A PLANNING application for a ‘radon mitigation system’ in the Kingsbridge branch of HSBC has been submitted to the district council.

The application, which involved a listed building consent, states that the work is to ‘install a Radon Gas Mitigation System due to high readings within the bank.

‘We do this by extracting the gas from below the floor slab before it enters the building and vent it to atmosphere outside the building.’

Public Health England says: ‘Radon is a radioactive gas, we can’t see, smell or taste it: you need special equipment to detect it. It comes from the rocks and soil found everywhere in the UK.

‘The radon level in the air we breathe outside is very low but can be higher inside buildings.’

A spokesman for HSBC said: ‘We have identified slightly higher than average levels of Radon in our branch in Kingsbridge. We are closely monitoring the situation but are confident there is no risk to customers or staff. There are currently no plans to close the branch.’