Stonehenge: so what now?

For more than 20 years, both Labour and Tory governments have struggled to find an acceptable scheme for restoring the ancient stones to their original setting and easing traffic congestion on the A303 West Country holiday route that runs past the monument.

And the latest project bit the dust last Thursday when Transport Minister Tom Harris scrapped the controversial proposal to bury the A303 in a 2.1km tunnel.

The scheme had been eight years on the planning boards, during which time the cost of the venture spiralled from £193m to £540m at today's prices.

Its cancellation has now effectively killed off English Heritage's plans to build a £70m Stonehenge visitors' centre east of Countess roundabout and dashed hopes of a flyover at Countess roundabout and a bypass for the beleaguered village of Winterbourne Stoke, which is split by the A303 and has been waiting for traffic relief for more than 40 years.

In short, it means that after two decades and the spending of an estimated £23m on various plans to improve roads around Stonehenge, everything is back to square one.

Mr Key, who has been the area's MP since 1983, and was once Minister for Culture and for Roads, branded the collapse of the tunnel scheme as a "tragedy and a setback for the economy of the south west of England."

He said the unwillingness of the government to fund its own road proposals represented a breakdown in the machinery of government.

"The growing economy of the south west requires better roads. The regional tourism and heritage industry is being stifled and the quality of life of the local residents and workforce is falling as they face regular gridlock in the local road network," said Mr Key.

"Because the tunnel is abandoned, planning permission falls on the proposed new English Heritage visitors' centre. The £24m promised by the Heritage Lottery Fund will no doubt go to the 2012 Olympic Games instead.

"The Government must still honour its promise to UNESCO to close the A334 past the stones and upgrade the very poor visitor facilities.

"They must also upgrade the A303 and install electronic traffic management. They must build the Winterbourne Stoke bypass and the flyover at Countess roundabout in Amesbury."

Calling for the setting up of a stakeholder task force, Mr Key added: "The Government should consider the option proposed ten years ago of a new visitors' centre and car park in the dip in the downs 1km to the west of the stones, accessed from the existing A344 from Airman's Corner.

"This semi-permanent solution would allow new strategic consideration of how to upgrade the A303 and remove it from the landscape of Stonehenge."

Mixed reaction over site shock decision
EMOTIONS ranged from anger to joy as rival groups reacted to the government's decision to scrap the Stonehenge tunnel and A303 improvement scheme.Salisbury District councillor Ian West, whose home village of Winterbourne Stoke stood to gain a bypass from the Stonehenge plans, said he was "almost spitting blood" when Transport Minister Tom Harris announced the scrapping of the A303 improvements."I was expecting the tunnel idea to be axed, but to do nothing about relieving communities of traffic problems on the A303 shows a total disregard for local people," he said."The road runs through the middle of our village and we have been campaigning for a bypass for more than 40 years - and now we're no nearer to getting one."Mr West said he and fellow residents would now be campaigning to persuade the Department of Transport and Highways Agency to improve road safety in the village, including a reduction in the speed limit to 30mph and urgent installation of a pedestrian crossing and speed camera.Both Wiltshire county and Salisbury district councils voiced disappointment at the government decision.Cllr Fleur de Rhe-Philipe, who is county council cabinet member for environment, transport and economic development, said: "After many years of discussion, a widely supported scheme had been developed which would have solved the traffic problems on the A303 past Stonehenge and improve the setting of the stones - but the opportunity has now been lost."The county council will now work with the Government and the Highways Agency to consider measures to ease the impact, not just on the A303, but also the surrounding roads."Leader of Salisbury District Council Paul Sample said: "In my view this is a real blow to the local Amesbury community and to the future tourism provision at the stones."We'll continue to look at ways in which traffic congestion can be managed locally and liaise with the Highways Agency and county council to that effect."English Heritage, the custodians of Stonehenge, said it was "very disappointed."In a statement it said: "The decision signals the end of the project championed by the DCMS (Department of Culture, Media and Sport) and English Heritage over the last eight years, which sought to improve both the landscape setting of Stonehenge and the visitor experience. "The project, collectively decided upon by a range of national and regional stakeholders, was the best and most practical means by which the agreed vision for the Stonehenge World Heritage Site could have been achieved."However, it is encouraging that the Government recognises that improving the setting of the stones and the visitor facilities is a priority "English Heritage will now work closely with other stakeholders to look into alternative ways to achieve this."Meanwhile the Save Stonehenge campaign hailed the cancellation of the scheme as a reason for "international jubilation."Spokesman Chris Woodford said: "Christmas has come early for Stonehenge."No-one with any sense wanted a tunnel, a flyover, a dual-carriageway and two whacking great interchanges here."It's just not acceptable to build 1950s-style motorways in places like this any more."And the Stonehenge Alliance said it was delighted to learn the A303 Stonehenge Improvement scheme had been scrapped, after campaigning against the proposals for more than a decade.