4. Review of information, equality analysis and potential actions
Applies to all characteristics
Please see specific characteristic groups for more detail on 'what do you know', 'what do people tell you' and ‘what does this mean’.
What can you do?
- Ensure broad stakeholder engagement takes place across all ages in early stages of consultation and design to gain a diverse range of views.
- Use of language that is accessible – (plain English) easy to understand and available in different formats.
- Ensure engagement is accessible to all, by early identification of groups sharing protected characteristics and/or with additional requirements.
- Ensure a variety of channels of communication are considered to reach the broadest audience possible.
- Ensure that stakeholders have access to the broader picture e.g., where there is poor access to public transport, how this access impacts on mental health; where poor air quality impacts on physical health. Impacts on health are explored in the Health Impact Assessment.
- Work internally and with partner organisations to understand the needs and challenges applicable to each protected characteristic group to aid engagement and discussion with them. Training and a greater understanding will strengthen relationships and ensure deliverables from collaborative working are enhanced and deliver the needs for specific user groups.
- Promote partnership working, for example in the use of multi modal ticketing (allowing people to travel on multiple forms of public transport using the same ticket) to ensure that cost and ease of accessing tickets and access to information about ticketing does not exclude residents sharing specific characteristics.
- Promote partnership working with local communities and users. Engagement and co-design can occur from scheme start and throughout the project lifecycle to seek support and acceptability and ensure that the scheme(s) address the issues local communities and/or users face. For example, collaborative scheme development for School Streets.
- Provide access to travel behaviour change initiatives, training and education to enable and encourage more people to travel actively and to increase confidence in using public transport. This applies to both transport operators/providers and transport users and needs to cover topics such as needs of users and policies on anti-social behaviour. For example, we can work with schools and businesses to ensure sustainable travel options are available to/from their campus/premises.
- Work with people and groups who may feel less safe in certain circumstances and identify what design elements can help improve their perceived, and actual, level of safety.
- Work with transport providers to upskill staff to increase awareness, understanding and skill to identify passengers’ needs, so they can provide the appropriate level of support at the right time. This support includes where passengers feel unsafe or experience hate incidents/crime
- Work with partners to make reporting of harassment, hate incidents/crime and other incidents relating to safety, and the perception of safety, as easy as possible, to give users the confidence to use transport networks and public spaces.
Age
What do you know?
The total population of East Sussex is 545,852 people (2021 Census). With an age breakdown as follows:
- 16.6% of the population are aged 0-15.
- 57.4% of the population are aged 16-65.
- 26.1% of the population are aged over 65.
- Rother has a higher proportion of people aged 65+ (32.4%), with a lower proportion of people aged under 65, particularly those aged 16-64 (52.8%).
- Hastings has a larger proportion of younger people (aged 0-15) at 17.9% and those aged 16-64 (61.9%) and as a result had a lower proportion of people aged 65+.
Looking to population projections, between 2020 and 2035:
- The population of the county is anticipated to grow by 68,800 people (+12%).
- The majority of this growth is in the over 65 years group.
- Those aged over 85 will increase by 16,800 people (+76%).
- The number of young people (aged under 18) will remain relatively flat at a county level (+1,300 (+1%)).
- The number of young people will decline in our urban boroughs (-2,100 (11%) in Eastbourne and –1,500 (-8%) in Hastings).
- The largest growth in young people will occur in Wealden (+4,200 (+14%)).
Sources: East Sussex in Figures
What do people tell you?
Younger People (under 18)
Engagement sessions took place in Stage 1 of the LTP4 development to identify constraints, barriers and opportunities to transport. This took place with primary and secondary schools, and East Sussex County Council’s Youth Cabinet and SEND Ambassadors.
Young People told us:
- There is a need for improved public transport to school from rural areas, and,
- safety improvements are required for those walking and cycling to school where the route is alongside the road.
Sustrans (2019) have identified that it is important to get transport right for young people. They identify how it is important to support young people with their personal and professional development by providing accessibility and connectivity to destinations they need to reach, thereby also promoting social inclusion for this age group.
A study by NatCen Social Research (2019) notes that research by UCL Institute identifies that young people not in education, employment or training are at risk of transport poverty.
