved safety in the area which is currently a magnet for crime and antisocial behaviour particularly in the hours of darkness and when footfall is currently low in these areas. Noting in particular the subterranean area in the centre of the current St Botolph’s Circus. Subways here and further along Southway at Abbeygate Street will be removed and/or supplemented with safe, well-lit and well-maintained surface crossings of Southway.
- Children and young people will similarly benefit for the aforementioned reasons, with perception of personal safety and actual risk in this key area greatly improved compared to the current state (prior to investment and development).

10. Disproportionate impacts

This section helps us to identify any disproportionate impacts. We will indicate whether the policy is likely to particularly benefit or disadvantage any of the 'protected characteristics'.

We set out the potential benefits or disadvantages for particular protected characteristics.

Age - older people (60+) and younger people (17-25)