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Wednesday 29 January 2014

English Heritage adopting their own rules again!

When the A344 was closed in June last year, English Heritage, took it upon themselves to erect some nice 5 bar gates.....to keep us all out! 
To assist with this....they also put some "yellow jackets" in place.   I've had more than enough e-mails telling me that they've "done their own thing" by putting up the gates and worse still.....locking them at night.  These gates, whilst agreed by Wiltshire Council on a TRO - Traffic Regulation Order, as part of the planning permission for the new visitor's centre, were merely to stop unauthorised vehicles and should not be closed to the public!  We have the right to walk/cycle/ride or use a horse and carriage i.e. mechanically propelled vehicles, beyond the gates and this is not questionable.   This is an extract from an e-mail to one of our supporters from: Development Control Engineer, Wiltshire Council: "I can assure you that the works have been carried out generally in accordance with the planning permission, and the accompanying planning obligations, which clearly set out intentions to control vehicle traffic movement along the A344; the arrangements for the gates were agreed and facilitated by Wiltshire Council, acting in its capacity as both local planning and highway authority"  The TRO stated that there are no restrictions to the following: pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders, or invalid carriages.  I give you a copy of said TRO...please feel free to open this, print off and carry it with you if you are using your right to walk, cycle or ride the section of the A344 between Airman's Corner and By-way 12....because....still, the "Yellow Jackets" are not allowing "the public right of way" without asking questions as to why you would want to pass through the gates!    English Heritage just don't want anyone seeing those Stones without paying....do they?! 
The restrictions by English Heritage continue as can be seen from this photo and here is another paragraph from the previously quoted e-mail: "There are specific facilities provided to allow use by foot, cycle or equestrian users, including the provision of a 'Kent Carriage Gap'" this is what one looks like >>> 
 Again, please open and have a better look.  I don't know about you, but on the photos following - and the camera never lies - I certainly cannot see a Kent Carriage Gap....can you?!   I wouldn't want to be negotiating my way around those metal railings or that mud, wearing my walking boots far less in a wheel chair or with horse and carriage!!!  



And just so that www.english-heritage.org.uk understand about "GAPS" for walkers, cyclists, wheelchairs and riders alike.....here is the diagram to assist when they finally decide to go along with the TRO!  
















English Heritage were, under the terms of the TRO, supposed to have all this work completed along with the cycle path before the opening on 17th December, and here's a photo of....the cycle path at present:
I rest my case!
 

Friday 24 January 2014

A303 gets another mention in Parliament from J.G. MP!!


Keep up the mentions John!....the more Minister's getting to realise our plight the better.....some of them may even have to join one of our queues on the A303 come the spring/summer.....I'm not divulging the rat run route tho' - they can find that for themselves.....everyone else does!!!
 
http://johnglenmp.com/oral-questions/business-question-a303-ii/
 
Please sign our Parliamentary petition to dual the A303 past Stonehenge at: www.sh2.co.uk but remember to "confirm" from the follow up
e-mail....thanks!

Thursday 23 January 2014

Visit Stonehenge - The experience....

Yesterday, two members of the STAG - Stonehenge Traffic Action Group team, visited The World Heritage Site and the new visitor's centre.
The car park, which should have 500 places including 20 disabled slots, was 30% full. There were approximately 4 coaches in the coach park.....but this could be as many as 9 at any one time!!  During the 2 hours we spent at Stonehenge, we think there were around 400 visitors from various parts of the world.....bearing in mind the cafe, shop, museum, the Stone Circle and land trains.  
We found the staff extremely courteous and axious to please, making our visit a pleasant experience!
There appear to be 4 wheel chair friendly land trains each pulled by a land rover,
 i.e. 3 in use and one on stand by.  Each of these has 3 carriages carrying 16-18 people when a wheel chair is not included.    They take the visitor's to and from the Stone Circle, which is a mile and a half away from the tin shed....oops! sorry....visitor's centre.   
As you leave the car park, you're met with the new siting for the memorial to two Airmen : Capt. Eustace Loraine and his engineer: Staff Sgt Richard Wilson, who were killed in a military aviation accident in July 1912.  Previously, this was sited at what we locals know as "Airman's Cross"....now Airman's Corner.   Walkways are wheel chair friendly and easy to manage to the new visitor's centre and the toilets are on the front exterior of the building including one disabled toilet....still can't get used to the permanent scaffolding poles tho'!!
As local residents, we had our passes to visit for free and had only one person in front of us in the queue....the gentleman taking the money - £14.90 if you are a paying guest, was very pleasant and gave us a sticky label to wear, which tells security that we have "paid the money"!  He advised us to collect the free audio guide available to everyone, at the booth behind him.   We elected to take the land train to the Stones 
before visiting the centre/museum.....if you are visiting on foot/car, it's as well to take into account how many coaches are in the coach park and plan your visit around that....it may save some hanging around.   If it's necessary to wait for the land train and the rain is falling - stay clear of the geometrical gaps in the over hanging roof!!!
The journey on the land train took 9 minutes point to point but if you are fit and able bodied, one could walk the mile and a half allowing you to enjoy some of Wiltshire's countryside.....This is where it gets interesting..... When you alight the land train, there is a walk of approximately 100 mtrs on smooth tar mac which is on a gradient - this will be difficult for anyone with mobility problems..... there was no sign of wheel assistance (no place to store them I fear).  There is a walk-way to the heel stone 
in one direction and in the other direction around the front of the Stone Circle for approx 60mtrs.  After this, the ground is laid to grass and mud which is why the reviews on Tripadvisor said one could only walk around one third of the monument.  For safety reasons, in wet weather, the other two thirds were not available/fenced off.   Why there is no tar mac walk-way around the full monument, is not clear, but an alternative could be grass pavers.  