Older people (over 65)
A Sustrans and CI FE research study identifies that there is a difference in the needs of working people and retired people in this age group. The report also identified that car-centric behaviours are often formed when individuals are young.
An ILC-UK and Age UK study (2015) revealed that:
- 68% of households with someone aged 70+ have their own car.
- Older people, often with poor health, struggle to travel to health services (GPs, hospitals etc.).
- Older people can find public transport doesn’t meet their needs as it doesn’t operate when they want it to and it doesn’t go where they want.
- Encouraging older people to walk or cycle can have health benefits and reduce isolation.
- Older people living in rural areas use public transport less than those in urban areas.
Workshops with and feedback from older people and their representatives in the County revealed:
- Technology can be a barrier to travel. Digital exclusion can be a conscious choice by individuals for a variety of reasons (fear of scams, want personal connections), as well as being driven by cost, lack of confidence, knowledge or equipment etc..
- The rail network’s passenger assistance offer helps keep older people independently connected with family and friends and allows access to social events over a larger geographical area. However, there is ongoing work needed to ensure this is a reliable and consistent offer, as identified by Transport Focus, through their annual survey.
- Older people often try to schedule their travel around ‘external’ (to them) events. E.g., booking a taxi outside of school drop-off or pick up times due to limited availability of vehicles. However, this is not always possible or convenient.
- Cost of travel and activities leads to decisions over what to attend and what to miss. Such decisions can lead to increased social isolation.
- Older people want to access a diverse range of destinations including healthcare, religious spaces, community groups/centres/social hubs, town centres, sport centres, education, shopping (including food) and hairdressers.
- Concern about falls from uneven pavements and surfaces.
- Changes in eligibility criteria for services (e.g. non-emergency patient transport to hospitals) will result in more people needing to access healthcare via alternative ways.
- ‘Post covid’, some older people remain reluctant to get together or travel on public transport.
- A challenge is letting older people know what travel opportunities are available.
- Social isolation can have a big impact on mental health, which results in increased demand for the healthcare system.
What does this mean?
- A higher-than-average ageing local population - means the plan needs to consider mobility issues around access to public transport including bus stops, seating and shelters, as well as accessibility of the transport options themselves - particularly for those living in rural areas.
- Other issues to consider for older people – social isolation, need to access services, and difficulty in understanding and navigating various transport journeys and surfaces. Including digital inclusion support as required.
- The need to identify where there is poor public transport, walking and cycling connections between where people live and where they need / want to get to in rural settings.
- Young people are less likely to have a car and may make different journeys from adults and older people (to different places and at different times of days).
- People with respiratory illnesses are more susceptible to poor air quality (particularly younger and older people).
- Ageing population projections, when combined with disability projections (also see disability protected characteristic) will put an emphasis on providing transport opportunities for older people. People who are older and disabled may have challenges accessing some modes of transport. Therefore, they may have difficulty in accessing health or social care locations, and also places where they work, volunteer and/or socialise, all of which can create or exacerbate wider negative outcomes.
What can you do?
Please, also see entry in ‘all characteristics’ groups.
- Targeted engagement with people in and approaching the older population age group(s) to understand their needs now and in the future; enabling interventions to be delivered at the appropriate time (asap or in the medium-term onwards). We will also work with East Sussex County Council teams in appropriate service areas to get feedback on older people’s needs and how these have changed and are likely to change into the future.
- To address poor and missing infrastructure and bus services we will work with representatives of these groups to discuss their challenges and opportunities. We will then work with colleagues as appropriate to identify interventions and develop these in a collaborative process with user groups and local communities.
- Explore options to set up groups with young people to understand their travel needs and identify opportunities to support their ability to access their education, training, employment and leisure locations.
- Regarding air quality - ensure that there is a focus on areas where young people and older people meet (e.g., school or community facilities).
- Work closely with older people and health and social care providers to understand the needs of these age groups, and work with partners to deliver interventions and journey opportunities that enables these people to access the services and locations to maximise social inclusion. For example, improved bus services and frequency to support older people accessing clubs and groups to help reduce social isolation, and to support health and social care providers reach their clients using sustainable modes at times convenient to both parties.
- Work with partners to ensure that older people can be supported to give them confidence to use online services and apps.
