National Trust AGM Members Resolution for the A303

Reference my previous posting titled "National Trust Members...read this....
STAG had representation at the www.nationaltrust.org.uk AGM, where the vote would have gone to supporting the resolution had it not been for members who read this previous blog and acted on that last posting.   Here are the results of the resolution: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/documents/2017-agm-resolution-voting-results.pdf  Also, partly due to my standing up within the auditorium and giving a plea to the audience to vote against the resolution, telling a few home truths as to how we are affected by the present state of the beleaguered A303, and providing a balanced view from "the other side".   You can watch the AGM for the resolution on the A303 here:
 https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/annual-general-meeting
There was a great deal of support for Stonehenge Alliance (SHA) and the bare bones of the motion was to criticize the National Trust's stance in relation to the A303 Stonehenge Tunnel project, indicating it (NT) was going against it's founding principles, World Heritage obligations, ICOMOS's recommendations and implying that the NT were somehow colluding with Government Plans and thus able to secure some unspecified benefits.   The proposers of the Motion however, as they have done in the past, rely on conjecture, and the implication that a longer tunnel would be their solution, despite that plan having been comprehensively rejected in the first round of public consultations by www.highways.gov.uk and not merely on a cost/benefits argument.
Here is the response from the Board of Trustees: "Even if the Government was willing to commit a further £600 million for a longer tunnel, this may not be the best answer.   The WHS boundaries do not reflect the full extent of the archaeology in the wider landscape or the sensitive natural environment.   A longer tunnel could have a negative visual impact on key monuments, impact other sites, including the newly discovered Blick Mead, and two Special Areas of Conservation.   It would also have a greater impact on local communities.  Our view therefore, remains that the focus should not be on tunnel length, but rather on finding the best location for the new infrastructure, an approach supported by Historic England, English Heritage Trust and leading archaeologists".
Dr Kate Fielden of SHA in her Proposal and Summing up of the Resolution is worried that UNESCO could "take away" the World Heritage Status of the World Heritage Site around Stonehenge....So what if it's removed.....will people stop visiting the monument because it doesn't hold WHS status, I think not.   After all, the city of Dresden in Germany lost their status in 2005 because they decided to deal with a traffic problem by building a bridge over the River Elbe, and people from around the world still visit Dresden!!!   Check this out: https://www.reddit.com/r/dresden/comments/6l920l/how_was_dresden_affected_by_the_loss_of_its/
At the AGM, we sat through many ridiculous comments from the other side -  such as, "a one mile road straight through Stonehenge"....it's going underground....what part of "underground" don't you understand?!!!   More scaremongering from someone calling himself "a member for 45 years" and who compares the project to "ISIS destroying Palmyra and the Taliban destroying the Buddas of Bamiyan", must say I found these comments rather sick!!!   As to saving St.Marks Square by concreting the rest of Venice, this comment was comparable with all the other hyperbole we experienced from the SHA cronies.
I take issue with historian and broadcaster Tom Holland, who refers to "occasional bottlenecks" on the A303 at Stonehenge.....Mr Holland, you ought to get out of your cosy London Pad more frequently and experience where we live!   The "occasional bottlenecks" you refer to, are from Thursday through to Wednesday at normal times and all day every day during holiday times!!    Don't forget the figures I provided from Speed Indicator Devices (SIDs) when I spoke at the AGM.    SIDs were put out during a 3 week period in September this year..i.e. not during school holidays and registered 43,000 vehicles west bound and 41,000 vehicles east bound through our village of Shrewton!!!   We have a paucity of pavements in Shrewton, the elderly have to take their cars to the surgery rather than risk walking the 100 or so yards, mothers and children are frightened of the traffic and the speeds, not to mention the fact that cob cottages in our High Street could be structurally damaged.....SIDs registered one vehicle leaving Shrewton within the 30mph area at 87mph!!!!
Please put a "like" on our Facebook page : https://www.facebook.com/StonehengeTrafficActionGroup/

National Trust Members read this.....

