Equality Impact Assessment
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Title of Project/Service/Policy |
Bexhill Cycle Route A. Walking and cycling route from Collington to Worsham. |
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Team/Department |
Major Projects and Growth |
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Directorate |
Communities, Economy and Transport |
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Provide a comprehensive description of your proposal |
The project is a cycling and walking improvement scheme from the seafront by Collington Train Station to the North Bexhill development area (Worsham). The scheme forms part of the LGF funding Hastings and Bexhill Movement and Access Package.
The purpose of the scheme is to improve the active travel provision in Bexhill, improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists and encourage active travel by connecting the existing NCN2 and existing facilities at the Bexhill Enterprise Park with key locations throughout the town.
The scheme includes the following elements: • a mix of on carriageway and shared provision, • new parking restrictions • conversion of footpaths to cycle tracks, • Upgrading an existing crossing on the A259 Little Common to a Toucan Crossing • Widening of existing footpaths to facilitate shared use • Introduction of a new pedestrian refuge in Holliers Hill • A new Toucan Crossing at Wrestwood Road
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1. Review of information, equality analysis and potential actions
Consider the actual or potential impact of your project (service, or policy) against each of the equality characteristics.
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Protected characteristics groups under the Equality Act 2010 |
What do you know? Summary of data about your service-users and/or staff |
What do people tell you? Summary of service-user and/or staff feedback |
What does this mean? Impacts identified from data and feedback (actual and potential) |
What can you do? All potential actions to: · advance equality of opportunity, · eliminate discrimination, and · foster good relations |
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Age |
All figures are based on the 2021 census.
Rother is ageing with its’ population median age increased from 50 to 53 years between the 2011 and 2021 census. It has the highest median age in the South East and higher median than England (40 years). It saw an increase of 23.8% on residents aged between 65 and 74 years while the age group between 35 and 49 years decreased 19.3%. (2) (3)
65 and over 32.4% of Rother’s population is over 65, compared to the South East (19.4%) and national (18.4%) rates.
15 to 64 52.8% of Rother’s population is between 15 and 64, below the South East (63.1%) and national (64.2%) rates.
0 to 14 14.6% of Rother’s population is aged between 0 and 14 in East Sussex (15.4%), below the South East (17.4%) and national (17.4%) rates. (1)
Projections across East Sussex estimate an ageing population due to internal migration of adults and older people into the area. (2) (3) |
The current crossing at Westwood Road is not pedestrian friendly. Enhancing to a Toucan or Puffin crossing would give time for pedestrians to cross safely.
Cyclists travel fast on the pavement and it is not safe for those walking. |
Older people (over 65 years) and children/young people can be higher risk of traffic accidents, including when crossing the road.
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Provide improved crossing facilities
Widen pavements and footpaths to accommodate shared use safely.
In line with current guidance, corduroy (conveys the message ‘hazard, proceed with caution’) tactile paving will be provided to raise awareness of the change in footway status. Shared route upright signing will also be included at change points and repeated along the route.
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Disability |
All figures are based on the 2021 census.
In East Sussex, the number of residents who identify as disabled is 20.3% - Census 2021.
In Rother, 7.5% of residents identify as disabled (whether limited a lot or a little).
The 2021 Census is the latest comprehensive data we have on the number of people with a disability in the county.
Our local projections suggest that by 2032 there will be over 130,000 people with a disability in East Sussex of which 24,721 are projected to Rother. (2) (5)
National data shows that disabled people are more likely to be injured as a pedestrian than no-disabled people (4) |
The current crossing at Wrestwood Road is not pedestrian friendly. Enhancing to a Toucan or Puffin crossing would give time for pedestrians to cross safely.
Cyclists travel fast on the pavement and it is not safe for those walking, particularly those with mobility impairments. |
People with disabilities can be higher risk of traffic accidents, including when crossing the road. Shared use facilities can be more difficult to navigate for those with visual impairments. Designated crossing points can be easier to navigate for people with mental impairments.