- When changing the transport offer, review how to inform people and promote the changes (e.g. those who are digitally excluded), which may include improved connectivity or new journey opportunities.
- Consider use of and review materials and maintenance schedules in relation to minimising risk of trips and falls
Disability
What do you know?
- 110,553 people in East Sussex identify as disabled under the Equality Act 2021.
- Wealden has the highest number of people identifying as disabled, but the lowest proportion of total residents (27,629 / 17.3%), compared to the other districts and boroughs (each with between 20,138 and 20,342 people or between 20.4% and 22.5% of their population.
Looking to population disability projections, between 2020 and 2035:
- The number of people with a disability will increase by 25,800 (+27%).
- People aged 65+ make up the majority of this increase (+25,300).
Sources: East Sussex in Figures.
DfT’s Blue Badge Survey (Table DIS0105) reveals that on 31 March 2023 there were 26,000 valid blue badges held in East Sussex, which equates to 5% of the county’s population, which is slightly higher than the national average of 4%.
Sight Loss
An ‘East Sussex sight loss briefing’ by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) notes that older people are at greater risk of sight loss, as are people from specific ethnic communities or those who live in deprived areas. Sight loss can be linked to poor health.
The RNIB report also notes that “Transport systems, pavements and built environments are often not designed to be fully inclusive of people with a vision impairment. People with sight loss are unable to drive so, for journeys that cannot be made by walking, rely on public transport, taxis and lifts from friends or relatives. Navigating streets, public spaces and buildings can be a challenge for people with sight loss, particularly if the environment is unfamiliar, changeable or not designed in an accessible way”.
The report further notes that:
- 25% of registered blind and partially sighted people of working age are in employment.
- Blind and partially sighted people can be or are limited in the activities that they would like to participate in.
- 36% of blind and partially sighted people do not have internet access or use it.
- In East Sussex, each year an estimated 3,300 people with sight loss aged over 65 experience a fall, of which half are attributed to sight loss. 270 people experience a severe fall (hospital admission via A&E) of which 130 of these are attributed to sight loss.
The RNIB Report tells us for East Sussex that:
- In 2022, an estimated 26,000 people are estimated to be living with sight loss, of whom:
- 210 are aged under 18.
- 3,730 are aged 18-64.
- 4,790 are aged 65 to 74.
- 7,670 are aged 75 to 84.
- 9,620 are aged 85 or older
- Neary two thirds (64%) have mild sight loss, 22% have moderate sight loss and 14% have severe sight loss.
- The number of people living with sight loss is projected to increase to 32,100 people in 2032.
- 1,430 people are registered as blind and 1,505 are registered as partially sighted.
- 240 Certificates of Vision Impairment in 2020/21.
What do people tell you?
Making sure that multi modal journeys (by different forms of transport) are easy to manage and accessible.
A report by Motability (transport accessibility gap report (2022)) notes that disabled people take 38% fewer trips than people who are not disabled, and that public and private transport provision plays a large role in this difference. Disabled people who have had negative experiences (including attitudes of other passengers) and are unable to access appropriate information are discouraged from making trips by public transport. The report also estimates that if the accessibility gap was closed for disabled people, the economic benefit would be worth £72 billion. Mobility barriers reported in the Motability report include the absence of grab and hand rails, lack of public toilets, need for assistance to get on or off trains or buses, the need to plan journeys and the lack of available information for planning and incorrect handling of wheelchairs when travelling by plane.
Workshops with and feedback from older people and their representatives in the County revealed:
- Technology and digital exclusion can be a barrier to travel. Digital exclusion can be a conscious choice by individuals for a variety of reasons (fear of scams, want personal connections etc.), as well as being due to access barriers, lack of confidence, knowledge or equipment.
- The rail network’s passenger assistance offer helps keep older people independently connected with family and friends and allows access to social events over a larger geographical area. However, there is ongoing work needed to ensure this is a reliable and consistent offer, as identified by Transport Focus, through their annual survey.
- Street furniture (A-frame signs, tables and chairs), outdoor seating and bollards can cause navigational challenges for people who are blind or visually impaired and also for people using wheelchairs or walking aids.
- People who are blind or partially sighted find tactile pavements and other materials important for navigation, something that is not always known by other sighted users.
- Colouring of materials is important for people who are partially sighted (especially to show kerb edges).
