AN ARTICLE on Page 3 of this week’s Herald (October 17 edition), ’Bill shows we’re not just hot air’, incorrectly states that South West Surrey MP Jeremy Hunt and the Herald will co-host a pollution summit at the Farnham Maltings on Friday, October 25.

The summit, which is not open to the public, will be co-hosted by Mr Hunt and the Herald on October 25 – but not at the Maltings. We would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused by this mistake.

The former foreign secretary, Mr Hunt called the summit while pledging his support for the Herald’s Cut the Pollution campaign earlier this month, demanding long-overdue action on Farnham’s chronic pollution issues.

And in the build-up to the round-table discussion with many of Surrey’s political and civic leaders, Mr Hunt also hailed the Government’s new Environment Bill this week, which puts the onus on Surrey and Waverley councils to take action on air quality.

In a briefing document, the Government said one of the purposes of the new bill will be to increase local powers to tackle air pollution – as well as establishing a new ‘world-leading’ regulator to scrutinise environment policy and law.

Responding, Mr Hunt told the Herald: “People in Farnham worry that when it comes to pollution, politicians are all hot air. But this bill shows the government is deadly serious about making sure the right legal powers are in place to compel this and future governments to live up to their commitments.”

Speaking ahead of the invite-only summit, Surrey County Council cabinet member for the environment, Cllr Mike Goodman, added: “Tackling air pollution is important and I know there are particular issues in Farnham that we need solve together.”