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Provide improved formal crossing facilities
Widen pavements and footpaths to accommodate shared use safely
In line with current guidance, corduroy (conveys the message ‘hazard, proceed with caution’) tactile paving will be provided to raise awareness of the change in footway status. Shared route upright signing will also be included at change points and repeated along the route. |
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Gender reassignment |
0.3% of people from Hastings responding in the Census 2021 indicated that their gender identity was different from their sex registered at birth. Lower than the figures for East Sussex (0.4%) and England (0.5%).
Nevertheless, a significant percentage of people across the county provided no response, therefore the percentage of people with a different gender identity to their sex registered at birth could be either higher or lower than shown (3).
ONS MSOA’s data shows that in Rother 224 people stated to have a gender identity different from sex registered at birth (1).
The National LGBT survey (2018) highlighted that Transgender people have the lowest average life satisfaction in UK (5.5 to 5.1) compared to the national average (7.7), it also confirmed that transgender people are a target for abuse, harassment and anti-social behaviour which can raise concerns regarding their safety in public spaces. “59% of trans women and 56% of trans men who responded to the survey said they had avoided expressing their gender identity for fear of a negative reaction from others.” (6)
“Transgender people are more likely to experience threats of physical or sexual harassment or violence compared with the LGBT community as a whole (National LGBT Survey, Government Equalities Office).” (7) |
No feedback received currently. |
Poor lighting can contribute to perceived risks of hate crime.. |
Upgrade to existing street lighting and provision of new lighting along the footpath |
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Pregnancy and maternity |
According to ONS data, Hastings had 634 live births in 2021 and a rate of 13.2 births per 1,000 females in 2020 (3).
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No feedback received currently. |
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Race (ethnicity) Including migrants, refugees and asylum seekers |
95.6% of Rother’s population identified as “white British and Northern Irish”, compared to 93.9% in East Sussex and 81% in England (1).
Sussex police recorded 1512 racially or religiously aggravated offences in the 2022 and 2023 year across the South East Region and 467 for the current year (7).
The Home Office and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities Immigration System Statistics data published in May 2023 shows that Rother has 316 refugees from the Homes for Ukraine, Afghan Resettlement Programme and other Supported Asylum programme ,0.34% of Rother total population (8).
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No feedback received currently. |
Poor lighting can contribute to perceived risks of hate crime. |
Upgrade to existing street lighting and provision of new lighting along the footpath |
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Religion or belief |
In the 2021 Census 40.7% of Rother residents stated that they had no religion, up from 25.2% in 2011. Of those with a religion, 50.9% were Christians, 0.6% Muslim, 0.6% Other, 0.4% Buddhist, 0.2% Hindu and 0.2% Jewish (2). |
No feedback received currently. |
It is not considered that this protective characteristic group will experience disproportionate negative or positive impacts by the scheme. |
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Sex |
In 2021 Census 52.5% of Rother’s population was female (1). |
No feedback received currently. |
Poor lighting can contribute to reduced women’s safety/perceived safety from crime and harassment. |
Upgrade to existing street lighting and provision of new lighting along the footpath. |
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Sexual orientation |
The 2021 Census indicates that 3.3% of people 16 years and older from East Sussex identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Other (LGB+) and in Rother 2.5% (3).
