Christmas Tree Festival

By now, those who regularly read this blog will know it's about improving our lot here in Shrewton and not forgetting Winterbourne Stoke, by fixing the A303 around Stonehenge.....the fight still goes on!   But here's a little aside for Christmas 2016 and New Year 2017 to all our readers, our contribution the Tree Festival at St.Mary's Shrewton:

Winter Solstice 2016

This is the latest letter received from English Heritage regarding the detail for Winter Solstice 2016.  Please also note the By Way closures :

Highways England's News Letter

STAG has recently received this link which allows you to keep up with A303 changes as they happen from their new NEWS LETTER which will be updated regularly.....

https://s3.amazonaws.com/assets.highways.gov.uk/roads/road-projects/A303-A358/M160193_A303_Newsletter_landscape_v10.pdf

We will of course provide further updates as we are invited - as "STAKEHOLDERS" (interested parties) to any meetings with the various Agencies i.e. National Trust, Highways England, Atkins, Wiltshire Council and many more.....

They have their new jobs at Westminster......

Now that our new PM Theresa May has started her new job and finding her place in the BREXIT script, I wanted to say that our campaign to fix the A303 past Stonehenge continues, and these are e-mails I wrote on the 12th July, during all the furore, as to who exactly, was going to be who, in the new cabinet!!
The e-mail in the first instance was sent to my contact at www.highways.gov.uk and copied to: www.nationaltrust.org.uk 

www.johnglenmp.com   www.robertgoodwill.co.uk

 www.salisburyjournal.co.uk and some others....

Dear Sarah,

 

During this time of unsettlement within our Government post Brexit, change of PM, and the potential for an a looming General Election, as the Founder of STAG: Stonehenge Traffic Action Group, I would like your assurances that the plan promised by the then Prime Minister on 3^rd December 2014 will not be de-railed and will remain at the fore front of work to be done on the Amesbury to Berwick Down section of the A303.
Traffic in the village of Shrewton has, as expected, increased and the flow of vehicles rat running to avoid queues on the section of A303 past Stonehenge, is now more or less constant peaking on Friday afternoons between the hours of 1530 and 1700.    During school holidays this significantly increases.
I would like all parties – as a group, to witness the increase and how dangerous walking in our village has become, especially from the houses just inside the 30 mph sign, for a distance of over a quarter of a mile on London Road, where there are no pavements leading down the hill, including a left hand bend, into the village.    Speeds are also increasing and this is borne out by the statistics sent to Wiltshire Police Community Speed Watch scheme operating within our village at varying times.
I look forward to hearing from you all.
Best Wishes
Janice Hassett
STAG: Stonehenge Traffic Action Group
 As explained in a previous posting, Highways England are a changed bunch and are more approachable than those at Highways Agency and we received this answer within hours of our e-mail to them....  

"Hi Janice

Good to hear from you. Please let me reassure you that we are continuing to work to programme at the moment, and in line with the delivery plan.
Hope all is well with you
Regards
Sarah"

Also, within hours of finding out who was chosen by Theresa to be our new Secretary of State for Transport in place of Patrick McLoughlin MP,  STAG whizzed off an e-mail to The Rt Hon. Chris Grayling MP as can be read below https://www.gov.uk/government/people/chris-grayling   As is the norm, when writing to anyone at Westminster, we received the usual Parliamentary acknowledgement and have to assume that "someone" will read our e-mail and pass to the correct department:

Dear Mr Grayling,

I would appreciate if you will take the time to read the thread below, and in your new office of Secretary of State for Transport, assure me that the previous promise to fix the A303 past Stonehenge will not be delayed and the Timeline attached will remain in place.

Best wishes

Janice Hassett

STAG: Stonehenge Traffic Action Group

 

 My original e-mail was copied to John Glen MP for Salisbury, and whilst we didn't expect a reply immediately because he was probably waiting on that all important phone call!!! we have to congratulate John in his new position of PPS to Philip Hammond at the Treasury, he has come back with this response..... (PPS: Parliamentary Private Secretary)

"Dear Janice

Thank you very much – I am really pleased.
I did indeed see your email. I have heard concerns voiced that Brexit would affect delivery of the tunnel but, suffice it to say, I have had no such indications from anyone involved.
As far as I am concerned, ring-fencing is ring-fencing and adequate contingency has been built in. Now that everyone is settling into their new posts, I do plan to seek specific assurances but I have not heard anything that has given me any cause for concern.
Very best regards
John"

Rest assured everyone.....STAG will not be allowing this trail to go cold!!
My ex boss before I retired always called me his "Little Terrier".....not letting go until it's in the bag!!!   All the best Allister Moorcroft.....loved ya!

