Draft Equality Action Plan 2025 - 2029 - Consultation

Shape a Fairer Future: Have your say on the draft Equality Action Plan 2025 - 2029

Your voice matters! We're inviting you to participate in a 12-week consultation on our proposed Equality Action Plan. This is your opportunity to help us build a truly inclusive and equitable future for everyone.

At Ards and North Down Borough Council we are committed to fostering an environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and has equal opportunities to thrive. Our new Equality Action Plan outlines key objectives and actions designed to identify and address inequalities, promote diversity, and ensure fairness across all aspects of our work and community.

Why is this consultation so important?

This isn't just a plan for you; it's a plan we want to build with you. We believe that real change happens when we listen to the experiences and perspectives of those directly impacted. Your insights are invaluable in ensuring our plan is robust, effective, and truly reflective of the needs and aspirations of our diverse community.

Over the next 12 weeks, we want to hear from you on:

What are the key equality issues you believe we should prioritise?
Do our proposed actions go far enough? Are there other initiatives we should consider?
How can we ensure our plan is effectively implemented and its impact measured?
What are your experiences and perspectives on equality and diversity within Ards and North Down Borough Council.

How to get involved:

We've made it easy for you to contribute. During this 12-week consultation period, you can:

Read the Draft Equality Action Plan 2025-2029 (PDF, 398 KB) (opens new window) to familiarise yourself with our proposals. An Easy read version has also been developed: Draft Easy read Equality Action Plan (PDF, 618 KB) (opens new window). The documents will be available in other accessible formats upon request.
Complete our Online Survey: https://engage.ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk/compliance/copy-of-equality-action-plan-2025-2029 and share your detailed feedback on specific aspects of the plan.
Submit Written Feedback: Send your comments directly to: equalityanddisability@ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk or Post to Compliance Officer, Equality, Ards and North Down Borough Council, City Hall, The Castle, Bangor, BT20 4BT
The consultation opens on Thursday 5^th June 2025 and closes on Thursday 28^th August 2025 at 4:00 PM.

Your contributions will directly inform the final version of our Equality Action Plan. It is anticipated that the final version of the plan will be available here, in September, following Council approval.