Key information
Decision type: Director
Reference code: DD2072
Date signed:
Decision by: Fiona Fletcher-Smith, Executive Director of Development, Enterprise and Environment
Executive summary
The Mayor has indicated that he would like a new Economic Development Strategy to be adopted as soon as possible. The strategy is a statutory requirement, and as part of its preparation, under both European and National Legislation, the Mayor is required to undertake a number of assessments, namely an Integrated Impact Assessment.
The Economic Development Strategy needs to be screened to determine whether a Habitats Regulation Assessment is required. Approval is sought (one bid) to procure consultant(s) to undertake Integrated Impact Assessments to support the preparation of the new Economic Development Strategy.
Decision
The Executive Director Development Enterprise and Environment approves expenditure of up to £100,000 in 2016-17 to procure consultant(s) to prepare an Integrated Impact Assessment, to support the Mayor’s Economic Development Strategy. Provision is also made to undertake a Habitats Regulations Assessment screening if it is required.
Part 1: Non-confidential facts and advice
1.1 The Greater London Authority Act 1999 (the “Act”) requires the Mayor to produce and review an Economic Development Strategy.
1.2 The Mayor has indicated that he would like a revised Economic Development Strategy to be drafted and adopted as soon as possible. As part of the preparation of this strategy, under both European and National Legislation, the Mayor is required to undertake a number of Impact Assessments to review policy options and assess the impact of proposed strategies. Previously these assessments were independent of one another, which led to duplication of efforts and a lack of ‘coherent thinking’ around the mayoral strategies. More recently an Integrated Impact Assessment process has been proposed that combines these assessments and enables all of the mayoral strategies to work from the same baseline information.
1.3 The Mayor has legal duties to consider the following:
• Economic development and wealth creation (GLA Act 1999, as amended);
• Social development (GLA Act 1999, as amended);
• Protection and Improvement of the environment (European Directive 201/42/EC on SEA;, The Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004, GLA Act 1999, as amended);
• Health inequality and promoting Londoners’ health (GLA Act 1999, as amended);
• Community safety (Crime and Disorder Act 1998, Police and Justice Act 2006); and
• Equality of opportunity, elimination of discrimination and the promotion of good community relations (GLA Act 1999, as amended, Equality Act 2010).
1.4 This document relates to the Economic Development Strategy (EDS). Therefore, in addition, an Integrated Impact Assessment (IIA) is required to cover assessment of:
• Equalities Impact Assessment (EqIA) in line with GLA guidance ensuring that due regard is given to equality considerations is accordance with the requirements of the Equality Act (2010) and to promote race disability and gender equality are met;
• Health Impact Assessment (HIA) incorporated into the IIA will ensure that the Mayor’s duty pursuant to section 30 of the Act to promote the reduction of health inequalities and have regard to the effects of his strategies on reducing health inequalities is met;
• Community Safety Impact Assessment (CSIA) in line with the Mayor’s duty pursuant to Section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 to do all that reasonably can be done to prevent crime and disorder and for all his strategies to have due regard to the likely effect on crime; and
1.5 Broadly the IIA process follows the following structure:
1.6 Approval is sought to seek tenders through the GLA Economics, Research and Evaluation Framework to appoint specialist consultant(s) to contribute to the preparation of the IIA for the Economic Development Strategy. Transport for London (TfL) commercial team are providing assistance on this procurement and have advised the above Framework is suitable to use in this instance. Andrew Quinn is the main point of contact for the procurement process.
1.7 Approval is also sought to appoint specialist consultant(s), through the TfL commercial team, to:
• Screen the Economic Development Strategy to determine whether a Habitats Regulation Assessment (HRA) is required in line with European Directive 92/43/EC regulations and the advice of Natural England;
• Assist with stages 1.1 --> 2.6 for the Economic Development Strategy.
1.8 The notional cost breakdown for the work, is:
• Full IIA Assessment - £60,000
• IIA Scoping - £30,000
• Scoping the need for a HRA - £10,000 [Provisional allocation, and will be used if there is a need to undertake a Habitats regulation Assessment Screening].
This work has been has been costed on the basis of similar reports and an exploratory IIA quote, following discussions with GLA Economics.
There are three distinct phases of work that we are intending to procure from the consultant(s). These are explained briefly below.
Economic Development Strategy (phase 1 – drafting and scoping)
2.1 Objectives: draft a Scoping Report, which will outline they key components of the Economic Development Strategy. The Report will be complemented by an existing overview of how the EDS might be comprised.
2.2 Outcome: We expect the Consultant to produce a written IIA Scoping Report informed in part by the Scoping Report for the IIA of the London Plan, and facilitate a workshop on the draft IIA scoping report that will feed into the draft IIA report, incorporating any comments received from the statutory consultees and stakeholder workshop into the draft IIA report.
Economic Development Strategy (phase 2 – development and assessment and produce an IIA report and statement)
2.3 Objectives: For this phase the Consultant will be required to:
• test the proposed strategy and policy options against the IIA objectives that have already been identified;
• undertake a detailed appraisal of the draft policies and produce an IIA report and statement; and
• Screen the EDS against the Habitats Regulation Assessment.
