Wisley Gardens under threat from A3 widening
This was sent to me by a friend who is a member of the Royal Horticultural Society. There are plans to widen the A3 near Wisley. The widening could either be to the east or west of the existing A3. One of these could result in Wisley Gardens losing 10,000 square metres of land and over 500 trees.
There’s a petition against this, with the link below. Please consider signing it.
Dear……..
I’m getting in touch with you as a valued RHS member who lives near RHS Garden Wisley, and one who I hope enjoys visiting the beautiful garden.
We are worried that some potential Highways England plans could cause irreversible damage to Wisley in the future and hope you might help us to protect this very special and much loved place.
As you may be aware, plans are now being finalised to improve the M25 Junction 10 interchange and widen the A3, which is something we support in principle. One of the possibilities being considered by Highways England, in terms of widening the A3 only, could see over 10,000 sq. metres of RHS Garden Wisley grabbed and over 500 trees destroyed.
There are currently two options available to Highways England to widen the A3: one on the east side of the A3 and one on the west.
The RHS has carried out expert highway studies and is calling on the Government Agency to choose the east option, which does not grab woodland from the Garden, would not fell any of these 500 important trees, and would better improve road access to Wisley.
If Highways England decide that widening the west side is the preferred option then irreplaceable historic trees that are over 100 years old, and still have centuries more to live, could be eliminated for a short-sighted road improvement scheme, which would increase air pollution and noise pollution and destroy the habitats of a wide range of wildlife and the beauty of the garden.
Five trees that would potentially be lost are identified as threatened and endangered in cultivation by Plant Heritage’s Threatened Plants Project. Excellent specimens of giant redwood (Sequoiadendron giganteum) would also be at risk.
We’re also concerned that some proposals for the A3 would involve additional travel for our visitors to get to Wisley, some adding over 6 kilometres to the journey, which is unacceptable. We need our garden to be as accessible as possible for everyone, especially with our major investment plans to make the garden better than ever before and to welcome more visitors. Therefore more direct access to and from the A3 to Wisley is vital and must also be a key consideration for Highways England as they consider their preferred option to safeguard to future of this very special place, which millions of people enjoy over the years.
If you are also worried about the potential destruction of these 500 beautiful trees and impact this will have on RHS Garden Wisley please show your support and sign our petition:
SIGN THE PETITION
https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley/Articles/Wisley-under-threat-from-A3-plans
You could also write to the Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP, Secretary of State for Transport, Department for Transport, Great Minster House, 33 Horseferry Road, London, SW1P 4DR and voice your concerns. We have drafted a template letter for you in case that is helpful (https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley/Articles/Wisley-under-threat-Template-letter), and please feel free to amend as you wish. If you would like to you could also write to your local paper or national newspapers.
You can also find more information about the scheme, with images of the area that is under threat at
https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley/Articles/Wisley-under-threat-from-A3-plans
We’re currently investing over £70 million into RHS Garden Wisley in horticulture, new laboratories, learning buildings and visitor facilities, making the garden an even more important centre for science, and an even more wonderful place to visit.
Any damage to RHS Garden Wisley would be wholly unnecessary and I would greatly appreciate your support for our Garden.
All the best and hope you can come to see us at Wisley soon.
Sue Biggs
There’s a petition against this, with the link below. Please consider signing it.
Dear……..
I’m getting in touch with you as a valued RHS member who lives near RHS Garden Wisley, and one who I hope enjoys visiting the beautiful garden.
We are worried that some potential Highways England plans could cause irreversible damage to Wisley in the future and hope you might help us to protect this very special and much loved place.
As you may be aware, plans are now being finalised to improve the M25 Junction 10 interchange and widen the A3, which is something we support in principle. One of the possibilities being considered by Highways England, in terms of widening the A3 only, could see over 10,000 sq. metres of RHS Garden Wisley grabbed and over 500 trees destroyed.
There are currently two options available to Highways England to widen the A3: one on the east side of the A3 and one on the west.
The RHS has carried out expert highway studies and is calling on the Government Agency to choose the east option, which does not grab woodland from the Garden, would not fell any of these 500 important trees, and would better improve road access to Wisley.
If Highways England decide that widening the west side is the preferred option then irreplaceable historic trees that are over 100 years old, and still have centuries more to live, could be eliminated for a short-sighted road improvement scheme, which would increase air pollution and noise pollution and destroy the habitats of a wide range of wildlife and the beauty of the garden.
Five trees that would potentially be lost are identified as threatened and endangered in cultivation by Plant Heritage’s Threatened Plants Project. Excellent specimens of giant redwood (Sequoiadendron giganteum) would also be at risk.
We’re also concerned that some proposals for the A3 would involve additional travel for our visitors to get to Wisley, some adding over 6 kilometres to the journey, which is unacceptable. We need our garden to be as accessible as possible for everyone, especially with our major investment plans to make the garden better than ever before and to welcome more visitors. Therefore more direct access to and from the A3 to Wisley is vital and must also be a key consideration for Highways England as they consider their preferred option to safeguard to future of this very special place, which millions of people enjoy over the years.
If you are also worried about the potential destruction of these 500 beautiful trees and impact this will have on RHS Garden Wisley please show your support and sign our petition:
SIGN THE PETITION
https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley/Articles/Wisley-under-threat-from-A3-plans
You could also write to the Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP, Secretary of State for Transport, Department for Transport, Great Minster House, 33 Horseferry Road, London, SW1P 4DR and voice your concerns. We have drafted a template letter for you in case that is helpful (https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley/Articles/Wisley-under-threat-Template-letter), and please feel free to amend as you wish. If you would like to you could also write to your local paper or national newspapers.
You can also find more information about the scheme, with images of the area that is under threat at
https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley/Articles/Wisley-under-threat-from-A3-plans
We’re currently investing over £70 million into RHS Garden Wisley in horticulture, new laboratories, learning buildings and visitor facilities, making the garden an even more important centre for science, and an even more wonderful place to visit.
Any damage to RHS Garden Wisley would be wholly unnecessary and I would greatly appreciate your support for our Garden.
All the best and hope you can come to see us at Wisley soon.
Sue Biggs