- Awareness by public transport staff of the needs of people with blind or visual impairments can be lacking. This can also apply to awareness and understanding of other forms of disability or impairment, such as learning disability, hearing impairment, and mental health conditions.
- Availability and access to real-time travel information can be difficult (e.g., absence of a phone signal, unable to see screen due to lighting (e.g., sunlight), small print, refresh rate of real time screens (when using a camera to take a picture to view on a phone), audio availability.
- Blind and partially sighted people who use canes and have guide dogs learn routes between key locations. Whilst they know their routes, they may only know the route on one side of the road and can be disorientated when forced to use the other side of the street (for example if there are closures of footways) that they do not know as part of their route learning or experiences. Changes to road or pavement layout can also create barriers for wheelchair users, which can be mitigated by ensuring alternative accessible routes are available and clearly signed.
- Disabled people cannot always access their local bus stop, creating reliance on taxis (which are more expensive than the bus) or friends/family for lifts (which is not always possible), especially in urban areas where community transport or Flexibus is not available.
- Bus shelter design could be improved in a range of ways, including adding handrails to help people use bus stop seats and improved protection from the wind and rain.
- Walking and cycling are two different ways to travel to people who are blind or partially sighted, and should not be grouped together from a transport planning perspective.
- Poor lighting can prevent people who are blind or partially sighted from going out (as they can find it difficult to differentiate features). In addition, poor lighting can create anxiety about personal safety, especially among disabled people.
- Not all stations are fully accessible to disabled users. Some journeys will require passing your station to change at a fully accessible station to return to your intended station on an accessible platform (e.g. Battle station). Same can apply when lifts at railway stations are not working, which may not always be known in advance of a journey, leaving people stuck.
What does this mean?
- Need to consider disability proactively and automatically in all design – for example dropped kerbs, colours and/or textured paving and provision of seating at regular intervals in town centres.
- Access to public transport – step free access at stations; consideration of kerb height at bus stops; signage and availability of information both for planning journeys and notice of disruption to a journey.
- Access to public transport, key services and facilities, both in terms of accessing vehicles themselves and addressing barriers to travel.
- Due to difficulties in accessing transport and cost of available transport, disabled people begin to choose which activities they attend, which can lead to social isolation and reduce physical and mental health.
What can you do?
Please, also see entry in ‘all characteristics’ groups.
- Ensure that the scheme development process takes a ‘design for all’ approach and pro-actively considers the needs of all users. This can be achieved through collaborative co-design and targeted engagement of appropriate stakeholders at all stages of the project lifecycle. Particular assessments (such as Healthy Streets and Access Audits), especially in busy town or local centres, can be undertaken as part of the development of schemes.
- Ensure scheme consultation is inclusive and considers the needs of all users in accessing and participating in the consultation. This includes both in-person events and online access.
- Work in partnership with operators to advertise advanced warning of disruption to users. For example, where services are unable to call at a bus stop or railway station information is provided on alternative equally accessible stops or stations and travel routes to enable disabled passengers to complete their journey.
- Work with stakeholders to understand their issues and join with partners to maximise accessibility and connectivity for disabled people.
- Provide access to employment, training, education and key services. Where possible, and appropriate, encourage more people to travel actively, and increase confidence in using public transport. For example, we can work with transport operators to enhance or provide bus services - where appropriate - and work with cycle training providers to deliver cycle training courses to give people the confidence to travel actively. Southern Railway already offer ‘try a train’ events to support existing and potential passengers by increasing confidence in using the rail network.
- Other: Motability. Improved evidence gathering needed, particularly in relation to new/emerging technologies.
- Work closely with disabled people and health and social care providers to understand the needs of these users, and work with partners to deliver interventions and journey opportunities that enables disabled people to access services and locations to maximise social inclusion. For example, improved bus or community transport services and frequency to support disabled people accessing clubs and groups to help reduce social isolation, and to support health and social care providers reach their clients using sustainable modes at times convenient to both parties.
Gender reassignment
What do you know?
- Across East Sussex 0.4% of people aged 16 and over have a “gender identity different to their sex registered at birth”.
- Rother and Wealden have a lower proportion of people who have a “gender identity different to their sex registered at birth (0.3% and 0.2% respectively).