 

 

 

 

And so it's official.....No booze plus £15.00 at Summer Solstice!!

Remember the posting on 6th February, where King Arthur Pendragon, is not happy about the "Pay to Pray" policy....well my thanks again are due to: www.salisburyjournal.co.uk for the continuing story headed up:

"BOOZE will be banned from summer solstice celebrations" at Stonehenge this year  

and along with this news, the confirmation from English Heritage, that there will be a £15.00 parking charge.....and here's the story to save you looking it up.......

"Drivers will have to fork out £15 to park at the Stones, in a bid to reduce the number of cars at the event.
When the plans were unveiled in February it led to a "pay to pray policy" accusation from senior druid King Arthur Pendragon
Bosses at Stonehenge say the reason behind introducing a £15 parking charge is encourage more people to car share and use public transport.
They also believe that banning alcohol will "reduce the risk to those attending and to the monument itself".
Drinking will not be allowed anywhere in the monument field.
Part of the reasons for the changes is the increase in numbers to Stonehenge for the summer solstice. In 2000, approximately 10,000 people attended while in 2014, the figure was close to 40,000. That same year, the stones were vandalised during both the summer and winter solstice celebrations.
Money raised from the new charges would go towards supporting £60,000 a year cost of maintaining the visitor centre car park.
Kate Davies, Stonehenge’s General Manager, said: “Over the last 15 years we have seen a huge increase in the number of people celebrating the summer solstice at Stonehenge. We have limited parking facilities and we believe the parking charge will encourage more people to car share or travel by bus.
“We’ve also seen more drunken and disrespectful behaviour. Something has to be done or we risk losing what makes solstice at Stonehenge so special.
“These changes will help us to better look after both those attending the solstice and the ancient monument itself.
“Since we proposed these changes, we’ve had a lot of support from the public and from across all the different groups who help to organise the solstice celebrations.”
English Heritage also said it was mindful of how alcohol was used by some druids during ceremonial practise and would be consulting with the community on how moderate use of ritual alcohol".

Share: 14 comments
Whilst it may be all very laudable for www.english-heritage.org.uk to apply this £15.00 charge for parking, to assist with the clean up following the Solstice party, which I believe is a sum close to £60k.....but what about those who - actually don't make any mess, take their litter home and are no trouble....they still get to pay the 15 quid!  EH suggest the charge will encourage everyone to take the bus/use public transport.....what planet are they on!   I've got news for them (and at this point, I would have to say, some of the negative comments in www.salisburyjournal.co.uk  about Kate Davies are completely unfounded, because she doesn't make these decisions, she's just got the unfortunate job of carrying them out as General Manager at Stonehenge) so if  www.english-heritage.org.uk think that those who have been attending the Summer Solstice most of their lives....as children right up to adult hood, will stop coming because of the £15.00 charge.....NO! it will more likely push the parking problem "UNDER GROUND" and we locals in villages around the area most notably Shrewton, know exactly what will happen.....There is an element of folks who come into the category "crusties or great unwashed" not to be confused with Druids, Pagans and New Age, who, with their large unkempt vehicles, will still come to the area, park up for days on end in local villages, lay byes, across gateways and on any spare ground they can find and walk to Stonehenge.   Our little village of Shrewton being the closest to Stonehenge, will experience the worst of this....and I just hope that the Parish Council will make the necessary arrangement with "Wiltshire's Finest" - police cuts aside, to make sure these vehicles are moved on - preferably back to the Stonehenge Visitor's Centre - where they belong!!!   But then.....Shrewton Parish Council don't read this blog!!!

Two replies to Cllr West's idea.....

Thank you Cllr West....!

THE WEST WAY IS THE BEST WAY....AND....
THE RHIND TUTT WAY IS THE NUT WAY!!!!

Here are two replies to Cllr West's proposal which appeared in
www.salisburyjournal.co.uk Post Bag 18.2.16:

TUNNEL VISION "Councillor West needs to be congratulated for trying again to bring some common sense to the A303/Stonehenge problem.  The expensive and possibly impractical tunnel is English Heritage's preferred solution.  EH forgets it is the tax payer who will pay a vast sum to return Stonehenge landscape to what they want to see.   Cllr West's solution to lose World Heritage status to enable the construction of a lowered dual carriageway is, in my opinion, sensible.   We have enough conservation rules of our own to protect the area - probably to a higher standard than World Heritage sites in many other countries.  World Heritage status is not a main reason for people visiting Stonehenge.   And when the dual carriageway is built, and the pollution and congestion and the accidents for which this bit of the A303 us notorious, have reduced or hopefully disappeared, we could perhaps apply for World Heritage status again - if it's worth having"
JOHN CUTLAND, Wilton.  

