He explained the government’s controversial plan for the Stonehenge road tunnel

VaselineJuly 15, 2024

0 2 minutes read

He explained the government’s controversial plan for the Stonehenge road tunnel

A legal challenge is set to begin to overturn approval for a road tunnel near Stonehenge.

The Conservative Government has signed off on the eight-mile scheme to transform the A303 and so far £160m has been spent, despite groundwork not yet starting.

Save the World Heritage Site Stonehenge, a conservation group, filed the legal challenge, which is due to be heard this week, after their latest efforts were rejected.

The group’s John Adams told the BBC: “(Cancelling the project) would spare us international embarrassment and rebuild this country’s reputation for looking after its heritage.”

“I think the current plan is a testament to how long infrastructure projects are taking under this government … we need to change that,” Sir Keir said last year while in opposition.

“We will have to wait for the court hearing, but then we will review after that,” he added.

The tunnel has been discussed since the 90s, but may never be built.

Why did the Conservative government approve a tunnel at Stonehenge?

What the proposed A303 Stonehenge (Amesbury to Berwick Down) will look like.

National Highways

Highways England said it plans to build the tunnel to shorten journey times and reduce traffic on the A303.

It was submitted in 2013 and follows failed proposals in 1995 and 2005.

The plan, which has the backing of Wiltshire Council, involves refurbishing eight miles of the main route linking the south west of England and London.

The scheme received approval in 2017 and then government approval in 2020.

Legal challenges have meanwhile continued, delaying the start date, with the latest version being approved by transport secretary Mark Harper in 2023.

This could still be fought now with legal challenge and change of government.

Protesters rallied against the tunnel

Carl Court/Getty Images

Why was there opposition to the tunnel?

Stonehenge could lose its World Heritage status entirely and be added to the UN’s “in danger” list if the tunnel project goes ahead, as Unesco, the group responsible for protecting the world’s cultural property, has previously warned.

Critics also claim it will be expensive. The government estimates the cost at £1.7bn, but campaigners predict it will be £2.5bn.

Mr Harper said in a 64-page statement that the project’s “damage to spatial, visual and setting relationships is less than substantial and should be weighed against the public benefits” and that he was “satisfied that it is a clear need” for the new tunnel. .

He admitted that he “needs to give great weight to the conservation” of the Unesco World Heritage Site and admitted that “there will be damage as a result of the development of the cultural heritage and the historical environment”.

VaselineJuly 15, 2024

0 2 minutes read

Vaseline

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