Stonehenge tunnel officially scrapped by Government

The decision, confirmed by Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, brings an end to the long-running proposal to upgrade the A303 between Amesbury and Berwick Down.

Romsey and Southampton North MP Caroline Nokes said the move would be “disappointing” for some residents who had hoped it would ease congestion in the area.

She said: “The A303 remains the gateway to the West Country, and an important strategic route going past the world’s most famous prehistoric monument is not an ideal combination.”

Campaign group Stonehenge Alliance welcomed the decision, describing it as the end of a decade-long fight against the scheme.

Acting chairman Mike Birkin said the project would have caused “enormous damage” to the wider landscape of the Stonehenge World Heritage Site (WHS).

He said: “The WHS is a designation of an entire landscape that is full of prehistoric monuments of incalculable value. The granting of the DCO was always perverse given the enormous damage it would have caused to the unique landscape of the Stonehenge WHS. The scheme was condemned by planning inspectors as well as UNESCO’s experts yet the government at the time road roughshod over the evidence.

The group said the scheme’s cancellation leaves untouched the issue of poor connectivity to the south-west region.

It added that revocation of the Stonehenge scheme is an opportunity to invest some of the saved budget in the region’s active travel and public transport networks to grow business, jobs, housing and access for all.

Mr Birkin said: “The rail network to the South West suffers from a degraded infrastructure which is notoriously unreliable and vulnerable to extreme weather events. Upgrading the network would contribute to government’s commitment to reducing car mileage as recommended by the Climate Change Committee."

The Government had originally approved the tunnel project in 2023, with the consent due to run until 2028.

Supporters argued it would reduce congestion on the A303, a key route to the South West, but opponents said it offered poor value for money and posed a risk to heritage.

The Government had issued a proposal to revoke the order in November last year, when the Wiltshire Council strongly criticised the decision.

Expressing his anger and disappointment, council leader Ian Thorne then said: "Revoking the DCO for the A303 Stonehenge Tunnel is completely unacceptable, not least because the Government has done nothing to facilitate an early discussion on an alternative solution.

"This proposal disregards years of planning, consultation and investment, and throws away a once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve one of the region's most vital transport corridors.

"The consequences of this decision are far-reaching. It would condemn local communities to continued congestion and rat-running; it would undermine efforts to unlock jobs and investment across Wiltshire and the wider South West; it wastes public money and the infrastructure already put in place; it compromises the environmental benefits that could have been achieved; and it also delays any future progress by forcing the entire process to start from scratch.

"This is not just a setback - it's a complete step backwards for a region that is severely lacking in Government investment compared to other parts of the country. Wiltshire deserves better, the South West deserves better, and we will continue to fight for the infrastructure our communities need and deserve."

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