• My thanks to Paul Timlett for posting this on Facebook....
• We need your vote AGAINST this resolution!! Go to www.ersvotes.com/nt17 you will need your membership card handy.....
• 
  
• "ARE YOU A NATIONAL TRUST MEMBER? IF SO PLEASE READ ON
  The National Trust AGM takes place on 21 October 2017. A handful of members have tabled a resolution to de-rail the construction of the A303 Stonehenge Tunnel. They have secured 50 supporters which means the resolution must be debated and voted upon at the AGM.
  The Board of the National Trust recommends that members vote against this resolution.
  This group of members has consistently misused data to suggest that traffic is reducing in the area. They even admit that the statistics are spurious.
  

  They claim that congestion on the A303 leading to rat-running through local communities only occurs during holidays and weekends. This is patently untrue as anyone who actually lives here will tell you.
  They have argued that certain areas of archaeology will be damaged as a result of the works, something the Trust's own archaeologists have denied. They want the Government to either a) find another £600m to extend the tunnel (the Trust says a longer tunnel will damage archaeology outside the World Heritage Site), or b) explore other options. We have spent 30 years exploring other options, all of which have been rejected.
  This is the first time in the 25 years I have lived here that there is consensus around a solution - the tunnel as proposed by Government. The consensus includes English Heritage, Historic England, National Trust, Wiltshire Council, leading archaeologists and the majority of local residents. If this resolution succeeds there will never be a solution to the current situation. It will result in the continuing blight of the World Heritage Site by traffic on the existing A303 and condemn local communities to generations of misery and threat to our lives as ever increasing volumes of traffic uses the villages to avoid the daily congestion on the A303. It will cause economic damage to the immediate area as well as further to the South West.
  This handful of people and their celebrity chums (who don't even know where our villages are yet still claim that the traffic is a minor inconvenience) risk de-railing everything we have worked for over decades through their use of misinformation and sensationalism. We had hope that our lives would be made better but these misguided people seem determined to remove that hope.
  So if you are a member of National Trust please back the Board and vote AGAINST this resolution. You must do this by Friday 13 October either using the voting forms you have been sent or online at www.ersvotes.com/nt17
  Please help us and the World Heritage Site. Thanks for reading this".

  See more....click here and "Like" our Facebook Page many thanks

  
  

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  David Hassett Absolutely in agreement. The group in question have membership of multiple Organisations/Charities and have been active in trying to de-rail the A303 schemes for at least 11 years. I exhort National Trust Members to follow the Board's recommendation, and if you know a member, but you're not a member yourself, please spread the word. Thank you.
  

  
  

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  Janice Hassett Well said to both.....please use your vote to stop this de-railment or attend the AGM at the Steam Museum Swindon on Saturday 21st October and cast your vote there....we're going!
  

  
  

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Poet's Corner

This little poem caught my eye in The Salisbury Journal this week: http://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/ and my thanks are due to one D Barnett of Laverstock who I trust will not mind me telling the world:

SOMEBODY knocked on the door of my Barrow;

We're building a tunnel he said.

Collect your grave goods, we'll help you move

Must show respect for the dead.

There's a real nice spot over the way, quite close to the

stones of the Henge

Getting a little crowded now,

but we'll find you a good place to stay,

And there your poor bones can rest....

Well until they decide...a motorways best!!

The preferred route for the A303 at Stonehenge

And so it's confirmed!   
The announcement today by the Government, confirming the preferred route for the A303 just south of Stonehenge and the dual carriageway aligning the present A303, means progress and at last the powers that be are listening!

The arrangement will not suit everyone of course,  but you can’t please all of the people all of the time and we do need to get a balance between the living and the dead! 
The tunnel will be constructed UNDER the A303 AT Stonehenge..... please note, we say "under the A303" and not as some campaigning groups would have it.....our friends at:
http://stonehengealliance.org.uk/alliance-shocked-by-highways-englands-indifference-to-unescos-advice/  who say the tunnel will be "under the monument"....all they are doing is scaremongering and muddying the waters....!!!   But then, we also have it in writing from them that "the traffic on the A303 has not increased significantly since 2004".......I rest my case!   

