You may have heard the news, that the proposed plans for improving the A3/M25 interchange in Surrey will result in the compulsory takeover of 10,000sq meters of the RHS Wisley Gardens. If this proposal is successful, it will result in the destruction of over 500 important specimen trees, and will remove the treeline, which provides shelter between the busy A3 and the RHS Wisley Trials Field; this area of Wisley Gardens is already greatly affected by noise from the volume of traffic passing by as it is.
My regular readers and subscribers will know that I am a huge advocate of the Royal Horticultural Society. I have previously worked in the Trials Office at Wisley, and I have worked at many special events at RHS Garden Wisley, assisting the RHS and giving gardening advice to visitors. I publicise many of the Royal Horticultural Society’s events on my website, and I actively encourage my readers to support the RHS by becoming an RHS member, visiting the RHS’s Gardens, and attending the Royal Horticultural Society’s many events throughout the year.
I have a great interest in horticultural trials. I have previously worked in the Trials Office at RHS Garden Wisley – I understand just how devastating the effect this proposal would be to the Trials Field – and the impact this would have on Wisley Gardens. This plan cannot be allowed to go ahead. It’s vital that we all work together to show our support of RHS Wisley and persuade Highways England to change their plans, and encourage Highways England to work to protect RHS Garden Wisley.
How can you help Wisley?
If you’d like to join the campaign to help save this vital part of the RHS Wisley Gardens, you can help by signing the petition via the link below.
http://www.thepetitionsite.
You can also read about the RHS’s reactions to their plans on their website here:
https://www.rhs.org.uk/
And lastly, please write to the Secretary of State, the RT Hon Chris Grayling MP, and voice your objection.
Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP
Secretary of State for Transport
Department for Transport
Great Minster House
33 Horseferry Road
London
SW1P 4DR
Please don’t forget to send a copy of your letter to Hugh Coakley, project manager at Highways England (Hugh.Coakley@highwaysengland.
Thank you for supporting RHS Garden Wisley!
Wisley and Highways England Update
I would like to sincerely thank all of my readers, to thank everyone who signed the petition and voiced their objections to destroying the shelter belt and the special and important trees at RHS Garden Wisley. At the end of November 2017, Highways England announced that their preferred method of widening the A3 would not result in taking 10,000 sq. meters of woodland from Wisley, so the 500 important trees at Wisley are safe – hooray!
However the Royal Horticultural Society do still have concerns regarding Highways Englands proposed and future plans. To read the full statement made by RHS, please click here.
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