Source: East Sussex in Figures
What do people tell you?
No information at this stage.
What does this mean?
- The key issues are around a sense of safety and security when travelling either using public transport or using active travel modes within public spaces.
What can you do?
Please, also see entry in ‘all characteristics’ groups.
- Ensure scheme designs we deliver are inclusive, safe and secure to encourage and enable all users to use the intervention. We can work collaboratively with users throughout the scheme development to maximise the opportunities for users and to address any concerns they may have.
- Such changes can ensure that actual and perceived safety can be improved/achieved through good lighting levels and alternative routes as and when appropriate to discourage anti-social behaviour.
- Work with transport operators to ensure staff are trained around the concerns of this user group and support inclusive spaces and journeys.
- Work with people who may feel less safe in certain circumstances and identify what design elements can help improve their perceived, and actual, level of safety.
Marriage and civil partnership
What do you know?
- Across East Sussex 31.9% of people are single. The proportion of single people is highest in Eastbourne (35.8%) and Hastings (36.9%), and lowest in Rother (28.1%) and Wealden (27.7%).
- The percentage of people who are “widowed or the surviving partner from a same-sex civil partnership” is 7.7% in East Sussex. This figure is highest for Rother (9.2%) and lowest in Hastings (6.3%).
Source: East Sussex in Figures
What do people tell you?
No information at this stage.
What does this mean?
No disproportionate impacts identified.
What can you do?
Please, also see entry in ‘all characteristics’ groups.
No additional actions identified, will be kept under review.
Pregnancy and maternity
What do you know?
- In 2020 there were 15.7 births per 1,000 females across the county.
- Hastings had the highest number of births per 1,000 females (19.6), whilst Rother had the lowest (13.2).
- In 2020 there were 4,513 live births across the county.
- Wealden has the highest number of live births (1,231), whilst Rother had the lowest (663).
Source: East Sussex in Figures
What do people tell you?
Making sure that multi modal journeys (by different forms of transport) are easy to manage and accessible.
What does this mean?
- Safety and security, both perceptions and experience, are important in relation to pregnancy and for people with infants.
- Access to public transport (when using buggy, pram etc.) for all trip purposes and to access all destinations (including childcare and healthcare). Challenges exist where there is only a footbridge to access railway platforms, narrow and poorly lit footpaths to public transport, no step free access at stations, bus stops and transport interchanges and no consideration of kerb height at bus stops.
What can you do?
Please, also see entry in ‘all characteristics’ groups.
- Ensure scheme design and delivery is inclusive and safe and secure (perceived and actual) to encourage and enable all users to travel as they want to.
- Such design changes can include ensuring that actual and perceived safety concerns can be improved/achieved through good lighting levels and alternative routes, as and when appropriate, to discourage anti-social behaviour and provide an environment that pregnant women and people with babies/young children feel safe using.
- Work with strategic partners to identify where accessibility improvements need to be made and to work in partnership to resolve these (e.g. level access at railway stations through partnership working with station operators).
Race/ethnicity
What do you know?
- 88.3% of people in East Sussex identify as “White British & Northern Irish”.
- The proportion of people identify as “White British & Northern Irish” in Eastbourne and Hastings is lower (82.1% and 85.1% respectively), where there is a higher proportion of people identifying as “Other White”, “Indian”, “Other Asian”, “African”, “Arab” or “Any other ethnic group”.
- The proportion of people who identify as “White British & Northern Irish” in Rother and Wealden is higher than the proportion for East Sussex (91.7% and 91.8% respectively).
- People who identify as “Mixed”, “Asian or Asian British”, “Black or Black British” and “Other ethnic group” tend to be of working age or younger (aged under 65); only 4-8% of residents in these groups are aged 65 or over. A trend that is replicated both across the South East region and nationally.
Source: East Sussex in Figures
What do people tell you?
A study by NatCen Social Research (2019) identified that people who identify as “Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) households have the highest rates of poverty”, and older people who identify as one the above groups are more likely to have a higher rate of poverty and be at risk of transport poverty.
The NatCen Social Research Report also notes that people who identify as “Mixed/Multiple ethnic groups”, “Asian / Asian British”, “Black / African / Caribbean / Black British” and “Other ethnic group” take fewer trips (by up to ~20%) than people who identified as “White”.
