Winterbourne Stoke resident calling for A303 Stonehenge tunnel alternative
A petition has been set up online
Due to the cost and amount of traffic it could cause in the area, a Winterbourne Stoke resident has set up a petition to suggest an alternative to the Stonehenge Tunnel plan.
Ian West wants the dualling of the A303 on its present line in a shallow cutting just deep enough to hide Stonehenge from the view of motorists.
He says this would be completed quicker and have much less environmental impacts, while also fixing the traffic issue past the stones.
A petition has been put together on change.org, which has gained around 130 signatures.
On the petition, Ian said:
"We believe the High Court judge who quashed Grant Shapps' approval to grant the Development Consent Order for the A303 / Stonehenge tunnel made the correct decision and that an alternative solution exists that can be implemented faster than the tunnel. This would be in the best interests of local residents and the wider public.
Despite the frustration of another delay, we call on Grant Shapp's and the government to withdraw from the tunnel project because of the environmental damage it would cause to the countryside. This includes thousands of cubic metres of soil from the tunnel construction delivered to the village of Winterbourne Stoke by a temporary road across the River Till. The unbearable disruption during the build would result in the bypass being much higher than previously specified. The detrimental effect on the landscape, noise levels and local community would leave an appalling legacy for the future."
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps' approval of the scheme went to the High Court after the Save Stonehenge World Heritage Site campaign group appealed the decision, calling it "unlawful" as he went against the recommendation of the planning inspectorate.
The judge found that Mr Shapps had acted "unlawfully" and quashed the approval.
He will now examine how he came to the decision while the plans are delayed.