GET ON WITH IT!  Thank goodness we have a councillor with common sense in the name of Cllr Ian West.   His proposal for a cutting to by pass Stonehenge is a simple and inexpensive alternative to an expensive tunnel.   All the millions spent on studies would have completed his proposal which he suggested 10 years ago.   The bit about a free viewing area, probably won't catch on with English Heritage.....End the 30 years of shilly shalling, wasted money and get on with the job!"
ANDREW POOLE, Alderbury.

Highways England putting us in the picture.....

As Stakeholders, we at STAG: Stonehenge Traffic Action Group, were invited to attend the morning briefing prior to the open exhibition at Antrobus House on Friday 19th, in Amesbury, which was to update us on the plans for the A303.  

We found this to be a most informative presentation and the "new" Highways England, a very professional bunch of approachable people.  
One of their staff members told me, their aim is to listen to you and me and be more open and up front with progress and within the presentation, were at pains to advise that the Government has provided money to upgrade the A303 and this could be in any one of a number of ways....i.e. it should not be presumed that the money was for a tunnel and only a tunnel!!!!
Here is the "Development Consent Order Process"

Following the briefing, the Open Exhibition between 1300 and 1900, had mixed response, but for me, there is definitely a feeling of openness.   Please read the detail on the link and watch the video at the http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/a303a358-work-to-create-an-expressway-to-the-south-west/

And now here's the alternative to Mr Andy Rhind Tutt's cockeyed idea......

You will recall my previous posting headed "Cock Womble" etc., on 22.01.16 ...... well here's a balance to set the records straight providing an alternative to that of Mr Rhind Tutt and as
Cllr Ian West told Highways England, it's the most popular among local people, and I say, the majority of those reading this blog on a regular basis.
My thanks in this instance to Tristan Cork - again, and the story, as one would expect, has been covered by Alex Rennie at www.salisburyjournal.co.uk and by www.bbc.co.uk/southtoday last Wednesday lunch time.
The A303 currently runs right past Stonehenge
A local councillor near Stonehenge has said local people were so fed up with the A303 bottleneck - and rat running through local villages, that they were prepared to lose the UNESCO World Heritage Status for the stones if it meant a good solution to the road problem.
Read more: http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/Bypass-Stonehenge-lose-World-Heritage-Status-say/story-28717785-detail/story.html#ixzz40475BO6M
Follow us: @WesternDaily on Twitter | WesternDaily on Facebook

Ian West, who represents the villages closest to the west of Stonehenge, spoke out as the Government launched a series of consultation meetings all along the length of the A303 in Wiltshire and Somerset, starting the long process that looks set to see a £2 billion tunnel dug under the stones.
He likened the plight of the people of Amesbury and its surrounding villages to that of Dresden – whose people demanded and got a new bridge built to alleviate traffic problems in the city centre, even though it meant UNESCO withdrew the prestigious World Heritage Status from the ancient German city.
Mr West formally submitted his idea to solve the A303 bottleneck, which occurs when the dual carriageway A303 passes close to Stonehenge and narrows to one lane. English Heritage have long demanded the road be moved or a tunnel built, and late in 2014, the Prime Minister pledged that a tunnel would be built.
The local Lib Dem councillor originally made his proposal ten years ago, at a time when Tony Blair's Government were wrestling with spiralling costs and controversy of their attempt to dig a Stonehenge tunnel.
He proposes a new open dual carriageway dug into a cutting slightly further to the south of Stonehenge, which could be landscaped to not be visible from the stones.
That would be significantly cheaper than a tunnel, but Mr West admitted it would mean some archaeology on the huge World Heritage Site around Stonehenge is damaged. Those fighting a 'short tunnel' plan oppose it because the eastern entrance would be dug within the WHS area too.
"The dual carriageway could be built into a beautifully landscaped cutting thereby putting the road out of sight of Stonehenge," he said. "If built sensitively, high-sided vehicles would not be seen and traffic not heard by visitors to the stones.
"Over the last 23 years or so that I have represented this area on the council, this scheme has been suggested by many residents to me and I believe it has a great deal of local support and merit.
"It is perhaps interesting to note that when Dresden in Germany needed to build a bypass round the city more than half the local population were content to lose their UNESCO status in order to have the much cheaper and more pragmatic solution of a bridge rather than a tunnel to relieve the congestion in the city.   "Perhaps the Stonehenge problem is similar in many ways to that of Dresden. The local people have lived with the A303 problem long enough," he added.
So! If we're comparing our problem with that of Dresden in Germany, why don't we hold a vote one way or another as to whether we stick with the UNESCO label probably pulling forward all those stick-in-the-muds who will cry out in aghastment (sic) !!! or lose it and move on.....after all.....Stonehenge is not going anywhere and neither is Dresden since it was rebuilt after WW2!!!