The Department for Transport (2020) identify that older minority ethnic people may not have English as a first language.
What does this mean?
- Users may not understand proposals either at the LTP4 level or more local proposals (e.g. individual schemes or measures) that may affect their area or travel patterns.
- The key issues are around a sense of safety and security when travelling either using public transport or using active travel (such as walking, wheeling or cycling) modes within public spaces, due to experiences of racism and harassment.
- Education and awareness of transport modes (training, maintenance, safety) – including to access education, employment and social activities.
What can you do?
Please, also see entry in ‘all characteristics’ groups.
- For speakers of English as an additional language East Sussex County Council will use language that is accessible and easy to understand. In addition for people who do not speak or understand English, we will offer to provide information in their language as per Council policy.
- Work with community groups and individuals as required to understand any safety (both perceived and actual) concerns that they have to inform policy or scheme delivery as appropriate, to create an environment that they feel safe using.
- Provide access to training and education to Council staff and encourage partner organisations to undertake appropriate training. Completing the training will provide a greater understanding of the challenges for ethnic minority people and to support and encourage them to travel actively and to increase confidence in using public transport.
- Promote partnership working in the use of multi modal ticketing to ensure that cost and ease of accessing tickets and access to information about ticketing is available in formats that this user group can understand.
Religion or belief
What do you know?
- Across East Sussex 45.9% of people identify as “Christian” (45.9%).
- 44.7% of East Sussex population identify as having “no religion”.
- Hastings and Lewes have a lower percentage of people identifying as “Christian”, with more people identifying as having “no religion”. Conversely Rother and Wealden have a higher proportion of people identifying as “Christian” and lower proportion of people who responded “no religion”.
Source: East Sussex in Figures
What do people tell you?
The Department for Transport (2020) identifies that safety and perceptions of safety are important for groups when using public transport, including people from particular religious or faith communities. The biggest issues relate to hate crimes.
What does this mean?
- The key issues are around a sense of safety and security when travelling either using public transport or using active travel modes within public spaces.
- Education and awareness of transport modes (training, maintenance, safety) – including to access education, employment and social opportunities.
What can you do?
Please, also see entry in ‘all characteristics’ groups.
- Provide access to training and education (for users and/or public transport employees) to enable and encourage more people to travel actively and to increase confidence in using public transport.
- Understand the sensitivities to religion or beliefs in the development of documentation and scheme locations. For example, understanding that in a specific area there may be a larger number of people who follow a particular religion or belief travelling to specific locations at certain times (e.g. to church or mosque).
- Work with community religion and belief groups, as needed, to provide additional information on their beliefs to others (e.g. scheme designers and other users) to help them understand their needs and requirements.
Sex
What do you know?
Across East Sussex 52% of the population identify as “female” and 48% as “male” and there is very little difference at a district and borough level. Source: East Sussex in Figures
What do people tell you?
An ILC-UK and Age UK (2015) study revealed that "women, those with lower incomes, and those without a car were less likely to state that public transport was inconvenient – perhaps because they have no choice.”
A study by NatCen Social Research (2019) reported research (UK Women’s Budget Group) that notes women are more impacted by cuts to transport services than men, due to the fact they make more trips and that “a lack of public transport creates barriers to women accessing employment and educational opportunities…”.
Transport Times (2024) note that “63% of women prefer to plan their journeys around safe spaces and well-lit venues, some of the solutions include increasing visibility at bus stops, to properly lighting carparks, clearly marking safe spaces at bus and train stations to help journey planning, implementing 'talking light posts', and so much more”.
Connected Places Catapult (2024) report that “figures compiled by the Office for National Statistics show that nearly half of women feel ‘very or fairly unsafe’ using public transport on their own after dark, compared to just under a fifth of men”. Similar figures are also reported in a 2021 report by AtkinsRealis that highlights the differences in perception of safety between men and women, particularly in the dark (49% of women felt safe compared to 73% of men). The AtkinsRealis report also identifies how street scenes differ at different times of day (e.g. shops frontages being open during the day but not at night) and that over 70% of women have experienced sexual harassment in public.
Connected Places Catapult also report that “eleven percent of females don’t feel safe travelling alone on public transport during the day either.”
