Stonehenge Alliance are at it again...this is what they said in an e-mail to their followers around the world on 6th February :
"Dear Supporter,
The Government’s road building programme is failing and MPs are noticing.
Last week the Transport Select Committee quizzed senior civil servants and the CEO of National Highway. Ahead of the Spring Budget they dropped a heavy hint that the Department for Transport will need to shrink its next tranche of schemes. Or, as the Highways Magazine put it, “there’s little scope for new schemes in RIS3” ie the 2025-30 investment period. We want to make sure that the damaging and low value for money Stonehenge tunnel scheme is kept well out of the Spring Budget and that the £2.5bn that it costs, is saved to spend on other essential public services desperate for funds. Can you send our prepared email to the Prime Minister/Chancellor and Transport Secretary now? It’s ready for you to copy / edit / email / send! Many thanks for your support and action across so many platforms! Best wishes John Adams and the Alliance activists".
Yet again, Stonehenge Alliance have misinterpreted the piece in Highways Magazine where they say "DfT will need to shrink its next tranche of schemes etc". RIS3 for 2025-30 is for future road projects and does not include the A303 Stonehenge Scheme!
The e-mail itself is insulting to their followers by providing the letter that should be sent to the Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the Transport Secretary.....they talk about the "widening of the A303".....hyperbole!!! giving their followers the impression that there will be a 4 lane highway on the surface at Stonehenge...this of course is the usual rubbish we've come to expect from them and should be taken with a huge pinch of salt!!!
They continually say: the A303 Project is "low value for money" having worked out somehow, that the tunnel will save drivers just 7 minutes on a journey that presently takes an hour to travel from Countess Roundabout to Longbarrow?? The true fact is, that same journey when and if the tunnel is built, will take not save 7 or 8 minutes....there is a difference in the way SHA deliberately misinterpreted the statement by https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-roads/a303-stonehenge/benefits/
It's evident they've not looked at the wider picture where the economy will be opened up to the West Country, Devon and Cornwall, allowing traffic to traverse freely.... under what is presently the Stonehenge bottle neck, where, I might add Co2 is building by the minute.....try sitting in that queue or.... walking around our village of Shrewton and experience our High Street and London Road both at peak times and all during the summer with Rat Run traffic trying to avoid the queue! When the government make their final decision on the DCO (Development Consent Order) and should they take Stonehenge Alliance's advice....does that traffic magically disappear?....clearly Stonehenge Alliance have NO concept!
They go on to say "re invest the money into public transport" Cloud cuckoo land!
How on earth do they expect supplies to reach the West Country on public transport!!!!..... not to mention the increase in stay cationers to the same! Oh yes....they've said it before: "the train" doh!
You can check out what they say to their followers across the world, many of whom have NO CLUE where the World Heritage Site or for that matter, Stonehenge the monument, is to be found😠here:
says/12102 https://stonehengealliance.org.uk/lspring-budget-letter-to-ministers/ or just read the bit below.....
"Spring budget: Letter to ministers: Save Stonehenge WHS AND Save £2.5bn!"
"Please can you act today and demand Rishi Sunak and his Government deliver a budget that stops making things worse and starts putting things right?" Why? "Stonehenge World Heritage Site (WHS) and sustainable transport systems are under attack." "The proposed road scheme for Stonehenge, condemned by UNESCO and rejected by the Planning Inspectorate, is being redetermined by the Secretary of State. The Stonehenge scheme simply doesn’t add up economically. We need to tell Government that the money should be re-invested in UK-wide public services. For example, we are at a tipping point with public transport being dismantled as a viable network in the UK. Whether you are a UK resident or not, please use the template below as a starting point and edit to personalize your response. This will give your letter greater weight. Below are some things you can add."
EMAIL ADDRESSES:
"Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Rishi Sunak: rishi.sunak.mp@parliament.uk
Or email Cabinet Office and complete the form: https://contact.no10.gov.uk [The readymade letter below comfortably fits the 1000 character message window.]
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rt. Hon. Jeremy Hunt: public.enquiries@hmtreasury.gov.uk
Transport Secretary Rt. Hon. Mark Harper: DfT.Ministers@dft.gov.uk (This address has been updated)"
"Subject: Widening of A303 through Stonehenge World Heritage Site
Dear Prime Minister/ Chancellor / Transport Secretary,
The widening of the A303 through Stonehenge World Heritage Site is a bad idea. Your team of Planning Inspectors said it is hugely damaging to the archaeological landscape, with UNESCO threatening to withdraw the site’s World Heritage status if the scheme goes ahead in its present form.....Hyperbole!
All the evidence suggests that spending £2.5bn on this scheme makes little economic sense. People the world over are realizing that we cannot build our way out of congestion. What is more, road building generates more CO2 and we need to get to net zero as fast as possible. There are low cost, low carbon, heritage friendly options that the Department for Transport should investigate straightaway".....Hyperbole!
"Funding saved from building this new road should be diverted to other essential public services, including sustainable transport, to ensure more people can access the WHS without having to drive. You would avoid international condemnation as well"...yet more Hyperbole.....https://stonehengealliance.org.uk/act-now/responding-to-typical-replies-from-mps/!
"Please add your home address to validate the email.
You can also write to your MP asking them to forward your concerns to the ministers. More details here.
Thank you!"
1 comment:
At a time S.H.A. are spouting off about future (road) schemes, why don't they start telling their followers THE NAKED TRUTH?? About how they lied, repeatedly/invariably about traffic numbers on the Stonehenge A303 section, non-existent rat-running issues, so-called endorsements of local residents; all at the public presentations by the National Infrastucture Planning organisations, which ultimately led to IMHO a significantly biased DCO. They concentrated on elements which are unprovable, presented 'facts' which are conjecture, and alternately introducing erroneous aspects which have little evidence presumably to obfuscate the real issue.. That is, something that has to be done about the A303 Stonehenge to Berwick Down section, which isn't... their cock-eyed selection of "alternatives" which they claim are cheaper, but a layman would be able to see are likely to be 5-10 times the cost of just 'the tunnel bit' Rant of the day concludes.
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