THE Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has objected that revised plans for a major A3/M25 Wisley junction upgrade will still add up to seven miles to the current travel time to its Wisley Garden.

Highways England launched a six-week public consultation on its plans to redesign the interchange to create four dedicated link roads for all drivers making left turns at the junction, while drivers turning right will use a new enlarged junction roundabout, last week.

The A3 will also be widened from three lanes to four between Ockham and Painshill in both directions, with two lanes remaining over the M25.

A new access road to several local roads and RHS Garden Wisley will also be created, and the A245 will be widened near the Painshill junction to accommodate three lanes of traffic leaving and joining the A3.

Last November, the RHS welcomed Highway England’s decision not to pursue a proposed redesign option which would have destroyed 10,000 sq metres of woodland, including more than 500 important trees in Wisley Garden.

More than 130,000 people signed a protest petition against the proposal in the RHS campaign to save the site, championed by its vice-president Alan Titchmarsh.

The RHS voiced disappointment at the time that the transport chiefs’ proposals removed all connection from Wisley Lane to the A3, without the suitable replacements it had been seeking, which would result in an increase of up to seven miles in the journey time.

The UK charity, which fears the increased travel time will put people off visiting and could harmfully impact its charitable income, has been working with Highways England since November 2017 to persuade the agency to consider other viable options that would provide a “much simpler ” access to Wisley, reduce travel distances and avoid diverting traffic through Ripley.

Responding to the new plans, which have now gone out to public consultation, a RHS spokesman said: “We remain disappointed their preferred route announced in November removes all connection from Wisley Lane to the A3 without suitable replacements.

“We will continue to work to protect RHS Garden Wisley and work with Highways England to ensure they consider other viable options to the scheme that prioritises safety and offers reduced journey times, which would provide much simpler access to Wisley and avoid diverting traffic through Ripley.”

The spokesman said it had been developing the proposals, following detailed discussions with key parties and residents, including RHS Wisley and Painshill Park.

Highways England regional delivery director for the South East, Chris Welby-Everard, said:“This consultation will help determine the final proposals we end up taking forward for planning permission, so I’d encourage anyone with an interest to get involved and have their say.

“Around 100,000 drivers each day use this busy junction to switch between the M25 and A3, with a further 170,000 drivers passing through the junction daily, often getting caught up in rush hour congestion and tailbacks. We have worked hard on developing the plans further since we announced the preferred option last year.

“As well as making a real difference to peoples’ journeys, we are proposing better, safer access for the local roads that currently turn directly on to the A3 and offering significantly upgraded crossing points for people on foot, by bike or on horseback and making sure we respect the protected environments nearby.

“This consultation is an excellent chance to help shape our plans.”

•The consultation ends at 11.45pm on Monday, March 26. To comment go to www.highways.gov.uk/m25j10