What does this mean?
- Safety and security – provide an environment or services that women feel confident and safe in using transport.
- Women are often more reliant on a public transport network that connects them to the places they need to go (including employment and education).
What can you do?
Please, also see entry in ‘all characteristics’ groups.
- Work with public transport providers to identify the issues actual and perceived that create a barrier to women using public transport. To train staff on concerns around sex and gender to create an inclusive environment for all passengers to ensure safety and security on services.
- Education and training for active travel (especially girls and women only - cycling sessions) to encourage and enable more women to travel sustainably.
- Work with women and men who may feel less safe in certain circumstances and identify what design elements can help improve their perceived, and actual, level of safety.
- Work with public transport users and operators to understand where and when people want to access destinations and try to provide, where possible, commercial public transport network that facilitates these movements.
Sexual orientation
What do you know?
- 3% of people aged over 16 in East Sussex identify as LGB+ (“gay or lesbian”, “bisexual” or “other sexual orientation”).
- The proportion of people identifying as LGB+ was higher in Eastbourne (3.9%), Hastings (4.6%) and Lewes (4.1%).
Source: East Sussex in Figures
What do people tell you?
A report by Mott Macdonald for the Department for Transport (2020) identifies that safety and security (both perceived and actual) “is a key issue for lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people”. The report also notes a 2018 National LGBT survey where “cisgender LGB survey respondents reported avoiding being open about their sexual orientation”.
The report notes that “Improvements in all aspects of transport safety, including transport infrastructure that ensures journeys can be undertaken in a safe, reliable and efficient manner, would improve feelings of personal safety and present a beneficial opportunity to all vulnerable groups when travelling, including LGB people”. Another risk/concern is the absence of staff on public transport and at stations can “foster feelings of unsafety amongst LGB people”.
What does this mean?
- Safety and security are key issues for people sharing this characteristic.
What can you do?
Please, also see entry in ‘all characteristics’ groups.
- Work with public transport providers to train staff on the concerns around sexual orientation and safety to create an inclusive environment for all passengers to ensure safety and security on services.
- Work with LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex and asexual) individuals and groups who may feel less safe in certain circumstances and identify what design elements can help improve their perceived, and actual, level of safety.
Carers
What do you know?
- An estimated 61,050 people in East Sussex provide unpaid care in 2021 (11.7% of people aged over 5 years).
- In all 5 districts of East Sussex, there was a smaller proportion of unpaid carers in 2021 compared with 2011 (9.6%). This proportion is highest in Hastings, Lewes and Rother (9.9%) and lowest in Wealden (8.8%).
Source: East Sussex in Figures.
What do people tell you?
No information at this stage.
What does this mean?
- Many unpaid carers are reliant on active travel and public transport networks to travel between places, which can include between their own home/place or work and the residence of the care receiver. They may also need to do this quickly, in response to emergency situations.
- Carers and their care receiver may need to use active travel or public transport to access health care appointments, in addition to other key destinations such as the shops.
What can you do?
Please, also see entry in ‘all characteristics’ groups.
- Work with carers to understand their transport needs and work with East Sussex County Council teams and partners to deliver connections and services that support carers (both those who employed in the sector and those who are unpaid).
- Interventions could include public transport services running more frequently, and later into the evening throughout the week – reflective of the current Bus Service Improvement Plan funded investment in bus services in the county. This funding supports connecting paid carers between clients and unpaid carers between home/work/shops and their care receiver, particularly where they do not live close to each other.
- Work with partners to improve access to bus stops and railway stations for care receivers, this can include level or step-free access, which will improve their accessibility to their social networks and access healthcare and other services, with the support of a care giver.
- Work with other organisations to provide training and support in helping carers and care receivers on a first journey to give them confidence to use the transport network in the future.
Impacts on community cohesion
What do you know?
We know that changes to transport networks and infrastructure can be a matter that causes concerns among users and local residents. Lack of transparency in allocation of resources or prioritisation can lead to perceptions of unfairness.
What do people tell you?
Need to give communities greater input and responsibility from project inception through to the various design stages including consultation.
A study by NatCen Social Research (2019) identifies that transport and land-use planning can work together to support accessibility to jobs and services.
What does this mean?