The National LGBT survey (2018) highlighted both perceived and real risks of hate crime targeting the LGB+ communities (6). |
No feedback received currently. |
Poor lighting can contribute to perceived risks of hate crime. |
Upgrade to existing street lighting and provision of new lighting along the footpath. |
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Marriage and civil partnership |
Rother’s latest data for marital status is from the 2021 Census. 28.1% of respondents were single, 49.4% were married or in a civil partnership. 11.1% of respondents were divorced, 2.1% separated and 9.2% were widowed (1). |
No feedback received currently. |
It is not considered that this protective characteristic group will experience disproportionate negative or positive impacts by the scheme. |
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Armed Forces |
Based on the 2021 Census, 3,257 (4.1%) people in Rother reported that they served as regular or reserve in UK armed forces. Higher than the UK average of 2.9% (1). |
No feedback received currently. |
It is not considered that this protective characteristic group will experience disproportionate negative or positive impacts by the scheme. |
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Impacts on community cohesion |
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No feedback received currently. |
It is not considered that this protective characteristic group will experience disproportionate negative or positive impacts by the scheme. |
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Additional categories
(identified locally as potentially causing / worsening inequality)
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Characteristic |
What do you know? |
What do people tell you? |
What does this mean? |
What can you do? |
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Rurality |
The proposed project is located in Bexhill therefore this characteristic is not relevant. |
No feedback received currently. |
It is not considered that this group will experience disproportionate negative or positive impacts by the scheme. |
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Carers |
Rother has the South East’s joint second highest proportion of people (aged five years and over) providing up to 19 hours of weekly unpaid care. 2% of the population provide 20-49 house of unpaid care each week, and 2.9% provide over 50 hours.
About one in five households with an unpaid carer have no access to a private vehicle (9)
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No feedback received currently. |
One in five households with an unpaid carer do not have access to a private vehicle so are more likely to rely on walking and cycling for short journeys. By improving the provision for active travel, all households without a private vehicle will benefit. |
Provide improved infrastructure to support active travel. |
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Other groups that may be differently affected (including but not only: homeless people, substance users, care leavers) |
No other impacts identified, |
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Assessment of overall impacts and any further recommendations - include assessment of cumulative impacts (where a change in one service/policy/project may have an impact on another) |
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While encouraging shared use spaces for cycling and walking may negatively impact people with disabilities and older people, this project plans to widen the footways and ensure there is enough space to “share with care”. Roads in Bexhill were analysed at length, and the majority do not have sufficient width to accommodate segregated cycling facilities. In line with current guidance, corduroy (conveys the message ‘hazard, proceed with caution’) tactile paving will be provided to raise awareness of the change in footway status. Shared route upright signing will also be included at change points and repeated along the route. Improved pedestrian and cycling facilities, easier designated crossing points and improved lighting will benefit all users. |
2. List detailed data and/or community feedback that informed your EqIA
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Source and type of data (e.g. research, or direct engagement (interviews), responses to questionnaires, etc.) |
Date |
Gaps in data |
Actions to fill these gaps: who else do you need to engage with? (add these to the Action Plan below, with a timeframe) |
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03/12/24
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03/12/24
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03/12/24
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(4) Supplementing official statistics: self-reported road injuries in the National Travel Survey — UK Data Service |
03/12/24
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(5) State of the County 2021 Focus on East Sussex: Appendix 1 Item 5 - Appendix 1 - Focus on East Sussex.pdf |
03/12/24
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No data on sexual orientation
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Have sourced data elsewhere
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(6) National LGBT Survey: Summary report (publishing.service.gov.uk) |
03/01/24 |
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(7) Police recorded crime and outcomes open data tables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) |
03/01/24 |
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03/01/24 |
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03/12/24 |
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4. Prioritised Action Plan
NB: These actions must now be transferred to service or business plans and monitored to ensure they achieve the outcomes identified.
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Impact identified and group(s) affected |
Action planned |
Expected outcome |
Measure of success |
Timeframe |
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Age, particularly older people and children. Disability, including affecting mobility and sight. Pregnancy and maternity, with young children. |
Provide improved and new crossing facilities
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Safer, easier crossing for pedestrians and cyclists |
Qualitative feedback from users |
2026/27 |
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Age, particularly older people and children. Disability, including affecting mobility and sight. Pregnancy and maternity, with young children. |
Rationalise and remove superfluous street furniture/ signs to maximise footway widths and minimise obstructions and improve safety of shared use areas. |
Easier, safer travel for pedestrians and cyclists. |
Pavements accessible by wheelchair and pushchair. |
2026/2 |
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Sex, Sexual Orientation, Race, Gender Reassignment |
Upgrade street lighting and provide new |
Reduction in fear of crime/increased confidence in walking and cycling outside of daylight hours for those more likely to be victims of hate crime or subject to harassment |
Qualitative feedback from users. |
2026/27 |