Highways England 'remain confident' about Stonehenge Tunnel
The government-owned transport organisation reacts to High Court ruling
Last updated 31st Jul 2021
Highways England says it's now waiting on the Government to see what happens next after the High Court effectively rejected the controversial A303 Stonehenge tunnel scheme.
The ball is back in the Department of Transport's court after yesterday's ruling (30 July 2021) found that Secretary of State, Grant Shapps, had acted unlawfully in approving the £1.7 billion scheme.
It's a victory for campaigners who've been fighting relentlessly to try and stop the divisive road project.
Highways England says the ruling is a setback, but that it 'remains confident' it is the best solution for traffic congestion on the A303 through the world heritage site.
In a statement Highways England said:
"The legal challenge against the decision to grant consent for the A303 Amesbury to Berwick Down scheme past Stonehenge has been upheld by the High Court judge. The judge upheld two of the ten grounds submitted and consequently, the Development Consent Order which was granted by the Secretary of State for Transport for the A303 Stonehenge scheme has been quashed."
"We now have to wait while the Department for Transport considers its options."
"This is a setback, but we remain confident our project is the best solution to the ongoing issues along the A303 past Stonehenge and was developed after a long and extensive collaboration with our key stakeholders."
"We are hugely disappointed by the decision, and we know this will also dismay many people in the local community who have waited decades for a solution and all those who use the road to travel to work or on holiday in the south west."
"We would like to thank everyone who has contributed to the development of the scheme so far."
MP JOHN GLEN
Salisbury MP John Glen is now pledging to do everything he can to 'prioritise the quality of life' for local residents near the A303.
Villages such as Winterbourne Stoke, Shrewton, and Larkhill all suffer enormously when the traffic on the A303 is at its heaviest and tailbacks spill over into surrounding communities.
READ MORE
There's more detail so you can read more about Friday's High Court Ruling here - GHR Salisbury News.