This fenced off area, >>>>>
is the proposed cycle path supposed to have been completed by the day of opening the new centre, as yet, unfinished....English Heritage seem/are "dragging their heels" on this one!!!.....maybe it's because they don't want cyclists/walkers being able to view the Stones for free???   Just a thought!!  see "Report to the Secretary of State for Transport Ref:DPI/T3915/11/6 items 3.31 and 3.32
Below, we show a "TRIAL" grass section on the A344 as was....and yes! we can confirm.....it's growing, and even has worms....the rooks are lovin it!
 This being a relatively quiet day, we were able to spend 50 minutes walking around and listening to the commentary on the audio unit provided. Currently, there are no shelter/toilet facilities at the Stone Circle...so you should dress accordingly and use the loo facility at the centre before going out there...would be good advice.  On completion of the Stone Circle, the land train was waiting to return us to the visitors centre...again, this was considered a quiet day....so very few waiting around problems.   On our return to the visitor's centre, we took a look at the shop, which was well laid out and not overly tacky but expensive.  We then decided it was time to visit the museum.....this is the only time our tickets were scanned.....so feasibly, one could visit the Stone Circle on foot for free and fore-go the museum/shop etc....not part of English Heritage's remit!!   Sir Cecil Chubb is revolving again!!!   The first area is the "all around cinema" which gives the impression of standing within the Stone Circle in all weathers.  The museum housed artifacts before, during, and after the build of Stonehenge.....however, most of these are behind glass, so very little opportunity for the tactile experience.  A suggestion to English Heritage would be to have areas.....to touch/light up/put together etc., therefore engaging the young and making the visit more interesting.   This would also assist the visually impaired to feel part of the visit.   Currently, there is little or no sign of braille on the information posts, but there was two visual presentation pods with hand signals for the deaf/hard of hearing. The cafe area is light and airy, but will soon get over crowded in summer or wet weather.....it's far too small for the numbers visiting on a daily basis.  On leaving the tin shed...oops! sorry...visitor's centre, one can read the stone plaque with the names of main donors and members who have contributed to the building.





All and All we enjoyed our visit but this was only due to: 1) one of the few beautiful days this year so far, 2) a quiet day...per the staff "it's dead today"! and 3) no queueing on the A303 before hand.  Please help us get the A303 dualled past Stonehenge....visit: www.sh2.co.uk and sign our petition.  But please remember to "confirm" using the follow up e-mail....thanks

Wednesday 22 January 2014

S. N. A. S. U.

S. N. A. S. U.......SITUATION NORMAL...ANOTHER SNARL UP!!
Thank You to David Hargrave who has sent me these photos taken from the bridge at Folly Bottom over the A303 on 31st December 2013....They show queues on the A303.....again....so what's new!   
We think they will be typical of what the traffic will be like on any of the Bank Holidays and through out the summer season on the A303 since the closure of the A344 past Stonehenge.   Bearing in mind, that the New Visitor's Centre is 7 miles from the top of Beacon Hill (seen here) but not everyone in this queue is bound for the World Heritage Site.   However, in this queue you must remain, no matter where you're headed....unless that is, you take to "rat running"!!   The reason is down to those who planned the new visitor's centre www.english-heritage.org.uk & www.wiltshire.gov.uk.  They made two SMALL mistakes: 1) They closed the A344 before dualling the A303 and 2) They omitted to include a separate entry and exit to the Stonehenge experience!!   A decision to dual all the sections of single carriageway from West Amesbury to Taunton must come soon......but, as the busiest section, is that past Stonehenge, this must be completed first, to relieve the road further on......






