The A303 Stonehenge Tunnel

Save Stonehenge World Heritage Site (SSWHS) have been given permission to appeal the decision made earlier this year by Mr Justice Holgate rejecting the second judicial review of the Government's decision to approve the £2.5bn road scheme.

The appeal came after the Department for Transport approved the tunnel last year.

It seemed at the end of 2023 that the legal challenges had been fully exhausted, but we now have the Court of Appeal, and possibly Supreme Court to follow.  Given the imminent election, we can with certainty say that the scheme will now be determined by the next Government alongside the verdict of the judiciary.

There is no doubt that the A303 needs improvement, and local residents in Amesbury and the Till Valley would welcome relief from holiday drivers trying to find a route around the jams.  But, the project carries a staggering £2.5 bn price tag and may lead to the removal of Stonehenge from UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites. The damage to this globally historic site would be irreversible and road journey time improvements rely on the completion of all eight proposed A303 schemes, some of which are not yet funded. The NAO questioned the marginal value of the project – delivering only an estimated £1.15 of value for every £1 spent with even this marginal return only achieved by including and assessing the value of "cultural heritage". Without this inclusion the return is only 30p, and this is without factoring any cost overruns. By comparison, the NHS estimates that it needs £2bn for urgent building maintenance to prevent catastrophic failures across the estate (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/dec/14/hospitals-falling-to-bits-as-nhs-england-faces-record-repairs-bill-of-12bn)

So, it has taken 30 years to gain approval for scheme that delivers questionable value and places a UNESCO World Heritage Site at risk.  Meanwhile, the mainline railway serving the West Country remains unelectrified, unreliable, and expensive, with the 300-mile journey from London to Penzance taking over 5 hours. A fast, efficient, cost-effective electrified rail service is as equally important as creating another dual carriageway, but there are only minor works planned for this route.  There have been four Conservative transport ministers in just four years and the short-term thinking shows.  We have made incredibly slow progress in entirely the wrong direction.

I have spoken to residents all along the Wishford Valley, Berwick St James, Winterbourne Stoke, Amesbury and Durrington and of course have read SSWHS and many other websites and I know how widely views vary and how passionately and well-founded these different views are.

I will no doubt have gaps in my knowledge, and always have much to learn but my opinion, genuinely held, is that we will have to solve this problem at some point and make progress.  The major freight and passenger routes that link the South West Somerset, Devon and Cornwall need to be efficient.  Our local communities need relief from the overspill traffic that chokes roads and blights lives.  This means that the A303, and the railway needs investment.

If this scheme, after so many years of exploration of all other options is the only scheme that can be approved my view is that we need to make progress and that it should go ahead.  BUT - only when the country can afford it above other very pressing priorities, and only if the remaining A303 corridor schemes are funded and progressed, alongside investment in South West Rail links.

As noted above, the bill just for the most urgent repairs for our hospitals is $2.5Bn and for further context, the backlog of repairs for our existing roads is $16Bn. We have to fix our roof, before we build a new extension.

I am aware from everyone I have spoken to that this response will not please everyone, and is perhaps a first political lesson in that regard, and I am of course happy and willing to discuss the views I set out here.

Finally, if the project does proceed then huge efforts will need to be made to mitigate the works to minimise the potential disruptions and harm to local residents.  We need to look again at the proposed disposal sites for the huge volume removed spoil to prevent adverse impacts on Winterbourne Stoke.  We need to make sure Shrewton’s future traffic reduces, having already endured significant additional traffic since the changes made at Airman’s corner.  Residents of Amesbury deserve reassurance that their lives will not be adversely affected for years by construction activities and redirected traffic. Moreover, it is imperative to ensure that a substantial portion of the investment benefits the local economy, and that opportunities to link the monument to local communities by cycling and on foot are seized. 

If given the opportunity to represent East Wiltshire, I am committed to prioritizing the status of the project with the new Government.  If it does proceed, I will collaborate with experienced local Councillors from all parties, many of whom have worked tirelessly on this project so far. Together, we can navigate the challenges and strive for a community-centred approach to solving this very difficult issue.