Masterplan Consent Areas: guidance - impact assessments

Equalities Impact Assessment (EQIA)

Equality Impact Assessment Not Required Declaration

Policy title: Masterplan Consent Area Guidance (January 2025)

Which National Outcome(s) does the policy contribute to?:

Planning authorities will be able to use Masterplan Consent Areas (MCAs) as part of a proactive, place-making approach to planning and consenting – enabling the type of development they wish to come forward in their places.

MCAs will contribute to the following national outcomes contained in the National Performance Framework:

• We live in communities that are inclusive, empowered, resilient and safe.
• We have a globally competitive, entrepreneurial, inclusive and sustainable economy.
• We value, enjoy, protect and enhance our environment.
• We are healthy and active.

Directorate: Planning, Architecture and Regeneration Directorate

Division: Planning Transformation

Team: Development Planning & Housing

Policy lead responsible for taking the decision: Adam Henry, Senior Planner

Please record why you are not carrying out an EQIA and what your justification is for making that decision.

In 2017 we published the Places, People and Planning Consultation which included some recommendations about the use of Simplified Planning Zones (SPZs), which influenced our approach to the provisions within the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019.

An EQIA was previously undertaken to support the Planning (Scotland) Bill (which introduced MCAs), and we did not consider that a further EQIA was required for the following regulations:

• The Town and Country Planning (Masterplan Consent Areas) (Scotland) Regulations 2024
• The Masterplan Consent Area Scheme (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2024

The guidance is intended to bring together and explain the legislative requirements from the Act and the two sets of MCA regulations. Any further detail in the guidance is based on the broad principles that were outlined within the 2019 Act and the above regulations and we do not consider that a further EQIA is required for this guidance.

The non-statutory MCA Guidance is designed to support planning authorities by offering more information to ensure the legislative requirements are understood and there is a consistent approach when they prepare MCA schemes.

In developing our proposals, the public sector equality duty requires the Scottish Government to pay due regard to the need to:

• eliminate discrimination, victimisation, harassment or other unlawful conduct that is prohibited under the Equality Act 2010;
• advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not; and
• foster good relations between people who share a relevant protected characteristic.

We do not believe this position has changed based on the proposals to implement MCAs. At this stage, we do not believe there is any indication that a full EQIA is required.

I confirm that the decision to not carry out an EQIA has been authorised by:

Name and job title of Deputy Director (or equivalent): Fiona Simpson

Chief Planner

Date authorisation given: 04/12/2024