Please sign our Parliamentary petition to dual the A303 past Stonehenge on: www.sh2.co.uk but also remember to "confirm" having signed using the follow up e-mail...many thanks.

Other blogs: http://bypasswinterbournestoke.blogspot.co.uk 

and
http://facebook/stonehengetrafficationgroup

Saturday 18 January 2014

And yet another Feasibility Study for the A303 corridor!

Feasibilty studies have been conducted in the past for the A303/A30/A358 corridor amounting to £43m of tax payers money but still we are no further forward!  
We have been informed on a letter to johnglenmp.com from the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, www.robertgoodwill.co.uk that yet another is to take place this year.   A meeting is to be held in Taunton, inviting Stakeholders, Highways Agency, and local Enterprise partnerships on 24th January 2014 where they hope to agree the scope of the studies by the end of January......Of course, it's only right that we at STAG would want to be represented at the meeting, if only to see that they stop GANDERFLANKING and come to some agreement.  That's why our very own Dr Andrew D Shuttleworth - a member of the STAG Team, will attend on our behalf. 
Ganderflanking? Google it.....an old Wiltshire word if used enough could be included in the Oxford Dictionery!   So....use it as much as you can please!
I copy to you, the letters from MP to MP....with apologies for the strange date - (not our fault!) 
and the feasibiltiy study format itself......






 

Ok, so Zachary Arundel at the Dept for Transport wrote to 
Dr Shuttleworth on 23.01.14 putting him off for this particular meeting, saying they plan to engage more widely with local groups in the coming weeks......rest assured, we at STAG won't be letting this one go! 

Thursday 16 January 2014

Marooned in Shrewton!

STAG: Stonehenge Traffic Action Group are advising Shrewtonians - villagers of Shrewton on Salisbury Plain, to keep their larders stocked with non perishable foods in readiness for the SPRING/SUMMER MONTHS!  
 If the recently reported, over capacity at the new Stonehenge visitor's centre - (in bad weather) - carries on across the summer, we WILL be locked into the village and we may even have to ask the Army Boys to drop in luxuries like bread and milk!!!  
The closure of the A344 has resulted in increased volumes of traffic on the A303 and now, the car park at Stonehenge cannot cope with the numbers, allowing traffic to back up on the A360 between Longbarrow and Airman's roundabouts, ultimately adding to that already on the A303.  
Larkhill and Bulford are already having to cope with Rat Run traffic trying to avoid the A303, and we locals have to add to this, it being our only way out or in!!!  
But.......all this has a serious note too.... if and when we have an emergency within the confines of the village, and - God forbid, this could involve a tourist using the rat run trying to avoid the beleaguered A303....how are the  emergency services going to reach us??? Response times will be affected!

The A303 needs to be dualled past Stonehenge.   This should have been completed prior to the decision to close the A344.....please sign our parliamentary petition on: www.sh2.co.uk and please remember to "confirm" having signed when the follow up e-mail is sent to you.... Thank you!

Sunday 12 January 2014

HS2 a costly white elephant!

Right!  let's get on with it then.....I mean dualling the A303 past Stonehenge
 and on down the A303/A30 corridor.   STOP spending more money on the white elephant that is :

HS2 - High Speed Rail !
Isn't it time that accountability was brought to bear on
HS2 Limited....the tax payer funded company brought in to develop the high speed rail line - that will only service London, Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester. 
The Daily Telegraph has a story about our money spent frivolously amounting to...wait for it....£300 million in under 3 years.....on what? you may ask: £170 million was spent in the first 10 months of 2013 alone on stuff....9620 payments of £500 or more were paid out including £700 on ipad covers!!! £1.4 million to a branding company for event management and almost £10 million to employment agencies.
All this spending will apparently cut 49 minutes off the London to Birmingham run. Read the whole story on www.telegraph.co.uk
This type of spending needs to stop!   Follow other posts on this blog to see why the A303 at Stonehenge can no longer cope with the volume of traffic it supports, and the money wastefully spent on HS2 needs to be spent on dualling.  
Now we have the news that the A360 off Longbarrow to Airman's Cross will be clogged most weekends and holidays when the already over capacitated "Stonehenge New visitor's Centre" is full, adding to the queues already on the A303!  This has been a very badly thought out project!!!!
Dual the A303 now at www.sh2.co.uk sign our petition please....thankyou!

