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Press Release

Stonehenge: Government’s options are all dead ends

23 January 2006

CPRE [1] is disappointed by today’s announcement by Transport Minister Stephen Ladyman of the options for road building near Stonehenge. It seems the dead hand of the Treasury has meant that the most environmentally sustainable options have been left off the list.

CPRE’s Head of Transport Policy, Paul Hamblin, said:

‘After years of prevarication we are right back where we started, with a set of schemes whose environmental price is too high. Money is of course limited, but with persuasive arguments more should be found for this World Heritage Site which is such a powerful icon of the English countryside.’

CPRE has campaigned for a longer bored tunnel, and is disappointed that in the process of seeking to save money, consideration is now being given to new road building through open countryside.

Paul Hamblin concluded:

‘The proposals for Stonehenge have already been relegated from a national exceptional environmental scheme to one that has to compete amongst other regional priorities. So it may be that discussion of the various options outlined today may just be hot air. It would be a travesty if nothing were done, but worse still to damage this unique historic landscape. Transport Ministers should fight harder for additional funding for a suitable solution, rather than admit defeat and ask people to choose from a range of inferior options.’

– END –

NOTES FOR EDITORS

1. CPRE, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, is a charity which promotes the beauty, tranquillity and diversity of rural England. We advocate positive solutions for the long-term future of the countryside. Founded in 1926, we have 60,000 supporters and a branch in every county. President: Sir Max Hastings. Patron: Her Majesty The Queen.

2. The Transport Minister, Stephen Ladyman MP, has today published a three-month consultation on the A303 Stonehenge Improvement. The consultation, which will last until 24 April 2006, asks people to comment on five options. These are: the 2.1km bored tunnel (that was considered at a Public Inquiry); a northern route; a southern route; a cut and cover tunnel; and what is described as a ‘partial solution’ that involves keeping the existing A303 near the Stones but the closure of the A344 at the junction with the A303.



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