English Heritage has upset King Arthur and he's not a happy man!!!

My thanks again to Alex Rennie for this story appearing in our local paper and the story is also covered by www.bbc.co.uk/wiltshire......Alex...You tell the locals and I'll tell the rest of the world!!!!

'Pay for pray' accusation after plans to charge for solstice parking at Stonehenge and ban alcohol

'Pay for pray' accusation after plans to charge for solstice parking and ban alcohol

Alex Rennie, Reporter/ News                

A SENIOR druid has accused English Heritage of creating a "pay to pray policy" after unveiling plans to charge for parking at the solstice celebrations.
King Arthur Pendragon then walked out of a "Roundtable" discussion after bosses at Stonehenge said they planned to ban alcohol.
The two changes are part of plans to reduce visitor numbers during both the winter and summer solstice. Numbers to the summer celebration hit a record 40,000 in 2014 while 7,000 revellers were at the winter event in December.

English Heritage say the changes have come "in order to reduce risk to those attending and to the monument itself".
However King Arthur said the changes "came out of the blue" and accused Stonehenge's owners of "sanitising" the celebrations.
"The ban on alcohol may sound like it makes sense but lets face it alcohol is legal in this country," he said.
"It is not for them to tell me how much alcohol we can use. There is also a problem with drugs and it will only encourage more people to use them."
King Arthur said he would fight the changes "tooth and nail" going as far as the high court if needed.

"It is getting ridiculous," he added. "Would you pay to park outside a church?"
English Heritage say that by introducing a parking charge, it will encourage car sharing and use of public transport.                                  
Kate Davies, Stonehenge’s General Manager, said: “Over the past few years, we have had lots of feedback from those attending the solstice celebrations, from families with young children to those for whom the stones holds a special spiritual significance.
“We hope that by prohibiting alcohol, it will help everyone to have a better experience of solstice. We have seen more and more people forego the car for public transport and we would like to see this trend continue. The solstice celebrations will still be free to attend but we hope that by introducing a parking charge, more people will choose to travel by bus.”

The story is already courting comment from local people in our village of Shrewton....
this from smfp49 who may have a point.
"I know exactly what will happen if parking charges are introduced - the attendees will park in nearby villages - most notably, Shrewton.  We will go back to the bad old days of encampments and rubbish in residential roads. Once again-English Heritage have demonstrated their lack of consideration for local people and we still have to put up with the A303 rat running, so I foresee absolute chaos"......local businesses be warned!!


The story appears again today - as an exclusive!!! by Tristan Cork in http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/Alcohol-ban-Stonehenge-summer-solstice-sanitise/story-28673004-detail/story.html#comments

When the proposals were aired at a 'stakeholders' meeting on Thursday, leading druid King Arthur Pendragon walked out.
He said he opposed measures to stop the thousands of revellers and solstice worshippers taking alcohol into the site, and the plan to charge drivers of the thousands of cars that use a temporary car park in the fields near Stonehenge a fee to park there.
"I walked out of a meeting today leaving others to see what crumbs they may get from the masters' table," he said. "Now I have not been falling down drunk in years, but that's not the point. It's a celebration, not to be sanitised.
"If you think that's bad, point two is a charge for car-parking. I told them they were looking for confrontation. They told me to hold my tongue and I walked. I didn't need to hear any more," he added.
Not too sure about this comment tho':

TactileTangle  |  February 05 2016, 1:44PM

Good. Drugs are much easier to smuggle in than alcohol, so this will encourage people to take drugs rather than drink alcohol, ultimately leading to a safer, more enjoyable experience for everyone. I don't doubt whoever made this decision did so for the wrong reasons, but anything which encourages young people to experiment with drugs rather than alcohol can only be a good thing.

Reference the new car parking charges to attend Solstice 2016 one could of course drop in using one of these.....completely unnoticed and for free!

                   

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