Highways England along with the National Trust:  https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ have been working tirelessly to iron out a lot of the points raised in the recent consultations which took place during January and February this year.   This is when we all had our chance to "have our say".    So! if you live local to Stonehenge and didn't attend one of the 10 consultations.....that was an opportunity missed.     You can read the progress here: 

http://roads.highways.gov.uk/projects/a303-stonehenge-amesbury-and-berwick-down/  
This also shows the time line from 1989 - 2021

During these adjustments, Highways England have addressed the problem raised at the consultations regarding the alignment of headlights approaching the western portal, which would have affected the view of the sunset at the Winter Solstice - they just moved the portal.....Simples!   Therefore, at this stage, nothing is set in stone or spade!

This announcement is what local people who live and work close to the A303, have been waiting years to hear and naturally, there is some scepticism as to whether it will in fact happen.  Winterbourne Stoke will get their By Pass to the north and this will also be preferred by the people of Berwick St.James to the south.   
The people who live and work in Shrewton, suffer day in day out with rat run traffic, as drivers divert out of the queue on the over capacitated A303 so local people must surely see “light at the end of the Tunnel” albeit having to wait until at least 2025 with Highways England and The National Trust working with us to this end!!   
Traffic in Shrewton has increased immeasurably over the past months and when I have elderly ladies telling me they feel safer taking their car to the surgery, rather than walk the 100 or so yards…... something needs fixed.   
Here are some facts.....As a Community Speed Watch Volunteer, we regularly register 52 mph within the 30 mph village confines.  Also, in a three week period in June this year i.e. NOT during the school holidays, our S.I.D: (Speed Indicator Device) showed 47,000 vehicles west bound and 41,000 east bound.   The SID during that period, also registered a vehicle leaving the village at 82 mph still within the 30 limit!!!! The 3.5 tonne weight limit in our High Street is regularly contravened, Shrewton has narrow roads and very few pavements and as a result of the traffic, cob cottages in the High Street could be structurally damaged.   It's extremely scary for people living on London Road to venture down into the village for schools and doctors.   These are just some of the reasons this news today is progress and is just another step in a long process, but I'm told by those involved for a much longer time than I.....decades in some cases, that this "feels different" and that it may just happen!

   I give the final word to our Salisbury MP John Glen, who as usual, provides a balanced view on today's announcement and the way forward: 

John Glen: https://www.johnglen.org.uk/news/a303-improvements-remain-track  

So what's changed since January 2005?

Sometimes, Watch Bustard.....mentioned in previous posts, feels the need to tidy up his nest ("and about time too"..says The Mrs) and on having a bit of a clear-out, chanced upon this Newspaper cutting from 2005 about......The Stonehenge Tunnel!!   As he re-read the article, responded..."deja-vu isn't what it's cracked up to be"!

Actually things don't seem to have changed much in 12 years.....Dragnet......for those of you old enough to remember the opening line "the facts you're about to hear are true, only the names have been changed to protect the innocent".....No innocents here!!
So, what has changed?   The government in place, the A344 was closed by www.english-heritage.org.uk -  to accomodate a ghastly new Visitor's Centre that is a blot on the landscape, it comes complete with a car park that reminds one of a car boot sale!!  The traffic on the A303 has increased, Rat Running through local villages has also increased, many millions of tax payers money has been spent on deliberations, meetings, consultations, visits by Government officials, and bickering archaeologists continue to put the cart before the horse.....and the road is still visible through the Trilithon today!

Piranha teeth....Jocelyn Stevens, Chairman of EH 1992-2000  who apparently, delighted in firing rather than hiring, set his edict about the A303 tunnel 'solution', which still remains implacably in place.  Yet the arch villain of the piece, writing in 1997 as a forward to the book: "Stonehenge Revealed" said this:-
"There will be free access for all!   Visitors will be able to enjoy fully, the isolation, the ancient atmosphere and the awesomeness of Stonehenge's prehistoric environment".   Yet the author of the book - David Souden, proposes a theme park setting, a view cheerfully endorsed by Jocelyn Stevens.....
Watch Bustard is now musing..."must go on
You Tube and watch Ground Hog Day again!!!

Is it all up in the air or down below?!

