7. Conclusions
Schedule 9 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 requires that, in making any decision with respect to a policy, a public authority shall take into account any EQIA and consultation carried out in relation to the policy. There is no strict definition of what “taking into account” entails. However, the Equality Commission guidance on how decisions should be recorded makes it clear that a public authority must be able to record the decision-making process (as well as the decision) and that the decision must be justifiedFootnote fifteen.
The guidance also advises that all available information should be combined in making the decision. This includes the information gathered during the research phase and the results of the consultationFootnote sixteen.
This information has been brought together in this report in order to ensure that Belfast City Council is in a position to take account of all evidence and any issues when making a decision in relation to Belfast Stories.
The following analysis of the key points arising from the EQIA and the consultation responses is provided to assist the council, but it is not exhaustive and is not meant to be a substitute for the detailed information presented in this report.
Support for the Belfast Stories concept
The Belfast Stories’ Equality Framework established the broad parameters to help ensure that equality, diversity and inclusion remain at the heart of the project’s development.
Belfast Stories’ engagement plan identified groups who are less likely to access, experience or feel represented in Belfast Stories and set down a range of actions to mitigate potential differential impacts during the public consultation and ongoing engagement.
During the public consultation, this ensured that Belfast City Council gathered feedback across a range of equality groups, and there was broad support for its concept and potential impact.
Support was generally strongest at face-to-face engagements such as workshops and focus groups. However, survey results indicate people from some Section 75 categories may be less supportive. This may include young people; people from minoritized ethnic communities; disabled people; people from the LGBTQ+ community; and people from neither a Protestant nor Catholic community background.
Architectural concept
Across both RIBA stage 1 and 2 public consultations, consultees generously shared their lived experience and advice to help make Belfast Stories inclusive and welcoming. Some of this feedback has already been used to inform the initial architectural concept, including multiple, broad entrances; a wide, open courtyard; and accessible public space.
The design team should now further consider new evidence and review architectural plans to maximise the sense of welcome and inclusion, particularly in relation to egress, signage, public space and accessibility.
Curatorial framework
Compared to the RIBA stage 1 public consultation, when stories were to be curated by theme, the time–space curatorial framework has been well received, and there appears to be fewer concerns that it will present a partisan, binary or narrow perspective of Belfast.
Nevertheless, residual concerns are likely to be a barrier to equitable story collection and curation. Such concerns may reduce further over time with ongoing, targeted engagement and mitigation, such as targeted outreach, embedded in story collection processes.
Language Strategy
Belfast Stories is an opportunity to promote access to and awareness and inclusion of Irish, Ulster Scots, BSL and ISL. This may in turn enhance good relations by affording respect and recognition to native minority language in keeping with local and international policy and best practice.
Belfast City Council should continue to consult closely the city’s language communities, including in relation to the development of the building, story collection, exhibition and overall experience. Resulting language policy or practice should support the council’s Language Strategy and draft Irish Language Strategy and be subject to an equality screening.
Travel and transport
Consultees have identified that travel and transport may be a major barrier for some Section 75 groups including disabled people, older people, younger people, carers and parents. There should be ongoing collaboration with Translink and city planners in relation to accessible parking, public transport, drop-off and streetscaping.
Safety
Another major barrier identified across the population and that may affect some Section 75 groups in particular is perceptions of safety in the immediate vicinity of Belfast Stories and the city centre in general.
There should be ongoing collaboration with city planners, other developers and stakeholders to maximise regeneration and reduce concerns around blight, safety and anti-social behaviour.
Ongoing engagement
Survey responses may point to underlying systemic issues of trust and representation which reinforce Belfast Stories’ intent to continue to target engagement at people and groups most likely to feel excluded.
The next stage of engagement is an opportunity to continue to build on messages of welcome and inclusion while gathering evidence as to how this can be achieved, practically and ideologically, from those key equality groups. This is particularly important as concepts and ideas become plans for structures and layouts during RIBA stage 3.
At this stage, Belfast Stories engagement plan and stakeholder mapping should be reviewed and revised in light of lessons learned and additional evidence uncovered during this public consultation. Ongoing engagement should prioritise those stakeholders and groups that may be most at risk of missing out but also have most to offer in terms of how inclusion can be designed in. This includes:
- young people
- older people
- people from minoritized ethnic communities
- disabled people
- parents
- carers
- people from the LGBTQ+ community
- people from neither a Protestant nor Catholic community background
- different language communities including Irish, Ulster Scots and sign language
Operations
There were high levels of interest among stakeholders as to how Belfast Stories will be run after its opens in 2030. This included in relation to its operating model, staff, pricing policy, opening hours and marketing and communications.
Belfast Stories should give consideration to further engagement to ensure that it creates a welcoming and inclusive operating environment in the long term.
Equality consultative forum
The equality consultative forum proved a valuable tool for engagement throughout the RIBA 2 public consultation. Many of its participants had been involved in the RIBA 1 public consultation and now couple lived experience with expertise in the development of Belfast Stories.
Belfast Stories should consider having a standing equality consultative forum to provide continuity and advice between and throughout public consultation.
Story collection
Belfast City Council should prioritise testing story collection processes and tools with groups that are less likely to share stories (because of their culture, identity or circumstance), in particular older people and the very elderly whose stories are otherwise at risk of being lost.
Footnotes
Footnote fifteen: Practical Guidance on Equality Impact Assessment, ECNI 2004, p.45
