Page contents
- Background to the town centre improvements
- Delivering the improvements
- Information for businesses
- Parking, public transport, walking and cycling
Background to the town centre improvements
Why are you making changes to Farnham town centre?
Farnham town centre is the historic heart of the town. It has high quality retail, food and drink venues, and a unique heritage with the castle, conservation area, deer park and craft town status. However, its road layout is outdated and congested. The dominance of roads and vehicles negatively impacts the environment, and ability to travel easily and safely on foot or by bus or bicycle.
The works in Farnham aim to:
- improve the quality of public areas
- reduce the dominance of motorised traffic
In addition, all roads will be resurfaced.
How is the scheme being funded?
Funding for the improvement scheme will come from a combination of sources. These include government grants, private investments, public-private partnerships and community contributions.
How was the design agreed?
A consultation was held in summer 2022, featuring public events and detailed information online. Feedback was considered at the December 2022 Farnham Board - .
Updated options for the town centre were presented to the Farnham Board in March 2023. You can watch previous meetings on the .
There was also a consultation in late 2023 under the Waverley parking review and consultation as part of the Traffic Regulation Order process in late 2024.
Can there still be changes to the design?
No, the town centre design is now final and construction is underway.
Are you preserving the ironstone setts, historic paving and historic downpipes across the town centre?
The ironstone and other natural stone setts currently found across Farnham are an integral part of the town's heritage. Therefore, the ironstone setts and historic paving are being kept where possible.
In places they will need to be lifted, checked for damage, cleaned and re-laid, or they may need to be relocated.
The downpipes are privately owned and will not be altered.
Are you moving road signs so they don't end up as an obstructions?
Yes, this has been considered across the town centre scheme to consolidate road signs and reduce street clutter.
Are you narrowing the pavements anywhere?
We are generally widening pavements to give more space to pedestrians and encourage people to walk around town. There are a few areas where there will be a small reduction in pavement width.
All pavements will meet best practice for safety and crowding. This will be an improvement on the current town centre.
A new bus shelter on the north side of The Borough is the only location where the pavement will be narrower than the recommended width. This is to accommodate waiting passengers and support bus usage, which is another key objective of this project.
What is the 'greening' shown on the plan?
The ‘greening’ are planted areas which sit level with the pavement, rather than planters which sit on the pavement. Planted areas which are level with the pavement help absorb heat, reduce surface water runoff and provide wildlife habitats.
Have you accommodated movements of large delivery lorries in the design?
Yes, our design development included ‘swept path assessments’ which model the turning movements of a range of vehicle sizes including buses, refuse trucks, HGVs and articulated lorries.
The only junctions that do not accommodate movements of the largest vehicle (articulated lorries) is the entrance and exit of Victoria Road which already has this restriction.
Delivering the improvements
When will works be happening?
The works started in early 2025 and are expected to last until late 2026. These timescales are typical for a scheme of this scale. The construction works will be phased across the town centre to minimise disruption as much as possible.
How can I stay informed about the latest updates and developments regarding the improvements?
Residents, businesses, and stakeholders will be able to stay informed by subscribing to the , following the ßÙßÇÂþ» Highways X and ßÙßÇÂþ» Highways Facebook pages, visiting the dedicated project website or contacting the project team directly.
Details of any impacts will be published on our website, and we may contact local people with specific advice as required.
Advanced warning road signs will be displayed at key locations in Farnham and well as any diversion routes during construction.
We will also distribute regular updates to local residents and those impacted by the scheme throughout the construction.
What is the purpose of the Castle Street right turn?
The right turn allows some traffic to avoid the gyratory system, thus reducing congestion, improving air quality and creating a safer environment for pedestrians.
Prior to construction, we undertook surveys to understand the potential usage of the right turn. The results were analysed as part of design development and transport modelling including queue lengths, traffic movement counts and pedestrian counts. Following this, the decision was taken to progress the right turn.
Additionally, there is now a two-way section at the bottom of Downing Street which will help cars exiting Waggon Yard carpark and aiming to travel south to avoid the gyratory.
Is the construction works impacting on air quality?
We have engaged with Waverley Borough Council who monitor air quality in Farnham. They have advised that there is no empirical evidence that suggests an impact on air quality from the construction works, as of the end of March 2025. We will continue to regularly monitor this, both during construction and following completion as well when the real benefits of the scheme should start being felt.
What is the diversion route? Will it be publicised?
Diversion routes are being developed with ßÙßÇÂþ» Highways to limit disruption. This will include diversions for all road users: pedestrians, cars and large vehicles like buses and Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs). Details will be published ahead of construction and advanced warning road signs and diversion routes signs will be displayed at key locations in Farnham during construction.
Would construction works take place during evenings and weekends?
Some weekend and night work will be necessary to avoid disruption during peak times and reduce the period of disruption. However, we aim to complete as much work as possible during the day.