On the 5th of November 2015 I posted a blog: "Meeting with ICOMOS and UNESCO".  (Both of these groups look after our monuments and world heritage sites)  You can go there if you like but here's basically what I was saying...... On that morning we were provided a 20 minute slot to bring our case to the representatives from ICOMOS and UNESCO as to the reasons for "doing something about the A303 around Stonehenge to stop ran running through our village".   They were there to understand the effects of living near or within the WHS and what effect it has on the A303 since the closure of the A344 to accommodate the Stonehenge Visitor's Centre.   Having come from various places around the world....as I recall, one from Australia and two people from France, thanks to English Heritage the nice folks from these two groups were issued with a map of our area....excellent! I hear you say!   Prior preparation...and all that!!!   Unfortunately the map solely covered The World Heritage Site!!!    As if the county of Wiltshire only exists within the WHS and no "living life" exists outside of it!!!    So! there we all were with the map spread across the table and pointing to Shrewton - over the edge in mid air and Winterborne Stoke is just here also in mid air!!!!    Good old English Heritage!
Anyway, no doubt there have been many meetings since - to which, some we have been invited and some not, and we now have the report from ICOMOS and UNESCO of suggestions of how we get around our problem - all 101 pages of it!  I did consider providing a little taster of what's in the report and got as far as page 28 then thinks?....let some other bright spark read this through and I'll take my lead from that!)   So! in true form, Salisbury Journal come out first with their take on it and you can read that here:  http://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/15378122.Stonehenge_bypass_better_than_tunnel__say_heritage_experts/?ref=eb
Stonehenge Alliance having reared their ugly head again - they who either want nothing done about the A303 (none of whom live in this area!) or would perhaps accept a longer tunnel, but they don't say who will pay for the extra 1.5 miles.   Core to their argument is that the "short" tunnel would ruin the archaeology in the WHS, but their longer one wouldn't?!!!  But then of course, according to one of their archaeologists at a meeting 2 weeks ago, and I quote "the traffic around Stonehenge has NOT significantly increased since 2004" ......WHAAAAAT? planet are these people on?!!!   But of course, if that is genuinely the case, why do we need a tunnel or even a road amendment if their idea is the unvarnished truth?.....Shades of Groucho Marx me thinks!    It does appear that ICOMOS and UNESCO in their deliberations, have listened to them in favour of us, and are suggesting a longer tunnel - or - Highways England need to take a look at some other options to fix the A303.   The 101 page report even asks that they reconsider a surface road, numbered F10 on the consultation booklet you would have received if you were able to attend one of the Consultations back in January/February.   Highways England must now take into account anomalies such as: in the case of the tunnel, the portals in relation to Blicks Mead settlement, setting sun, local people, the economy in the West Country and hordes of other stuff to keep everyone happy.....and I say a compromise is what's needed and....best of luck to the guys at H E!!!

Summer Solstice 2017

As STAKEHOLDERS i.e. bodies with an interest in A303 matters around Stonehenge, STAG were again invited to attend the briefing for Solstice 2017 hosted by English Heritage, who are the custodians of the ancient monument.   Also in attendance was Inspector Freeman of Wiltshire Police who told us that there would be an increased level of security at this year's party including armed police officers in full view.   Should you require assistance, Wiltshire Police have also put in place...."Special Liaison Officers" who will be recognised wearing light blue tabards.    We were told that extra Street Pastors will be in place for personal assistance.
If you need further help or see anything suspicious, please call 101 and say "Solstice related"     
REMEMBER: RUN - TELL - HIDE!

Only small bags will be allowed on site size approx 30 x 25 x 15 - A further requisite of this year's Summer Solstice for concentrated security.
You'll be able to find out all the Do's and Dont's, car park or travel details and opening times from the following web page:


http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/plan-your-visit/summer-solstice/

Major road schemes could be cancelled.......

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/03/22/major-road-schemes-could-cancelled-david-cameron-rushed-11bn/

This is a story published in the Daily Telegraph on 22nd March 2017.  So! with the announcement that there will be a further General Election in June, STAG have written the following letter to Salisbury's MP www.johnglen.org.uk

