Pub says M25 roadworks delay is a ‘kick in the teeth’ after losses

Pubs in a Surrey village fear more havoc after major roadworks on the M25 have been delayed due to bad weather.

Further motorway closures are looming over residents and businesses along the M25 in Surrey.

The motorway around London has undergone upgrades to add more lanes as part of the £317 million project to improve Junction 10.

The junction area, also known as Wisley Interchange, has seen several weekend road closures since the works started in 2022, with traffic diverted onto nearby A-roads and country lanes during weekend closures.

The works have caused congestion and fears of gridlocked roads in nearby villages and towns.

Now National Highways has announced further closures coming up in February, March and April.

The project was expected to be completed this summer, but the end date has now been pushed back to spring 2026.

National Highways said the new completion date does not mean ‘continued heavy congestion’ and that most drivers will not be affected by the revised end date.

Jonathan Wade, a senior project manager at National Highways, said the works were delayed due to ‘extreme weather’ last year.

He said: ‘Periods of extreme weather in 2024 delayed some elements of our work but since then we’ve worked hard to recoup that time and still complete the on-road elements on schedule. 

‘We are already seeing some of the benefits of this project, which will help reduce congestion, create a smoother flow of traffic and provide safer journeys for thousands every day.’

Drivers have been urged to avoid the area during the upcoming weekend closures and plan ahead as the works will ‘still cause significant congestion and delays,’ Mr Wade warned.

Blaming bad weather is ‘cop-out of an excuse’

RHS Wisley, a garden visitor attraction, said it has suffered £6 million losses so far due to the M25 and A3 roadworks.

Its losses could reach up to £11 million by the time the project is done, the Royal Horticultural Society warned. The RHS has launched a petition urging the government that there is a ‘special case for compensation.’

It said the money could have created 15 NHS wellbeing gardens and funded 110 apprenticeships or 38 PhD students.

Oliver Bailey, the director of The Seven Stars pub in Ripley village, said the situation with roadworks has been ‘a nightmare.’

The weekend closures and roadworks have impacted the pub’s staff, supply chain and income over the past two years, he told Metro.

‘We had a couple of people living a bit further away having to find new jobs because it’s taken a lot longer to get home and work.’

He said finding a replacement for good staff has not been easy due to the location of the pub, while the situation has not been easy for hospitality in general due to the cost of living crisis.

Some suppliers have raised their prices as journeys have taken longer than usual.

During a full weekend M25 closure, the pub’s takings are ‘down by 50% over Friday, Saturday and Sunday,’ he said.

On average, the pub lost between £5,000 and £6,000 per weekend when the junction was fully closed.

‘It’s not ideal. Everyone has been waiting for a long time for it to end. you hunker down for so long and then to find out it’s going to be another nine months it’s a kick in the teeth,’ he said.

He said blaming the delay on extreme weather is a ‘cop out of an excuse’ as ‘we live in England and there hasn’t really been any extreme weather.’

The impact on the Wisley gardens has had a knock-on effect on The Anchor pub less than two miles from the gardens.

Ian Mayor, the pub’s general manager, said they have monitored the situation closely and it has been ‘a mixed bag.’

He told Metro: ‘On some weekends it has killed trade by 50% and then on some weekends it has not affected us.

‘Then there have been times it’s exactly what we expected.’

He said that when the through traffic has been blocked from coming through from the M25 it has been ‘a bit of a nightmare.’

‘Over the course of last year, we get a lot of overflow from Wisley garden, and they have been down and it does have a small knock-on effect.’

Ian, who lives locally, said his usual 30-minute journey has taken up to an hour during the weekend motorway closures.

‘Locally, quite often when it’s closed all the side roads are backed up and it causes people to be late and leave early,’ he added.

Despite the uncertainty, Ian said he wanted to give credit to National Highways who visited the pub before the first closure to show them where the closures would be.

A National Highways spokesperson said: ‘We are grateful to people for their patience and understanding while this complex but much-needed upgrade is being carried out.

‘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.’

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