Decision details
STRATEGIC EQUALITY PLAN 2021-2022
Decision Maker: Leader of the Council and Lead Member for Economic Growth & Tackling Deprivation
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Purpose:
To gain
approval for this interim Strategic Equality Plan, with a view to thoroughly
investigating equality challenges as we develop our new Corporate Plan.
Decision:
To agree the content and publication of the Interim Strategic Equality Plan 2021 to 2022 for Denbighshire County Council in respect of requirements for the Equality Act 2010.
Reasons for the decision:
Under the Equality Act 2010 local authorities
are required to publish Strategic Equality Plans every four years. Prior to
2017 Denbighshire County Council produced a distinct, standalone Strategic
Equality Plan. However, in 2017 our Strategic Equality Objectives and
Well-being Objectives (under the Well-being of Future Generations Act) were
integrated to form our Corporate Plan. Because our Corporate Plan will be
renewed in 2022, the Strategic Equality Plan will be out of date.
In February 2020 Denbighshire County Council
wrote to the Equality and Human Rights Commission explaining why the integrated
approach was beneficial and therefore requesting an exemption from producing a
one-off, standalone Strategic Equality Plan in order to focus on producing our
Corporate Plan (again, integrating Equality Objectives with Well-being
Objectives). Please see attached file entitled ‘Letter to Ruth Coombs’.
In December 2020 EHRC replied to Denbighshire
to explain that we do need to publish Equality Objectives by October 2021, but
that they can be ‘interim equality objectives’. Please see attached file
entitled ‘Denbighshire 18.02.21.
In order to comply with legislative
requirements, it is proposed that Council adopts this Interim Strategic
Equality Plan.
Interests and Nature of Interests Declared:
No interest to declare
Publication date: 26/10/2021
Date of decision: 26/10/2021