Saturday 11 January 2014

Stonehenge - Western Daily Press today

Today, Stonehenge is yet again on the front page of  the www.westerndailypress.co.uk    Unfortunately, and sad to say, for negative reasons.  
The new Visitor's Centre has been open since 18th December - just 3 weeks, and is already having problems dealing with capacity.   Teething problems it may be, but if the story by Tristan Cork is correct and I'm sure it is, what amendments can they at      www.english-heritage.org.uk put in place in preparation for the summer?   We've always compared our problem with the closure of the A344 causing increased volume of traffic on the un-dualled A303, but if Stonehenge New Visitor's Centre can't cope with volumes of tourists this early on, and with bad weather on most days, the traffic will inevitably back up onto the A303, adding to the queues already caused by the closure of the A344.   Capacity problems at Stonehenge and the queues to get there, will have a knock on effect on Wiltshire's tourism as a whole......Whilst today's news may vindicate STAG, we find it very sad!   www.english-heritage.org.uk I think you need to call a meeting quickly.... and find out  what can be done to improve matters very soon.....for all our sakes!
Stonehenge....still favourite what ever the weather!




 
Please sign our Parliamentary petition to get the A303 dualled past Stonehenge and all the way down the corridor at: www.sh2.co.uk but remember to confirm having signed, when the e-mail is sent to you......Thank you!

Friday 10 January 2014

A303 troubles.....and Percy Pothole!

THE BIRTH AND RE-BIRTH OF PERCY POTHOLE!!
 About Bonfire Night 2013, Percy was born, as a result of a road edge collapse adjacent to Byway 11 on the Westbound A303, close to Stonehenge.
Quick as a flash, www.highways.gov.uk sent 3 wise men to worship Percy and they all agreed, it was a miraculous conception as they, in concert with
www.english-heritage.org.uk had said that in their opinion, "the closure of the A344 would have no significant effect on the traffic volumes on the Countess Roundabout to Longbarrow Roundabout section"  i.e., no deterioration of the road.   Having foregone the gold, frankincense and myrrh offerings, the 3 wise men elected to offer tar macadam instead.   So on the evening of the 12th December the celebrations went on late into the night, which had a dire effect on homeward bound traffic, including ourselves returning from a day away to the big smoke.    A good time was had by all at the www.johnrutter.com Christmas concert at the beautiful www.royalalberthall.com/tickets   We join the queue just east of Stonehenge and are held up for half an hour - it's already 9pm!    Much phoning of loved ones takes place to say we're almost home but stuck on the A303....so what's new?




 
This picture shows the first of  Percy's repairs.....nice >  however...... Percy resurrected himself in less than 7 days....does anyone know the cost to us, the tax payer to repair poor Percy?

and on Tuesday 7th January, it's almost the whole length Percy's first repair! From this picture, www.highways.gov.uk obviously know they will be back again and again and again because they've......left their kit!!!! 
Please Highways Agency......do a decent job next time, because it's only a matter of time before serious damage is caused to someone's vehicle or an HGV has to pull out to avoid Percy Pothole and with on-coming traffic and this section of the A303 being single carriagway......I leave the rest to you to work out!!!!
It's Sunday 12th January and the temperature has dropped dramatically. My spies tell me that Percy now has a Big thick overcoat! (Double time no doubt)..... However, I've just past Percy this afternoon - Wednesday 15th, and his overcoat is wearing in just 3 days and letting in the rain....won't be long before it's threadbare again!
Here it is Friday 17th and Percy has been a naughty boy and revealed himself again!


 



Please help us get the A303 dualled past Stonehenge and on to Berwick Down...sign our Parliamentary petition here: www.sh2.co.uk and please remember to confirm having signed, using the e-mail that will be sent to you......thank you!
Wednesday 22nd and Percy's been filled in again....3rd repair in 5 weeks....let's see how long it lasts this time.

Wednesday 8 January 2014

Uncle Simon Thurley's Tweets...


Our new Facebook page shows postings of those responsible for the fiasco that's been caused by the closure of the A344 ....not only that, the fact that they're proud of it too....see the tweet from Simon Thurley - Chief Exec of English Heritage recently.....
I'm at a loss on the third tweet since English Heritage were only founded in 1983!!
This shows the A3036 meeting with the A344 at Stonehenge Bottom in 1938



Mr Thurley....Prior to it's classification in 1922, There's evidence aplenty that the A344 was a Drovers road, leading pack animals and flocks/herds from the Bristol area to London and like as not when the road grading improved, conveying horse drawn coaches along the same routes e.g. Bristol>Bath>Devizes>Amesbury>Basingstoke>Camberley etc.  Stands to reason, that prior to all that, and maybe even in times before Stonehenge existed, that it was a migratory pathway for ancient animals e.g. mammoths, Bison etc.  Therefore Simon Thurley, take no credit for obliterating what is probably a pre-neolithic rite of passage.

Please sign our petition on: www.sh2.co.uk to dual the A303 past Stonehenge
....thank you!