Wiltshire Council leader frustrated by A303 tunnel cancellation

The project was supported by the authority

Wiltshire Council leader Richard Clewer told Greatest Hits Radio that canceling the A303 Stonehenge tunnel project will block economic growth in the UK.

The scheme was scrapped by chancellor Rachel Reeves on Monday (29/7) as the government tries to plug a £22 billion black hole in the public finances.

Cllr Clewer said he was “extremely disappointed” at the decision to scrap a project that is “ready to go”.

“For a government that has come to put so much emphasis on the need for economic growth, the first actions they are taking is to scrap an infrastructure project that is literally ready to go,” he said.

Cllr Clewer continued, saying: “It would unlock significant economic growth along the rest of the A 303 into the South West of England. I think it’s an extremely short-sighted decision.”

The Leader of the Council told us the chancellor spoke of “economic sense” before the election but now says she has “lost the plot” with her announcements on Monday.

“We’re seeing knee-jerk reactions,” he said, adding: “Hopefully someone from the Treasury will sit down and say look if you want growth, this is exactly the kind of project that will start delivering it straight away rather than coming with ideas and schemes that will take years to get through planning and then years to develop.

“This is ready to go,” he said.

Cllr Clewer said it affected businesses along the A303 who could have invested in anticipating better road networks, which increase travel to the South West.

He also said the road has a “very serious traffic problem”.

“It’s regularly in the top five of the UK’s traffic problems. When you look at the Christmas getaway, the Easter getaway and the summer getaway, the A303 is always in the top five, so it’s a must fixed,” he said.

But with few viable alternatives, these problems will persist during the busiest times of the year.

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