STOAT, the campaign group to keep the A3 open once the Hindhead tunnel opens, has claimed that the National Trust's environmental argument to close the road is "badly presented and wholly unconvincing".
EHDC councillor and STOAT member, Ferris Cowper, told The Herald that the trust is "not bothered" about alleged problems facing villages if the old A3 is closed.
STOAT wants the road to stay open so that it can be used by local people for short journeys, and to improve safety for the tunnel.
In a recent Herald feature, Andrew Storey from the National Trust said that the road has to be closed to offset environmental damage caused by the tunnel's construction.
"It seems to me that the trust isn't really concerned about the recompense of lost land at Tyndalls Wood," he said.
"Regardless of the issue of loss of inalienable land, it seems the trust simply wants to get its hands on the our local road, the old A3, to pursue its badly presented and wholly unconvincing environmental agenda," he added.
STOAT has argued that the tunnel is being built for economic reasons which are "not materially affected by keeping the old A3 open".
The group has also taken issue with Mr Storey's declaration that if the road isn't closed the tunnel scheme won't go ahead. STOAT believes that the government could prevent the NT from obstructing the project by obtaining an Act of Parliament to acquire their land. A spokesman for the group is confident that this would meet "little, if any" opposition.
The trust's interests in maintaining its inalienable land is now in conflict with the community, Mr Cowper added.
"If the local population wanted to close the old A3, STOAT would be dissolved overnight," he said, adding that the "crazy" part is that most STOAT members are also members of the trust.
"It's hard to avoid the conclusion that, locally, the trust is acting against the wishes of most of its members," he added.