Dear John,

Now that the campaign to dual the A303 – STAG is now in “higher hands” I have become part of our Shrewton Transport Group which has been in place for some time, and is an integral part of Shrewton Parish Council’s structure to get things done around the village. At my first meeting on Monday 24^th April, the group request that I write to you in the light of the recent announcement that a number of road schemes will be cut and that decisions will be made during this coming summer as to what gets done and what doesn’t. They just want to be assured that the work to improve the A303 past Stonehenge and so, reduce rat running through Shrewton, will not “slip through our fingers” so to speak. We are all aware of the costs in preparation over many years to “get the job done” not to mention the economy benefit to the West Country and beyond.  
I know it’s difficult for you to make any assurances at this time, but we would wish that you continue the good work you have put in and that it remains up front in your efforts to remain Salisbury’s MP.
Many thanks for your support to the STAG campaign over the past years.
Best wishes
Janice
Stonehenge Traffic Action Group
cc:
Richard Harris Parish Clerk
Paul Timlett
Tom Thead (house at Rollestone Cross Roads)
Dave Hassett
Sarah Walker: Highways England
Phillip Morris: National Trust
Arrowhead

A response within 24 hours from John Glen MP; to the above e-mail!.....well impressed!

Dear Janice,
Thank you very much for your email.

I am aware of the recent speculation – primarily fuelled by a report from the Public Accounts Committee which suggested that there was pressure on the capital expenditure in the roads budget.
I can assure you that there is very little ( if any) prospect of the A303 project being curtailed – this is a strategic project for our national infrastructure and is distinct from the overall transport budget. I met with the project director 3.5 weeks ago and all is moving forward as the results of the recent consultation are being sifted. It is envisaged that the preferred option will be announced later in the summer.
Naturally, I hope I will be in a position to take the work forward following the election and I note the longstanding concerns of STAG which I am determined to satisfy in the years ahead ( if I have the opportunity).
Very best
John

 

Let's put the "Johnny Come Latelys" to bed!

Here is STAG's view on the Johnny Come Lately's who, it seems, claim they have not been given the opportunity to have their say......this was sent to news@westerndailypress.co.uk because of this story on 6th March http://www.somersetlive.co.uk/a303-campaigners-brand-stonehenge-tunnel-plans-as-state-sponsored-vandalism/story-30179775-detail/story.html    We also sent our view to http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006pfl4

The following is our view to balance the naysayers...In response to Daniel Mumby's article in the Western Daily Press 6th March 2017, and closely following BBC South Today's news item last Friday evening on this subject, I think there should be a much more balanced view, as the current protesters/campaigners seem to be wanting to "slam the stable door after the horse has bolted"!   They've had at least 7 weeks to make their views known, in a formal fashion, with www.highwaysengland.co.uk Public Consultation on the process, being in the public domain since the beginning of 2017 with 10 separate presentations.
Their statements seem to concentrate on questioning the methods used by Highways England 'to reach their conclusion' claiming the public were given little or no choice in the plans, and not being given enough time to consider.   In addition, there are claims of irreparable damage being caused to the World Heritage Site and people's view of the sunset from the monument being ruined by vehicle headlights approaching the western tunnel portal.   This kind of bellicosity is extremely unhelpful, and taken in context is misleading, if not ingenuous.
The timeline, as it were, for the whole issue started in 2004 with a public enquiry where alternative routes were first considered, with English Heritage dogmatically insisting that the only option they would endorse would be a tunnel, (and not cut and cover type!).   This organisation's view was set in stone in 1986, and has remained inviolable ever since, so we've had 30 odd years of dogma.  December 2014, saw David Cameron the then Prime Minister, give the approval for the tunnel to go ahead, and in February 2016 there was a public presentation by Highways England at Amesbury where there was a distinct lack of representation from the parties now "kicking up".   It was pointed out at that presentation, that £20m had already been spent on consultations with nothing to show for the money spent.   So! for anybody really interested, the information was available!
In terms of the supposed irreparable damage to the WHS, the only possible area we are aware of, would be in the vicinity of the proposed east portal, some distance in the Countess roundabout, Amesbury direction, slightly to the north of the existing route of the A303; one should also remember, the tunnel will be 50 meters underground, so it's unlikely there would be any remains or artefacts to be found that deep...(as previously mentioned in this blog)!   For the other western sections of the proposed route, these are outside the WHS so the argument becomes irrelevant.
As regards people's view of the sunset being ruined by vehicle headlights approaching the western portal, this argument is quite ridiculous, that is assuming the northern N1 by pass is used;  the only time the sunset comes into this quadrant, approx. 40 degree south west of the monument, is at the winter solstice, and viewed through the stone circle, is seen to be atop Normanton Gorse, a quadrilateral wood, approx. 16 acres at 110 meters elevation, the monument being at 102 meteres, with the ground beyond Normanton Gorse going into a dip, the proposed western portal location.   Also, the direction of the proposed (not fixed) road, would be at 10 degrees south of due west and thus pointing at Countess roundabout, and approx. 45 degrees away from the winter solstice sighting from Stonehenge.   Highways England, in their Public Consultation Booklet, state "A fundamental consideration for this (western) portal is to locate it beyond Stonehenge's western horizon, so that the tunnel portal is not visible from the Stones.   The portal will sit in a natural dip where it will be hidden as much as possible".
Highways England have also advised that the position of the western portal is subject to further investigation as there have been 'recent archaeological finds' with the body demanding this being....English Heritage (in it's guise as Historic England).
So! we and a number of other local people, want these spurious 'theories' debunked, and for those protesters/campaigners to look at the geography, cancel their membership of the flat earth society, and understand that; something has been badly needed to address the inadequacies of the A303 Stonehenge section, which has been for decades, over capacity, leading to numerous RTC's, congestion, poor air quality, and rat-running and for the WHS a diminution in it's potential.
Highways England didn't have a 'blank canvas' for this scheme, and it is to their credit that they have come up with a viable plan after considering all the proposed possible options.   It may not be to everyone's liking, but it seems to be the one likely to succeed and it's irksome that at this advanced stage, people and organisations, persist in either using red herrings, or attempting to 'move the goalposts'.    We should not be trying, any of us, to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory!!!!

