WILTSHIRE Council is urging the government to back what it calls the ‘vital’ £1.9bn plan to transform the A303 at Stonehenge.

Improvements to the A303/A30/A358 corridor will generate more than 21,000 jobs and give the south west economy a £39bn boost.

Councillors called on the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, to ensure the scheme is supported in the budget.

Cabinet member for highways, Cllr Bridget Wayman, said: “Councils throughout the region are united in supporting this vital scheme that has myriad benefits for both the ancient monument and the south west’s economy.”

The plans would see a nine per cent reduction in carbon emissions around the ancient monument and put an end to drivers using local villages as cut-throughs.

Cllr Wayman added: “The scheme will improve the everyday lives of the local community, whose villages are used as rat runs, and it will also remove the single lane, bottleneck road, and create more reliable journeys for the thousands of vehicles that use the A303 as a gateway to the south west each day.

“Removing the noisy road from much of the World Heritage Site will help to restore the Stonehenge landscape and allow people to enjoy and understand the ancient stones and countryside.”