Step Four – Assessment

Section 7 of the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018 sets out a specific duty for relevant public bodies, including Transport Scotland, to “have regard to island communities” in carrying out their functions.

Our assessment to the related duty in Section 8 of the Act, which requires relevant public bodies to undertake an island communities impact assessment “in relation to a policy, strategy, or service which, in the authority’s opinion, is likely to have an effect on an island community which is significantly different from its effect on other communities (including other island communities) in the area in which the authority exercises its functions”, has not identified that the updated guidance is expected to result in any impacts that differ significantly from other communities. The updated guidance has been set out for urban and rural contexts, and will be equally relevant to island and mainland communities in this context. It should also be noted that it’s status is guidance rather than formative policy or a strategic decision. The focus of the guidance is not on if or where to provide infrastructure, but on what constitutes high quality cycling infrastructure that will be attractive to all potential cycle users once policy has decided there is a need for its provision.

We have therefore determined that a full ICIA (Step Five) is not required for the updated Cycling by Design guidance document, and therefore proceed directly to Step Six.