The following are links to further information on this project:

https://highwaysengland.citizenspace.com/cip/a303-stonehenge/supporting_documents/A303_A0planV2.pdf

Baldrick has a cunning plan......

And so! following on from my last posting titled "There is light at the end....etc".,  you will have read that there are those who want to put "the kibosh" on the whole project to dual the A303 past Stonehenge.   The wording of the story in Salisbury Journal on 6th February is strange, because it states that the plans are to put "the 1.8-mile dual carriageway tunnel, where it PASSES the ancient stone circle" etc ......does this mean it's to be an OVER GROUND TUNNEL?? and is there such a thing? I ask myself or perhaps I've got it wrong since I've blogged on this for the past 3 years.   Here's the link to the story and perhaps you can explain to me how a "tunnel" can "pass by" something on the surface!!!!
http://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/15085183.Time_Team_s_Tony_Robinson_joins_anti_tunnel_campaign/

So! to the point of this post "Baldrick has a cunning plan"
and yet another story in Salisbury Journal, where one Sir Tony Robinson and his cronies are pictured demonstrating outside the Public Consultation on Monday 6th Feb., at The Society of Antiquaries, Piccadilly, London W1J OBE with a huge crowd of 9!!!   This made us at STAG: Stonehenge Traffic Action Group, think of images of......Queenie, Melchett, Lord Percy, Nursie, Master Ploppy, Mistress Ploppy and Flasheart and not forgetting.....Baldrick himself!!!
They say "what is proposed, will have an adverse affect on the henges, pathways, barrows and track ways" within the Stonehenge World Heritage Site......I say again....."It's going underground" some 50mtrs underground Tony!!!!   The relationship between Edmund Blackadder and Baldrick evolves significantly; in the first series, Baldrick is more intelligent than Blackadder, but this dynamic is reversed in subsequent series with Baldrick's intelligence decreasing.....To quote Blackadder: "Give the likes of Baldrick the vote, and we'll be back to cavorting druids, death by stoning and dung for dinner"!!   "The eyes are open, the mouth moves but Mr Brain has long since departed....hasn't he?"
But......Baldrick has a cunning plan and that is........To block up both tunnel portals east and west with two enormous turnips!!!

http://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/15086210.Debate_on_A303_held_in_Amesbury/?ref=eb
This is today's S.J where a meeting took place in the Amesbury History Centre and so they spout the same old drivel....all 21 of them!!!!

There is light at the end of the.......TUNNEL!!!!!

