Agenda item

To respond to any questions received from Members of the Council in accordance with Procedure Rule 11.2.

 

The deadline for receipt of questions is 5pm on Tuesday 16 April 2024, any questions received will be published in a Supplement on 17 April 2024.

 

 

The following questions were received from members in accordance with Procedure Rule 11:

 

1.    Councillor Hyman

 

 

It is a matter of public record that the March 2023 Revised Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) for Farnham was, as ever, merely a Plan to have a Plan at a future time, specifically stating its reliance upon the awaited details and modelling of the County Highways Authority’s ‘Farnham Infrastructure Programme’ proposals for East Street, Castle Street, West Street and the gyratory system.  

Surrey’s proposals consist of a mixture of roadspace (capacity) removal and partial contraflow sections in The Borough and Downing Street, with accompanying signalisation. Their aim is to discourage car use significantly by significantly increasing congestion, even though the latter increases journey times and fuel usage, increasing air pollution.    

The CHA measures are intended to shift the town centre air pollution problem to less central and more residential roads where current levels are already likely to be, or become, far above the WHO (if not EU) pollution limit levels.   The March Farnham Board papers indicated that the detailed plans and Paramics traffic modelling remain to be completed, despite Surrey Highways having supposedly provided a previous (June 2023) Farnham Board meeting with selected results from that modelling.   We now find that Surrey and Waverley are already relying on that dubious ‘satisfactory modelling’ for supposedly meeting our obligations under planning and air quality legislation.

Will Waverley now please agree to meet our obligations (under Schedule 11 Parts 6-8, Sections 83A, s85A(2) and 85B of the Environment Act 2021), and due process, by requesting and ensuring that SCC publicly demonstrate their ‘2019 Base’ and ‘2025 With-FIP’ Paramics models for Farnham on-screen for scrutiny, along with their assumptions and input and output data, before any related decisions are made and before works commence?    And if not, why not?

 

Response from Cllr Tony Fairclough, Deputy Leader and Executive Portfolio Holder for Enforcement and Regulatory Services:

 

I thank Cllr Hyman for his question.

 

As Cllr Hyman is aware,

 

Although Waverley is, through the allocation of CIL funding, a supporter of the Farnham Infrastructure Programme and, as such a partner of the programme …

 

… the ultimate authority and the ultimate responsibility for the Farnham Infrastructure Programme, and the resulting air quality, rests with Surrey Highways.

 

As a result:

 

Whilst Waverley may request information, SCC are not obliged to provide it. 

 

Waverley officers are working with SCC to ensure a full assessment of the air quality impact of all proposed traffic management measures and, to that end, WBC officers are meeting with their SCC counterparts to progress this in the next few weeks.

 

In the meantime, the SCC Transport Studies Team and Atkins have responded as follows:

 

The county’s strategic transport model, SINTRAM, was used to estimate demand for the 2025 forecasts of the more detailed Paramics microsimulation models of Farnham, as well as the scheme’s air quality assessment. It was developed in accordance with the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Transport Appraisal Guidance. 

 

The SINTRAM modelling completed in June 2023 is now considered to represent a worst case, high growth scenario, because it is based on outdated DfT forecasts which forecasts higher growth than the latest version, and no covid adjustment has been applied.?

 

Covid adjustment guidance for this only came out recently, and observed count data shows this is relevant for Farnham, with observed traffic flows being on average 9% lower than they were in 2019 during peak times.?

 

 

The Paramics modelling is being worked on daily as part of the ongoing detailed design.

 

However :

 

The Farnham town centre improvement scheme reflects other issues for the town such as;

 

A high rate of pedestrian accidents in the town centre. 

 

The dependence on vehicular travel, where it dominates streets, affecting walking and cycling, and leisure activities and reduces public realm quality and sense of place, thereby worsens noise and air quality, especially in The Borough. 

 

Narrow and substandard footways, especially on The Borough and Downing Street, which particularly affect those with mobility, visual impairments, and families with pushchairs. 

 

A lack of crossing facilities 

 

Servicing vehicles blocking carriageways and footways. 

 

Poor public realm with street clutter, inconsistent materials, limited rest areas/outside dining and poor setting of heritage/listed buildings. 

 

Poor, constrained bus waiting areas with a lack of real-time information. 

 

New Brightwells and Woolmead developments shifting focus east of town centre and creating a need to better connect the new and old centres. 

 

Poor drainage. 

 

The town centre scheme addresses all problems by providing the following solutions: 

 

Reduced vehicular traffic in the town centre. 

 

Increased walking and cycling in the town centre. 

 

Improved pedestrian safety by repurposing lanes and adding signalised and raised crossings. 

 

Enhanced bus stops with level boarding, new shelters, and real-time information. 

 

Improved bus infrastructure expected to attract more users and further reduce the reliance on cars. 

 

An improved pedestrian environment with a sense of place, and attractiveness. 

 

Formalised unloading arrangements into designated bays thereby discouraging ad hoc carriageway blocking.  

 

Greening, SUDS and Rain gardens to improve drainage and biodiversity

 

Widened footways, especially on The Borough and helping to connect with East Street developments, as well as along Downing Street and in the and in the vicinity of bus stops. 

 

Provision of specific loading/parking bays. 

 

Improved public realm, with reduced street clutter, more seating, cycle parking, and consistent and quality materials. 

 

Traffic flow alterations to reduce traffic using the gyratory and The Borough. 

 

Improved air quality and noise in the town centre. 

 

As with any major scheme, there will be a period of post-scheme monitoring.

 

This will review a range of factors, such as air quality and accidents, and will include traffic flows to ensure mitigation measures deliver the required benefit.

 

The final details of the design for the town centre are still being worked on by SCC. 

 

Once the final design and associated traffic modelling is completed …

 

Waverley Officers have requested that a full air quality assessment with detailed modelling of the potential air quality impacts is provided by SCC, to also be shared with Councillors.  

 

Waverley officers are currently drafting the annual air quality status report, which is due to go to DEFRA by 30 June 2024.  Once approved by DEFRA it will be published on the Waverley website.