Alan Titchmarsh has pushed for compensation for what he called “enormously damaging” roadworks that have taken place near one of the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) gardens.
The RHS said it has lost £6 million as a result of the A3/M25 roadworks close to its flagship garden Wisley, in Surrey.
It claims that 350,000 fewer people are visiting the site and that losses will total £11 million by the time the scheme finishes in 2026.
Titchmarsh told BBC One’s morning show BBC Breakfast: “It’s enormously damaging, the thing about us as a nation is we are world leaders in terms of horticulture, conservation, future-proofing the planet in terms of our knowledge and our expertise.
Titchmarsh addressed calls for compensation, which he has previously backed, saying: “The RHS should be a special case. This is a charity. This isn’t a business.
“It’s in the business of making money, but it does need to survive. It does need money to continue its research, but that’s in all our interests. It’s just not just one, you know, small or even large business company. This is our charity.”
He added this had been “sort of pushed to one side (at the) behest of obviously important traffic management”, but “we can’t just shunt aside our horticultural heritage in the interests of, you know, just getting from A to B quicker, both are vitally important”.
“I think successive governments have proved that really. They talk a lot about climate change, about global warming and about the environment, but when push comes to shove and a place which does an awful lot of research on that sort of thing is sidelined, the proof of the pudding is in how much you support it.”
Titchmarsh also said: “This is a charity, the world’s most important and largest horticultural charity, and horticulture is the sharp end of conservation and environmental care.
“Successive governments need to show that they do value that, and know how important it is to future generations.”
The RHS pointed to polling of its members which found that 80% of those who visited Wisley less frequently in the last 12 months said it was because of the M25/A3 roadworks, and 63% of those who did not visit in the past year avoided the gardens for the same reason.
Chris Welby-Everard, National Highways regional delivery director, said: “We are continuing to engage with RHS Wisley on their concerns.
“This important project will reduce congestion, improve safety and bring economic and environmental benefits to the local community.”