We will make every effort to minimise disruption to local residents and those using the town centre. We will provide regular updates to local residents and those using the town centre to ensure everyone is kept fully informed of any evening and weekend works.
Are emergency vehicles disrupted by the works?
We regularly engage with emergency services and they are aware of our construction programme and traffic management. The design has also been signed off by ßÙßÇÂþ» Police.
Why can't the works be done in school holidays when there is less traffic?
Given the length of the construction period, it would be challenging and costly to stop and restart work to align with the school holidays. This would also significantly extend the programme. Our programme of construction works phased across the town centre to create a largely continuous construction programme. This aims to have minimal impact to residents and users of the town centre while completing works in the shortest possible time.
Will the scheme cause traffic disruption in the local area? How will you manage this disruption?
As part of our detailed planning, we will look to put suitable measures in place to mitigate the impact of construction on traffic in the surrounding area.
ßÙßÇÂþ» and our partners will work closely together to minimise the impact of construction works on traffic in surrounding areas and local residents and key stakeholders will be kept fully informed as work progresses.
What will the impact be on town centre events?
Farnham Town Council's regular events like the food festival and Christmas market have been accommodated so far. We work with our Streetworks team to discuss other events that arise and will support event organisers in exploring alternative locations where events cannot be accommodated.
Will there be any utility works in the town centre during the works?
We will ensure any work by utility companies in the town centre during the improvement works are kept to an absolute minimum. If any do need to occur, such as for emergencies, they will be carefully planned around the improvement works to ensure disruption is minimised. There is an ambition for utility works to complete ahead of our project works to avoid damage to newly laid pavement and road surfaces.
Information for businesses
How do I attend the business drop-in sessions?
Please email Farnham.infrastructureprogramme@surreycc.gov.uk with the name and address of your business to be added to the invite. These sessions are currently taking place monthly at 5:30pm on Tuesdays via Microsoft Teams.
Will businesses still be open?
Yes, businesses will remain open during the construction. Our schedule of works is developed with businesses in mind to enable 'business as usual' activities such as deliveries. Should any business experience issues, please contact our site team or the project email Farnham.infrastructureprogramme@surreycc.gov.uk to discuss the way forward.
How are you helping businesses with loading bays?
There are currently no loading bays throughout the town centre. Once the proposals have been delivered there will be off-road loading bays so deliveries can be made without impacting the flow of traffic.
What can be done about deliveries blocking the roads?
If any retailers are noticing that their deliveries are causing congestion in the town please speak to the site delivery team or email Farnham.infrastructureprogramme@surreycc.gov.uk so we find a way to meet your needs while keeping the town's roads moving.
Some businesses have reported that they have adjusted their delivery times to early morning prior to rush hour to reduce disruption and would encourage others to do the same where possible.
ßÙßÇÂþ»'s enforcement officers will also be increasing their presence in Farnham town centre.
Parking, public transport, walking and cycling
What will the impact of the scheme be on on-street parking?
Any temporary changes to on-street parking during the works will be shared closer to the time.
Once works are complete, there will be no change to the number of residents-only parking bays. The two disabled bays and the four taxi bays on Castle Street will also be retained, while the existing taxi waiting area on West Street will move slightly east and be converted to a shared loading/taxi bay. Further detail on this can be found here: Waverley parking review.
While there will be a reduction in on-street visitor parking, spaces will remain available in nearby car parks, such as the Central, Waggon Yard, Hart and Riverside car parks. These will continue to provide most of the visitor parking for the town centre, as well as some resident parking.
We will be in contact with you if the construction works will impact your resident parking.
Will car parks be affected during the works?
It is possible that car parks will temporarily be impacted during construction in the town centre. Our aim is to avoid impacts to parking as much as we can including nightworks to avoid preventing entry/exit to car parks. Any temporary changes will be shared closer to the time.
Will pedestrian and cycle access be maintained during the works?
Access to pavements for pedestrians will be maintained as much as possible where safe to do so. Clearly marked, fully accessible diversions will be created for pedestrians at points where this cannot be avoided. Similarly, access for cyclists will be maintained as much as possible.
Will I still be able to take the bus through the town centre?
Our construction programme aims to avoid impact to bus services as much as possible. Any changes to bus services will be on the temporary changes to bus services for road closures page.
Is there a plan to provide cycle lanes in the town centre?
The historic nature of Farnham town centre is characterised by a tight street pattern and high pedestrian footfall, so it is not possible to provide cycle lanes segregated from traffic for people who wish to cycle through the town centre. However, the proposed town centre improvements will help to make the town centre roads safer for cyclists such as advanced stop lines, alongside the reclassification of the A325, heavy goods vehicle (HGV) restrictions and 20mph speed limits. This is in addition to installing more cycle stands in the town centre and path improvements on Riverside Walk and the wider Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Improvements (LCWIP) for Farnham and Waverley.