A303 Stonehenge tunnel scheme SCRAPPED
The Chancellor says the project had been left 'unfunded' by the Tories
Last updated 29th Jul 2024
It's been confirmed by the Chancellor that the A303 Stonehenge tunnel project has been scrapped.
Rachel Reeves has been setting out plans today (Monday 29th July) to plug a £22 billion pound shortfall in Government budgets, acquired by Labour from the previous Conservative administration.
She's cancelled a number of schemes saying 'if we cannot afford, we cannot do it'.
She told the House of Commons that the A303 improvements around Stonehenge had left been 'unfunded'.
Rachel Reeves said a spending audit has revealed "£1 billion of unfunded transport projects" committed to next year, adding Transport Secretary Louise Haigh will undertake a "thorough" review of them:
"As part of that work, she has agreed not to move forward with projects the previous government refused to publicly cancel despite knowing full well that they were unaffordable. That includes proposed work on the A303 and the A27."
The scheme was set to cost around £3 billion in total and would have seen a 2 mile tunnel built past the ancient site.
Campaigners have been rallying to get the plans thrown out through the courts - with the latest High Court appeal heard earlier this month.
Today, they've said the Government doesn't go far enough.
John Adams, chair of the Stonehenge Alliance said:
“We welcome Rachel Reeves’ recognition that the country cannot afford this extravagant road scheme when schools are falling down and the NHS is in dire straits. However, she should have gone further. The road would be built at a loss and is a bad investment for UK plc. It should have been scrapped altogether.”
Tom Holland, historian and president of the Stonehenge Alliance, said:
“This monstrous white elephant should have been put out of its misery long ago. Until the Government officially terminates the project, it will continue to leech taxpayer’s money. A delay is not good enough. Cancel it now!”
Wiltshire Council 'disappointed'
Cllr Richard Clewer, Leader of Wiltshire Council, said:
“We are extremely dismayed and disappointed at the Government’s decision to cancel the A303 Stonehenge tunnel project. These improvements are needed now to ease traffic congestion on the A303 and reduce traffic in our communities, and also ensure economic growth in Wiltshire, unlocking jobs and investment in the wider south-west region.
“It has taken many years of lobbying and working closely with partners, including National Highways, to bring this major infrastructure project to Wiltshire, and so it is a huge blow to get to the stage when construction is ready to begin, only to have this taken away from us at this late hour.
“There has already been £160m spent on this project, and cancelling it now wastes that huge investment, including the work to run a power supply up the A360 to the tunnel site. There is currently no viable alternative to the tunnel on the table. It would return the Stonehenge landscape to something like its original setting and allow local communities greater access to the ancient stones and the surrounding World Heritage Site.
“We will remain committed to this project and will continue to work closely with all stakeholders to try to bring this project back to Wiltshire, to reduce rat-running in our communities, to reduce journey times to the wider south-west, to boost economic growth in Wiltshire, and to unlock jobs and investment across the region.”
We've approached the Department for Transport for comment.