AIR poullution is still exceeding levels deemed safe at a number of locations in Farnham, according to provisional figures released ahead of the publication of Waverley Borough Council’s full 2019 Air Quality Annual Status Report.

Of Waverley’s 49 monitoring locations, there were between two and four sites – all in Farnham – where average levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) exceeded the UK and European Union (EU) objective of 40 micrograms per cubic meter of air (µg/m3) in the year to December 2018.

If applying Waverley’s own ‘local bias’ correction factor, allowing for discrepancies between its monitoring equipment, there were exceedances at four locations during this period:

* ‘Farnham 2’ at the junction of Downing Street and The Borough (41µg/m3),

* ‘Farnham 12’ in Wrecclesham Road between the Coxbridge roundabout and the railway bridge (48µg/m3),

* ‘Farnham 14’ in Station Hill (47µg/m3),

* ‘Farnham 18’ also in Station Hill (43µg/m3).

However, as Waverley’s data is based on a data capture of 84 per cent, government guidance advises that if the automatic data capture is below 90 per cent the national bias adjustment factor should be used.

Applying this national bias factor lowers the number of exceedances to two: ‘Farnham 12’ in Wrecclesham Road (44µg/m3) and ‘Farnham 14’ in Station Hill (43µg/m3).

Analysing the data, Farnham-based air quality expert David Harvey said the figures show a slight improvement in the town’s air quality when compared to the last available figures, obtained in 2015, which showed exceedances at four locations in Farnham.

“The air quality in Farnham is certainly not terrible but also should not be described as acceptable given there are locations of exceedances,” he told the Herald.

He continued: “For 2018, in The Borough, the concentrations are less than the objective of 40 µg/m3 which will be a surprise (hopefully pleasant) to many people.

“But one area of increasing concern is Wrecclesham Road where the measured concentration was 44 to 48 µg/m3 at Farnham 12.

“This is a location of concern because of the high measured concentrations (over a number of years), the close proximity of properties to the road which is on an incline with queuing traffic and traffic volumes are bound to increase with all the new housing.”

A Waverley Borough Council spokesman added: “An initial look of the data shows that generally air quality levels across the borough seem to be improving, though there are some localised areas of concern.

“However, this data is not the final version, may be subject to change and has not been adjusted by the finalised bias factor so should not be viewed as such.

“We will be writing the full 2019 Air Quality Annual Status Report, which will include the correctly adjusted data, and submit it to DEFRA (The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) for approval at the end of June, before publishing it.”

Waverley Borough Council has been duty-bound to submit an annual air quality status report to DEFRA ever since three Air Quality Management Areas were declared in Farnham, Godalming and Hindhead in 2004.