On the 6th December 2007 in a dramatic policy reversal the Government scrapped it's plans for a tunnel to divert the A303 away from Stonehenge ancient monument.

Here are comments from English Heritage and others and news reports from the time.

ENGLISH HERITAGE STATEMENT  6th December 2007

"English Heritage is very disappointed that the 2.1km bored tunnel scheme will not go ahead because it signals the end of
the Stonehenge improvement plans that have been championed by the DCMS and English Heritage over the last eight years. The
plans, collectively decided upon by a range of national and regional stakeholders, were a 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 work closely with all interested parties to look into alternative ways to achieve this."
 

English Heritage said it is very disappointed plans for a 2.1km bored tunnel taking traffic away from Stonehenge have been shelved.

The announcement, made in a parliamentary statement, concluded the £540m for the proposed tunnel scheme could not be justified. English Heritage said it was encouraged the setting of the stones and a visitor centre were still a priority. The cost of the 2.1km-long (1.3 mile) scheme had soared from £223m.  Transport Minister Tom Harris said allocating such sums "cannot be justified and would not represent best use of taxpayers' money". In a parliamentary written answer, Mr Harris said a review of the Stonehenge improvement plan - which had been the subject of a public inquiry - had identified a shortlist of possible options, including routes to the north and south of Stonehenge. "After careful consideration, we have now concluded that, due to significant environmental constraints across the whole of the World Heritage Site, there are no acceptable alternatives to the 2.1km bored tunnel scheme. "The government recognises the importance of the A303 Stonehenge improvement scheme and that the announcement would come as a considerable disappointment for the project's supporters."  

He said the Highways Agency would investigate possible small-scale improvements to the A303 as part of its overall stewardship of the route.

From Archaeo News 9th December 2007

"The decision to axe the 1.3 mile tunnel along with a bypass to the west of the monument and a flyover to the east follows a detailed review of the plans by the Department for Transport. The Government’s decision also means that English Heritage, which owns the site, has had to cancel plans for a £67 million visitor centre, and English Heritage said it is very disappointed plans have been shelved. Bodies including the Council for British Archaeology, the International Council for Monuments and Sites and the National Trust, were among those advocating a longer tunnel to protect Stonehenge, a World Heritage Site since 1986.
     After years of argument over how to ease congestion around the stone circle in Wiltshire, ministers said they had decided that a tunnel would cost too much. The announcement, made in a parliamentary statement, concluded the £540m for the proposed tunnel scheme could not be justified. The cost of the 2.1km-long (1.3 mile) scheme had soared from £223m. Transport Minister Tom Harris said allocating such sums "cannot be justified and would not represent best use of taxpayers' money". He also ruled out other options that would have taken the A303 well to the north or south of the stones, on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire. At present, the A303 runs 150 yards from the stones. It is one of the few remaining single-carriageway sections of the key holiday route to Devon and Cornwall and is heavily congested in the spring and summer. In a parliamentary written answer, Mr Harris said "The government recognises the importance of the A303 Stonehenge improvement scheme and that the announcement would come as a considerable disappointment for the project's supporters."
     The decision was welcomed by the Save Stonehenge organisation. Spokesman Chris Woodford said that only a 1.3-mile section of the proposed 7.7-mile route would have been underground and that the decision "was the only sensible outcome". Denise Carlo, of the Campaign for Better Transport (formerly Transport 2000), said: "We've been saying for years that the plan to build a tunnel and road through the Stonehenge World Heritage Site would be an environmental and financial disaster." But shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers said: "Stonehenge's World Heritage status will be in jeopardy if this problem remains unsolved." Ms Villiers said the United Nations' cultural arm Unesco had called on the government in July to explain its lack of progress on the scheme, which was announced in 1998. "A solution is further away than ever despite £23 million having been spent on preparations for a tunnel which is no longer going to be built. Why has this government taken 10 years only to come back to square one? This is one of the most notorious traffic bottlenecks in the country, it impacts on great swathes of the south west who will feel betrayed by this announcement. One of our greatest cultural icons has been left in limbo for a decade as a result of this government's total inability to make a decision or deliver on their very clear promises."
     The British Government remains committed to working with stakeholders in investigating options for improving the environment of Stonehenge, including new visitor facilities, and exploring possible small scale measures to improve traffic flows and safety along this section of the A303. The Liberal Democrats said the decision "Puts a UNESCO World Heritage site at risk of damage from the ever-increasing volume of traffic." English Heritage issued a statement saying "It is encouraging that the Government recognises that improving the setting of the Stones and the visitor facilities is a priority. English Heritage will work closely with other stakeholders to look into alternative ways to achieve this."

Archaeo News website can be found HERE

What Car  12th December 2007