RHS Sits on the Garden Fence Over Reports of Money for Woking Logo Display

Published on: 29 Aug, 2018
Updated on: 30 Aug, 2018

RHS Wisley – Photo Wikipedia

Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Wisley has refused to confirm that Woking Borough Council has committed £150,000 to the world famous garden on condition that they prominently display the Woking council logo.

The unconfirmed report follows a Twitter chain from Guildford’s Council Leader, Paul Spooner, in which he challenged the description of Wisley being in Woking as given by BBC’s weather presenter, Carol Kirkwood when she reported from the RHS showpiece on August 8.

It appears that he received replies accusing him of being ignorant of Wisley’s location but responded to confirm his assertion that RHS Wisley was in Guildford Borough.

Although the RHS garden has a Woking postal address and is closer, geographically, to Woking (6 miles) than Guildford (10 miles), it is, as Cllr Spooner stated, within the boundary of Guildford Borough and it appears to the council leader received an emailed apology from the head of communications at RHS, Ed Horne.

An RHS spokesperson said that they were unable to discuss confidential conversations around funding and that the content of an email from their head of communications to Cllr Spooner was private but added: “We feel deeply and equally connected to both boroughs and are extremely proud of this fact.

“We are in the Borough of Guildford, but have a Woking postal address, and due to the proximity of the garden to Woking, have described that as our location for ease of visitors finding us.

“We are sad and disappointed if any Twitter activity has misled anyone about the high regard we have for all our neighbours. We work with many partners in Guildford and Woking, including many local schools and colleges, and want to continue to make all our stakeholders feel very much a part of our exciting future plans.

“We also employ hundreds of people in the local area and have a large network of suppliers across the County of Surrey so our local economic impact is significant.

“We are investing £65 million in major development projects at RHS Garden Wisley which we estimate will bring in more than £580 million to the local economy and £1 billion to the UK economy over the next 10 years, so there is an exciting future ahead for our local area and beyond.”

Responses to RHS Sits on the Garden Fence Over Reports of Money for Woking Logo Display

Bernard Parke Reply

August 29, 2018 at 8:01 pm

I support Cllr Spooner on this. There was no question of a Woking connection when I was mayor.
A Atkinson Reply

August 29, 2018 at 8:51 pm

I have a Leatherhead postal address, am in the Borough of Guildford but in a parliamentary entity which does not cover most of Guildford Borough.

Being located in a particular arbitrary political borough, which can change, (like boundaries of Sites of Nature Conservation Importance imposed on Surrey Wildlife Trust by Guildford Borough Council around Wisley to allow massive housing development – the nature hasn’t moved) does not define a geographical location, does not help in finding a place or describing where it is, or indeed, help forecast what weather it may or may not experience.

Interestingly, Ash is located within the “Aldershot Urban Area”, not everything is about politics.
Jim Allen Reply

August 30, 2018 at 1:34 am

Interesting. Not sure how you would find Wisley gardens if following a route to Woking – or Guildford for that matter. Surely a direction should highlight Highways England’s commentary of ‘just of M25 J10 A3’. Don’t you just love numbers and letters?
Juliet Hills Reply

August 30, 2018 at 3:43 pm

Surely it would be helpful all round if RHS acknowledged, with appropriate signs, that Woking and Guildford are nearby since they, and all other nearby towns and villages, provide a large part of their membership and visitors.

Some of us consider all three places (I include Wisley) as our home ground.