RHS Wisley fears impact of M25 junction works on visitors

A motorway junction revamp approved by Grant Shapps could lose RHS Wisley thousands of visitors, the RHS has warned.

National Highways has been given the green light to begin a two-and-a-half year £250 million project at Junction 10 of the M25/A3 alongside RHS Wisley, one of the UK’S leading visitor attractions.

The RHS has campaigned against the scheme since 2018, claiming the initial proposal “unnecessarily threatens the environment” and “risks the loss of 44 ancient trees” on the boundary of the garden, near Woking in Surrey.

It also claimed it would lose millions of pounds in income as a result of some visitors staying away because of the work. Last year it said its calculations had shown that the plans could lead to a loss of £6.6 million in income during the construction period and another £19.2million over the following decade.

The scheme would mean “those wishing to visit the garden having to pass the garden up to four times and then have to negotiate a new junction twice”, it said. More than 46,000 people signed a petition urging the Government to reject the scheme.

In response to Mr Shapps’s decision to formally approve the project, the RHS said in a statement: “We will continue to liaise with National Highways and others to seek further improvements to the strategic and local road network … to minimise disruption for the millions of visitors to our world class and much loved garden.”