Equality Impact Assessment
Directorate:
Service:
Name of Officer/s completing assessment:
Date of Assessment:
Name of service/function or policy being assessed:
Chief Executive’s
Planning & Regeneration
Caroline Carroll
12th April 2013
Cornwall Council’s Home Energy Conservation Act
report 2013
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC)
issued guidance in July 2012 to Council’s for the
production of a mandatory report (by April 2013) setting
out plans for how they will achieve improvements in
energy efficiency within the residential housing stock in
their area. This is known as the Home Energy
Conservation Act (HECA) report.
1.
What are the aims, objectives, outcomes, purpose of
the policy, service change, function that you are
assessing?
2.
Who implements or delivers the policy, service or
function? State if this is undertaken by more than one
team, service, and department including any external
partners.
The production of the report is being resourced within the
Planning and Regeneration service. The measures
contained within the report will be delivered across the
Council and with external partners.
3.
Who will be affected by this proposal? For example who
are the external/internal customers, communities,
partners, stakeholders, the workforce etc.
Only the Council will be affected by the production of the
report as it is just cataloguing the Councils ambitions,
priorities and measures already agreed in respect of
achieving improvements within the residential housing
stock and the consideration of additional future measures.
1
The actually measures could affect all residents living in
Cornwall.
4.
What are the likely positive or negative impacts for the
group/s identified in (3) above? What particular groups
are affected more than others and why?
The report that must be made public, will highlight the
Councils positive measures and ambitions that will result
in positive impacts on the residents of Cornwall.
The measures will be delivered to increase energy
efficiency within the residential housing stock. This will
result in reduced fuel bills, a reduction in those suffering
fuel poverty, a reduction in winter deaths and an
improvement in living conditions.
The measures will also result in a reduction in carbon
emissions, positively affecting the environment.
Delivery of the measures should also provide jobs locally
and growth in the low carbon economy.
5.
Have the impacts indentified in (4) above been
assessed using up to date and reliable evidence and
data? Do you need to engage or consult with any
identified group/s? If in doubt ask the Community
Intelligence Team for guidance.
The report is mandatory and catalogues existing
ambitions, priorities and measures that will have already
gone through the decision making process.
6.
Are any of these identified groups considered to be
vulnerable? If so have you engaged with or plan to
engage with any relevant representative organisation.
For example if the impact is likely to affect people with
a disability have you engaged with Disability Cornwall?
If staff are affected have the unions or staff forums
been involved?
The measures are in the main focussed on the vulnerable
residents suffering fuel poverty. This report however is
just setting out those measures to be made public.
2
7.
What plans do you have in place, or are developing,
that will mitigate the likely identified negative impacts?
For example what plans, if any, will be put in place to
reduce the impact?
There are no negative impacts.
8.
Do you have plans in place to monitor the impact of
the proposals once they have been implemented? The
full impact of the decision may only be known after the
proposals have been implemented.
Authorities must provide progress reports on the progress
made in implementing the measures set out in this report
at 2 yearly intervals after submission up to and including
31 March 2027.
3
What course of action does this EIA suggest you take? More than one of the following may
apply

Outcome 1: No major change required. The EIA has not identified any potential for discrimination or
adverse impact and all opportunities to promote equality have been taken

Outcome 2: Adjust the policy to remove barriers identified by the EIA or better promote equality. Are
you satisfied that the proposed adjustments will remove the barriers identified?
Outcome 3: Continue the policy despite potential for adverse impact or missed opportunities to
promote equality identified. You will need to ensure that the EIA clearly sets out the justifications for
continuing with it. You should consider whether there are sufficient plans to reduce the negative impact
and/or plans to monitor the actual impact (see questions below)
Outcome 4: Stop and rethink the policy when the EIA shows actual or potential unlawful discrimination
Summary of your proposals (Copy and paste into any report for CLT, Cabinet and Council)
 What are the key impacts – both negative and positive
 What course of action are you advising as a result of this EIA
 Are there any particular groups affected more than others
Only the Council will be affected by the production of the report as it is just cataloguing the Councils ambitions, priorities
and measures already agreed in respect of achieving improvements within the residential housing stock and the
consideration of additional future measures.
The actually measures could affect all residents living in Cornwall but many are focussed specifically on the vulnerable
residents suffering fuel poverty. The measures will be delivered to increase energy efficiency within the residential
housing stock. This will result in reduced fuel bills, a reduction in those suffering fuel poverty, a reduction in winter
deaths and an improvement in living conditions.
Additional positive impacts and benefits include a reduction in carbon emissions, positively affecting the environment and
the probable provision of jobs locally and growth in the low carbon economy.
DEAG Sign - Off
4
Name: April Milne
Date: 29 April 2013
Comments/Action Required:
Please note the Chief Executive DEAG comments:
“To check that the report is available/offered in alternative formats.”
(For Corporate E & D use only) Published date:
When the Equality Impact Assessment is completed send to equality@cornwall.gov.uk for publication
5
6