So! it's official, we're to have a DUALLED ROAD TUNNEL to fix the A303 as announced on Thursday last by Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling MP.   Here is the link to everything you ever wanted to know about how this project will be executed: www.highways.gov.uk/a303stonehenge/consultation

I've attended the first of the Public Consultations, times and dates of which are below.  Their intention is to commence work in the early part of 2020 and during my visit, I advised them that they need to start the work by March of that year... it being an election year and so the work must be well under way by May!!!!!
So if you read this before March 5th please attend one of the Public Consultations and have your say, here are the dates and times:

Those who are worried that the tunnel will be...."going right under the Stones" will find all the detail on the Highways web site and this diagram shows what a "Long Bored Tunnel" will look like in process and we may not even be aware of what's going on below our feet....some 50 meters below the World Heritage Site:
There are of course, those who would like to put the kibosh on the whole project because they think it will disturb The World Heritage Site and it's geology, artefacts and anything else that happens to be buried under ground.  The truth is....and we have this on good authority, there was nothing significant found in the area of the future project that would "set the world alight" or get anyone excited, so lets get a balance between the living and dead here eh?!!!   Stonehenge Alliance would say, if there has to be a dual anything....it should be at least 3.5 miles rather than the proposed 1.8 miles, now designed and confirmed by our friends at Highways England....a very approachable bunch of people who seem willing to listen.   What I would ask Stonehenge Alliance is this.... who would pay for the further 1.7 miles - presumably not them....not to mention the further 10 years added to the project.
Meanwhile, there's our friend Mr Andy Rhind Tutt - whom I have blogged on previously using the term Cock Womble.  He's carrying on his utopian vision to get a by-pass around Salisbury which incidentally, would start at Andover, head south to Salisbury and back up to the A303 at Berwick Down....some 34 miles longer than the present project.....but bugger the rest of us who have to put up with long waits on the A303 not to mention the RAT RUNNING through Shrewton and other villages: Here are some facts Mr Rhind Tutt:
Yesterday, the Speed Watch Team in Shrewton, registered a vehicle on London Road at 57mph...there are NO pavements on London Road and it has a left hand bend!!!!!!
During 12 days at the beginning of December i.e. not school holidays, our SID: Speed Indicator Device, registered 53,000 vehicles used London Road Shrewton, the fastest was registered entering our village at 75 mph!!! Of course we need a dual carriageway at Stonehenge.... to stop the RAT RUNNING through Shrewton!!!!!
You can read that story here: http://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/15018711.Campaigner_vows_to_fight_on_over_tunnel/?ref=eb
And how nice of John Glen MP www.johnglen.org.uk
to mention us, Stonehenge Traffic Action Group, in his latest press release about the tunnel.  Thank you John.

My last but not least mention, must go to One Anthony Bull a follower of Stonehenge Traffic Action Group - who posted up on Facebook "Your a star, you get things moving, I think I'll call you SENAKOT"
https://www.facebook.com/StonehengeTrafficActionGroup/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
Please "LIKE" our page!

 

   

A303 Consent Order Process 2

Many of you who follow this blog will have seen this "Development Consent Order Process" diagram on a previous blog.   Last Thursday 5th January, we held an update meeting here at STAG HQ.   Those present: Our contacts from the National Trust, Cllr Ian West, Dr Andrew Shuttleworth, myself and Dave Hassett as members of the STAG team.
We understood that "rooms" were booked in both Winterbourne Stoke and Shrewton village halls, for Highways England to present "Stage One" of the process for week commencing 9th January.....but.....nothing was set in stone as to the date or time of the presentations and when I called my contact at Highways England the following day, and asked "what about the rooms" she told me the rooms were provisional and confirmed what National Trust told us...that we're all awaiting further notice from "the black door" in Whitehall - the plot thickens!    Many e-mails going two & fro over the weekend told us that the presentations were pushed to the right and the room bookings may have to be cancelled for now anyway!    So, not too disappointed but things change as we all know in media and politics.... and they did - by Tuesday afternoon, it appears things are all back on track and there will be more on this in my next blog.....Exciting!

Such optimism back then eh?......it's now the 13th August 2022 and not a spade in site.  Project held up by them at Stonehenge Alliance as mentioned many times in this blog!!!😫😞