- Enable communities to input into the process and provide invaluable local knowledge. Early engagement, including potentially taking a co-design approach, will minimise objections to the scheme and create a better rapport between communities and LTP4 partners, and strengthen community cohesion.
What can you do?
Please, also see entry in ‘all characteristics’ groups.
- Provision of community transport that is designed and delivered collaboratively, thereby supporting communities to take ownership of initiatives which increase access to key services and facilities e.g. for the elderly who live in a rural location but do not have access to public transport or a vehicle.
- Collaborative working and co-design should start at the inception/feasibility stage of the project to maximise the opportunities to work with the community and users to explain criteria for a decision, understand their concerns and what they support and what mitigations can be achieved about their concerns to garner support. Sustrans have examples of community-led street design.
- Promote partnership working in the use of multi modal ticketing to ensure that cost and ease of accessing tickets and access to information about ticketing does not exclude residents and can support people access work in an affordable way. E.g. the East Sussex Bus Service Improvement Plan support for cheaper fares has increased bus patronage.
- When scheme developments are being designed or delivered, be clear as to why it is occurring in that location and monies are not being spent in another location (as funding is often tied to specific criteria).
Rurality
What do you know?
East Sussex is classified as “Urban with significant Rural” in the six-fold classification. The districts and boroughs are:
- Eastbourne = “Urban with City and Town”.
- Hastings = “Urban with City and Town”.
- Lewes = “Urban with significant rural”.
- Rother = “Largely rural”.
- Wealden = “Mainly rural”.
Source: 2011 Rural Urban Classification
What do people tell you?
Public transport bus service cuts and limited rail stopping services in rural areas increases social exclusion, as access to existing transport services becomes more challenging, especially where residents are not connected digitally. Digital exclusion can be a conscious choice by individuals for a variety of reasons (fear of scams, want personal connections), as well as being driven by cost, lack of confidence, knowledge or equipment etc..
Inadequate walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure connecting people to places and public transport services.
A study by NatCen Social Research (2019) identifies that residents in rural communities are “frequently reported as being at risk of transport disadvantage and associated social exclusion”. Also that “rural and small urban communities experience transport disadvantage due to a lack of transit and a low density of employment, education, recreation and other opportunities”.
What does this mean?
- We need to identify where there is poor public transport, walking, wheeling and cycling connections between where people live and where they need / want to get to in rural settings and between rural areas and market towns or urban centres.
What can you do?
Please, also see entry in ‘all characteristics’ groups.
- Work with local communities to understand the challenges of rurality specific to them (not all communities will have the same challenges) across all modes.
- Look to improve public transport in rural areas, and promote community transport, particularly to connect residents to services that are no longer available locally (e.g. banking, health care etc.). Flexibus operates in rural areas across the county, connecting people to the wider more frequent public transport network and key destinations. A key challenge is the availability of funding for changes to services, where there are not commercial.
- Improvements have been made to longer distance urban/rural bus services in the county under the Bus Service Improvement Plan which have extended existing routes and/or increased the daytime frequency as well as introduce new/enhance evening and weekend services into the rural parts of the county. These need to be continue beyond the current funding.
- Use the East Sussex Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan to identify opportunities to connect rural communities to larger communities and provide walking, wheeling and cycling routes to key services and destinations.
- Promote partnership working in the use of multi modal ticketing (allowing people to travel on multiple forms of public transport using the same ticket) to ensure that cost and ease of accessing tickets and access to information about ticketing does not exclude residents.
- Lobby for governmental guidance and work with regional and national government (e.g. lobby for guidance for active travel in rural areas).
Assessment of overall impacts and any further recommendations
Overarching impacts and actions have been identified at the start of this Equalities Impact Assessment (EqIA) and other actions relating to specific characteristics should be read in addition to these over-arching activities.
During the initial consultation period we worked with people sharing protected characteristics, related groups and representatives to ensure this EqIA is comprehensive, to include updates about what we know, what people tell us, what it means and what actions we and our partners can look to deliver. The EqIA will be reviewed regularly during the timescale of the East Sussex Local Transport Plan 4 (LTP). Further feedback can be provided by email at LocalTransportPlan@eastsussex.gov.uk or calling 0345 60 80 190 and asking for the Local transport Plan team.