The Scottish Government

Step 1

Define the aims of your policy

Step 2

What do you already know about the diverse needs and/or experiences of your target audience?

Step 3

What else do you need to know to help you understand the diverse needs and/or experiences of your target audience?

Step 4

What does the information we have tell us about how this policy might impact positively or negatively on the different groups within the target audience?

Step 5

What, if any, changes will be made to the policy?

Step 6

Does the policy provide the opportunity to promote equality of opportunity or good relations?

Step 7

Based on the work we have done - rate the level of relevance of the policy - HIGH, MEDIUM OR LOW

Step 8

Do we need to carry out a further impact assessment?

Step 9

Explain how we will monitor and evaluate this policy to measure progress

Step 10

Sign off and publish impact assessment

What is the purpose of the proposed policy (or changes to be made to the policy)?

Amend legislation allowing householders to carry out development in and around their homes without applying for planning permission.

Who is affected by the policy or who is intended to benefit from the proposed policy and how?

It will benefit planning authorities by reducing the number of minor planning applications thus freeing up staff resources for other planning matters and improving the efficiency of the processing of applications overall.

Householders will benefit as they will be able to carry out more minor developments to their property without having to submit a planning application thus avoiding the associated costs. Neighbours may have their amenity affected without the opportunity to voice legitimate planning concerns which the requirement of a planning application would allow.

Planning consultants and architects may lose out on the fees charged for handling a planning application on behalf of a householder.

How have you, or will you, put the policy into practice, and who is or will be responsible for delivering it?

The changes will be brought in through secondary legislation accompanied by appropriate guidance. Whilst planning authorities will be responsible for policing the implementation of the GPDO, it will be a matter for home owners and contractors / architects, acting on their behalf, to put them into practice.

How does the policy fit into our wider or related policy initiatives?

This policy particularly fits into the first of the Scottish Government's five strategic objective's:

• Wealthier and fairer;

To a large extent it is about freeing up planning authority resources to concentrate on enabling developments to meet these objectives.

These proposals form part of the wider modernisation of the planning system, the key aims of which are to make it:

• fit for purpose
• more efficient;
• more inclusive; and
• play its part in delivering sustainable development.

Do you have a set budget?

No.

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Age

Evidence: None

Disability

Evidence: Inclusion Scotland's Manifesto for Inclusion (2007) identifies a lack of accessible and suitable housing as a major barrier preventing disabled people living independent lives with access to all the opportunities most non-disabled people take for granted. It suggests that all housing developments should have a minimum of ground floor housing designed and built to 'Barrier Free' standards.

Gender

Evidence: A Gender Audit of Statistics (March 2007) indicates that a substantial proportion of Scottish households are couple households, with men and women in such households having access to the same type and quality of housing. However, households where men are the highest income earners are likely to have access to better quality housing than households where women are the highest income earners, being more likely to be home owners and less likely to rent from a social landlord.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender

Evidence: None

Race

Evidence: The UK Government, Department for Communities and Local Government report 'Householder Development Consents Review - Race Equality Impact Assessment 2/2006' indicated that there appeared to be - according to MORI survey data - differing attitudes between ethnic groups to development rights and obligations in respect to one's own home, and that different types of development might be required for different ethnic groups to meet different needs e.g. extended family or religious needs etc.

For example, it was pointed out that Asian communities - in England - still tended to be largely located within inner city areas characterised by cheaper and smaller houses, resulting in pressures to add large extensions to properties that are not easily extendable, resulting in higher refusal rates.

Additionally, according to the 2001 Census, 67% of people in Scotland aged 16 years and above live in homes which are owned either outright or with a loan or mortgage. The rate is over 70% for people who are Pakistani, Other White British or Indian. The rate falls to less than 50% for people in the following groups; African, Black Scottish or Other Black and Other Ethnic Group.

Religion and Belief

Evidence: The highest rates of home ownership of all religion groups; Sikh (82%), Jewish (79%) and Church of Scotland (70%). The lowest rates of home ownership are experienced; Hindu (59%) and those from Another Religion (56%).

Age

See above paragraph.

Disability

See above paragraph.

Gender

See above paragraph.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender

See above paragraph.

Race

See above paragraph.

Religion and Belief

See above paragraph.