RHS Chief Clare Matterson Defends Garden After £2.3m Roadworks Payout

Clare Matterson, chief executive of the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), has spoken about the charity's recent £2.3 million compensation settlement after years of disruptive roadworks near its flagship garden at Wisley in Surrey.

The government awarded the payout after roadworks connected to an upgrade of the A3 and M25 created what the RHS described as a three-year traffic jam around the site. The charity estimated the disruption cost it as much as £13 million in lost income, with annual visitor numbers to the garden falling by around 350,000 during the affected period.

A campaign pushing for the RHS to be reimbursed was fronted by broadcaster and gardener Alan Titchmarsh, who argued that a charity dependent on visitor revenue should not absorb the financial fallout of a major infrastructure project largely outside its control.

Looking beyond the roadworks

In discussing the settlement, Matterson also addressed broader criticism the RHS faces, noting that any organisation with a large public profile attracts complaints simply by virtue of being well known and widely used, whether the subject is traffic, ticketing or events such as the Chelsea Flower Show.

She also set out her ambitions for the charity's community gardening work, which aims to expand access to horticulture beyond the RHS's showpiece gardens and events, pointing to opportunities for closer collaboration with regional leaders, including Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham.

The RHS runs several gardens including Wisley, as well as major annual events such as the Chelsea Flower Show. The compensation case is expected to be watched closely by other organisations affected by long-running infrastructure projects.