Stonehenge tunnel is approved by government

Plans to construct a road tunnel near Stonehenge have been approved.

The Department for Transport approved the £1.7bn two-mile (3.2km) tunnel from Amesbury to Berwick Down in Wiltshire on Friday.

Planning permission was first given in 2020 but was later quashed by the High Court in 2021 after campaigns by locals.

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

Campaign group, the Stonehenge Alliance, said it was "extremely disappointed" by the decision and warned the project could see Stonehenge stripped of its World Heritage Site status.

The scheme, which has been backed by Wiltshire Council, involves overhauling eight miles of the major road which goes from London to South West England.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said in a 64-page letter he was "satisfied there is a clear need" for the new tunnel and the project's "harm on spatial, visual relations and settings is less than substantial and should be weighed against the public benefits".

The letter said there is a "number of benefits that weight significantly in favour of development".

He said in "respect of cultural heritage and the historic environment", he recognised "he must give great weight to the conservation" of the World Unesco Heritage Site and accepts "there will be harm as a result of the development to cultural heritage and the historic environment".

The plans were initially given the go-ahead in November 2020 by then-transport secretary Grant Shapps despite the Planning Inspectorate officials saying it would case "permanent, irreversible harm" to the area.

However, the Save Stonehenge World Heritage Site alliance successfully challenged his decision in the High Court.

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: "This saga is starting to feel almost as old as the stones themselves and it's not over yet.

"The likelihood must be that objectors will already be poring over the Secretary of State's lengthy and detailed decision letter looking for grounds on which to launch another legal challenge.

"Quite apart from the risk of further legal delays, the next hurdle for the project is getting the funding in place to proceed, despite the economic squeeze on the Department for Transport's budget."

Wiltshire councillor Caroline Thomas, Cabinet Member for Transport, said: "We're delighted that consent has been granted once again for the A303 Stonehenge project and it can now move forward.

"This huge infrastructure project represents a significant investment in Wiltshire that will boost the economy of both our county and the wider region, unlocking jobs and investment.

"Along with the construction, there will also be comprehensive programme of archaeological mitigation, which will enhance our understanding of the World Heritage Site," she added.

Archaeologist and spokeswoman for the Stonehenge Alliance, Dr Kate Fielden, said: "We are shocked that the government is prepared to implement a £2.5bn road scheme when the country is in dire need of expenditure on far more important things."

Unesco, the UN's heritage body, previously warned that Stonehenge will be placed on its "in danger" list if the tunnel goes ahead, and could lose its status entirely.

Such an outcome would be "a national disgrace", Dr Fielden said.

"Stonehenge is probably one of the most prominent heritage sites in the world," she added.

Dr Fielden said that limited company Save Stonehenge World Heritage Site, set up by Save Stonehenge members, was seeking legal advice on next steps.

She added that the government should be encouraging alternative means of transport.

"We are legally committed to reducing carbon emissions and addressing climate change, and that includes modes of transport - we are fiddling while Rome burns."

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