Dr Kate Fielden Condolences.....

was the "spokes person" for Stonehenge Alliance and although we were at opposing ends of the problem to fix or not to fix the A303 past Stonehenge, STAG would like to offer our condolences at the sad news of her recent passing.

It does seem inappropriate however, that https://stonehengealliance.org.uk/ should set the wheels in motion, so soon after receiving this sad news.  Since Dr Kate Fielden was their front runner and "mouth piece" in the campaign to stop what they see as desecration of their beloved World Heritage Site, I presume they're playing the "in her memory" card to yet again, challenge the Government.  

They need to raise the initial sum of £15,000 to pay their solicitor Leigh Day, who stand to make many thousands of pounds - again! before they can make this latest challenge official.   And people continually ask me why the project has taken so much money up till now?! 

Stonehenge Alliance cannot however re-visit previously challenged elements of the DCO.

In the meantime the Crowd Funder page is open to all around the world - to people who don't even know where Stonehenge - the monument is to be found or for that matter the WHS! 

Save Stonehenge World Heritage Site Press Release

Legal proceedings threatened on Stonehenge road scheme

on 2^nd anniversary of quashing of development consent

EMBARGOED until: 01:00hrs, Friday, 28 July, 2023

Save Stonehenge World Heritage Site (SSWHS) [1] has taken the first steps towards a legal challenge of the Government’s approval of the A303 Stonehenge dual carriageway through the World Heritage Site on 14 July, for a second time [2]. Today, SSWHS is sending the Government a pre-application protocol letter outlining its concerns about the decision [3]. This is the precursor to it filing a claim for judicial review which needs to be made within 6 weeks of the decision date.

This weekend marks the second anniversary of the quashing of the original development consent by the High Court after a successful application for judicial review was made by SSWHS in 2021 [4]. The Government’s approval flew in the face of opposition from UNESCO [5] and the recommendation for refusal of the scheme by five of the Government’s own independent planning inspectors [6]. In particular, the Government was criticised for not having properly assessed alternatives to National Highways’ damaging proposals.

UNESCO had asked the Government not to approve the scheme ahead of its World Heritage Committee meeting in September. However, the Government rushed out the decision ahead of the Somerset and Frome by-election, ignoring the request and concerns about the site being de-listed.

Chris Todd, one of the 3 directors of SSWHS, said:

“The Government has stuck two fingers up at UNESCO and all those who care about our British heritage. It has basically approved this highly flawed and damaging proposal for a second time. The same scheme that was thrown out in 2021. We believe there are strong grounds why this approval should also be struck down. We will do everything within our power to safeguard this most iconic of sites for future generations.”

Suzanne Keene, a member of the Stonehenge Alliance [7], a separate organisation that has campaigned to safeguard the WHS for over 20 years said:

“Stonehenge WHS is much more than the stones at its centre. It is a complex and hugely rich archaeological landscape without comparison. For the Government to be so dismissive of the huge damage that National Highways scheme will cause is deeply worrying.”

Leigh Day solicitor Rowan Smith said:

“There is an unfortunate sense of déjà vu. It appears that, yet again, the Government has ignored warnings that this road scheme will put at risk the world heritage status of Stonehenge. Despite calls by the World Heritage Committee for the decision to be delayed until it had met, the Secretary of State went ahead and reinstated development consent, without holding another public examination. It will be argued that this unfairness, combined with a failure to properly assess the scheme’s climate change impact, rendered the Secretary of State’s decision unlawful for a second time. If the Government, following correspondence, refuses to accept that, then our client intends to launch another claim for judicial review.”

SSWHS is now awaiting the Government’s response, which it should receive within two weeks. It will then have two weeks to file its claim. SSWHS has launched a crowd funder on the Crowd Justice website to fund the legal action [8].

- ENDS -

Of course this is all balderdash as explained here: https://staga303.blogspot.com/2023/02/muddying-watersagain.html with NO compromise from Stonehenge Alliance or their wing SSWHS   If you read that post "Muddying the Waters" you'll see the gaping errors and hyperbole they come up with, hoping nobody will do their research and look back!!!!

UNESCO said in 1986 "the road must GO" and are now saying there is "much to support" the present DCO but Stonehenge Alliance only see fit to not only insult us but to think they can "pull the wool over our eyes" providing gibberish, twaddle, nonsense, piffle, poppy cock, garbage not forgetting cobblers!!!!