With 350,000 fewer people visiting RHS Garden Wisley annually due to the National Highways A3/M25 roadworks, resulting in £6 million losses to date, RHS is calling on Government intervention for compensation to enable vital science, community and education projects, now at risk, to proceed.
Losses will rise to £11 million when the roadworks end in 2026; substantial for a gardening charity, but a small change compared to the £317 million scheme.
Due to the financial losses, RHS are now delaying the development of new arboretums at our RHS Gardens and the planting of 4,000 trees to investigate climate resilience for the next century; significantly reducing funding for our scientific research to find nature-based solutions to some of the UK's biggest environmental challenges; cutting back on our community outreach work and look at training 10% fewer work-based student horticulturists over the next 2 years.
Nearly 80% of members who visited RHS Wisley less frequently in the last 12 months attributed this to the M25/A3 roadworks near the garden. Additionally, 63% of non-visiting members in this period attributed not visiting RHS Wisley for the same reason.
RHS and Alan Titchmarsh CBE are now calling on everyone who values horticulture and gardens for a greener, healthier future to sign the petition urging Government to recognize RHS Wisley as a special case for compensation for the devastating losses caused by the National Highways roadworks to safeguard the RHS and its vital charitable work for the future.
RHS Vice President Alan Titchmarsh CBE at RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2024
Alan Titchmarsh CBE, RHS Vice President said: "With the £6 million losses, the RHS could have created 15 NHS wellbeing gardens and brought gardening and nature to hundreds more schools across the UK. £6 million would also fund 110 horticultural apprenticeships or 38 science PhD students supported by 76 UK leading scientists to find nature-based solutions to help issues like pollution, flooding, and biodiversity and the climate crises."
"These losses are catastrophic not only for the RHS but for the whole of the UK in terms of the incredible work the RHS does to help people and the planet and educating and supporting millions of gardeners to garden more sustainably for a better future."
"Unlike others that failed before it, this Government must recognize the importance of horticulture, of gardeners and of the immense positive benefits gardens, gardening and growing plants can have on our health, the environment, wildlife and biodiversity to safeguard the future for generations to come."
"Every gardener, everyone who loves gardening and everyone who loves RHS Garden Wisley, one of our finest gardens, please sign our petition and stand up for our nation of gardeners."
Source: RHS Gorden Wisley