2.4 Outcome: We expect the consultants to produce a written review of the policy appraisal that will confirm a preferred approach and ensure that the strategy appropriately and robustly meets or contributes to the objectives of the IIA. Full details of the requirement for this phase are provided in Appendix 1.
2.5 Full details of the requirements for phase two are provided in Appendix 1.
Habitats Regulations Assessment (phase 3 – evaluation on the necessity of a Habitats Regulations Assessment)
2.6 Subject to the need for an HRA screening for the EDS being required; as set out in Appendix 2 the Consultant’s key project tasks for the HRA screening for the EDS should cover the following:
• Description of the role and purpose of HRA and the EU Habitats Directive; and
• Review of baseline information on all Natura 2000 and Ramsar sites within and adjoining the Region, including qualifying features, conservation objectives, summary of factors that maintain site integrity, existing trends and pressures
• Assessment of potential impacts resulting from the policies in the new Economic Development Strategy.
2.7 If required, the full HRA process will be commissioned separately.
3.1 The proposal is in accordance with the Greater London Authority’s Equalities Framework in relation to this procurement. Consultants will be asked to demonstrate how they comply with the Mayor’s Equality and Diversity Policy Statement and related documents.
3.2 The Integrated Impact Assessment includes an Equalities Impact Assessment which includes requirements that the evaluation of the likely potential impacts, both positive and negative, of the Environment Strategy and the Economic Development Strategy on those with protected characteristics (age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, gender, religion or belief, sexual orientation).
a) key risks
4.1 If during the public consultation on the Economic Development Strategy, the draft strategy policies are amended to such an extent that it is deemed necessary that the policies require a further assessment then this will result in
(i) the need for a further period of public consultation which, in turn, may delay the strategy development programme by up to two months and (ii) lead to undertaking a new IIA in light of the new or additional information.
4.2 If the screening report shows that the draft policies in the strategy have the potential to have significant adverse impacts on the integrity of European site(s), (locations in the European Union where the HRA applies), then a full HRA will be needed. This would take one year and could delay the public consultation of the Economic Development Strategy by a further twelve months
b) links to Mayoral strategies and priorities
4.3 The IIA is a legal requirement for the preparation of the Mayor’s Economic Development Strategy.
4.4 The Scoping Report for the IIA for the London Plan will be used to form the basis of the Scoping Report for the Economic Development Strategy. An internal GLA steering group was set up with the purpose of developing a framework which is to be applied to the IIAs for the Economic Development Strategy. The framework includes a common set of IIA objectives to be used for the assessment stage of the IIA. The guide questions which sit underneath each of the IIA objectives will be relevant and specific for the individual strategies. The Mayor’s Transport Strategy (MTS) has already been tested against the IIA objectives and the outcomes of this testing will be used to inform the process for the other strategies.
c) impact assessments and consultations
4.5 The IIA incorporates all the relevant impact assessments and will be consulted on alongside the strategy. An HRA screening exercise will be carried out on the EDS.
5.1 Approval is being sought for the expenditure of up to £100,000 and the award of the consultancy contract for the undertaking of the Integrated Impact Assessments of the Mayor’s Economic Development Strategy, as outlined in the body of this report.
5.2 The costs for the Integrated Impact Assessments (IIA) will be met from the Statutory Strategies GM.0109.003 budget within the Governance Directorate. All appropriate budget adjustments will be made.
5.3 Any changes to this proposal, including budgetary implications will be subject to the Authority’s decision-making process.
5.4 The Statutory Strategies Unit within the Governance Directorate will be responsible for managing the proposed consultancy based contract/project and ensuring that all expenditure complies with the Authority’s Financial Regulations and Contracts & Funding Code.
6.1 The Mayor is required under the Act to have an Economic Development Strategy. In preparing or reviewing the strategy, the Mayor shall have regard to;
• the principal purpose of the GLA;
• the effect on the proposed strategy on the health of persons in Greater London;
• health inequalities between persons living in Greater London;
• achievement of sustainable development in the UK,
• climate change and its consequences;
• ensuring the policy is consistent with national policy and other GLA strategies;
• resources available to implement the strategy; and
• desirability of promoting and encouraging the use of the River Tames in the provision of passenger transport services.
6.2 The decisions requested of the Director falls within the GLA’s statutory powers to do such things considered to further or which are facilitative of, conductive or incidental to the promotion of economic development and wealth creation and social development in Greater London; and in formulating the proposals in respect of which a decision is sought officers have complied with the Authority’s related statutory duties to;
• Pay due regard to the principle that there should be equality of opportunity for all people;
• consider how the proposals will promote the improvement of health of persons, health inequalities between persons and to contribute towards the achievement of sustainable development in the UK; and
• consult with appropriate bodies.
6.3 Officers have indicated at paragraph 1.6 of this report that the;
• framework under which it is proposed that the services required are to be “call-off” are in accordance with relevant procurement law; and
• the services required have been procured fully in accordance with the requirements of that framework.
6.4 Officers must ensure that appropriate “call-off” documentation is put in place and executed by the successful bidder(s) and the GLA before the commencement of the services.
Signed decision document
DD2072 IIA EDS (signed) PDF