Issue - meetings

Seeking approval of the draft Air Quality Action Plan for Compton.

The Guildford Joint Committee agreed that:

(i)     The Committee adopts the Air Quality Action Plan for Comptonin Appendix 1 which is to ban the right turn into Down Lane, Compton.

(ii)   The Committee support the advertising of the order to effect the traffic regulation order to introduce a right turn ban from The Street, Compton into Down Lane.

Reasons for recommendations

To ensure the Council meets its statutory duties to adopt an air quality management area action plan and to improve air quality in The Street, Compton.

Declarations of Interest: None

Officers attending: Justine Fuller, Regulatory Services Manager, Guildford Borough Council, and William Bryans, Transport Studies Team Manager, Surrey County Council

Petitions, Public Questions, Statements: None

Member Discussion – key points:  

The ward member for Shalford explained that the parish council and residents of Compton were unhappy with the recommendations of the report, saying that they are insufficient to tackle the air quality problem. Further investigation and development of new proposals would take too long if it was necessary to wait for new monitoring results to be produced following implementation of the current recommendations, therefore more comprehensive discussions with partner agencies needed to start now in order to avoid possible future delays.

Officers stressed that the current work allowed compliance with the legal process by approving an air quality action plan and that air quality in Compton did not require a large level of improvement in order to be brought back to acceptable levels. This scheme is one aspect of the local transport strategy and air quality strategy, but overall a decrease in traffic flow would be the most effective means of addressing air quality.

Suggestions for further schemes in addition to the air quality action plan would be welcome and should be directed through the Parking & Air Quality Working Group where they would be considered against the existing list of priorities.

Resolved:

The Guildford Joint Committee AGREED that:

(i)     The Committee adopts the Air Quality Action Plan for Comptonin Appendix 1 which is to ban the right turn into Down Lane, Compton.

(ii)   The Committee support the advertising of the order to effect the traffic regulation order to introduce a right turn ban from The Street, Compton into Down Lane.

Reasons for recommendations:

To ensure the Council meets its statutory duties to adopt an air quality management area action plan and to improve air quality in The Street, Compton.