OK guys....it's all over...

😠and will cost the tax payer north of £197m to wind it down...see here!! https://staga303.blogspot.com/2024/12/robbing-peter-to-pay-paul.html

https://staga303.blogspot.com/2024/07/shot-herself-in-foot-going-forward.html

Following the announcement from Rachel Reeves, that the A303 Tunnel project was cancelled, just 2 weeks after labour took office, there was still a chance that while the DCO remained live, it could be resurrected at some later date, but I'm afraid from the letter sent today from the Secretary of State for Transport, you're stuck with the queues, the traffic fumes, and the bad tempers.  

Don't mind saying....I worked my socks off for this Project 24/7 and all for free. Now feel I wasted 11 years of my life through passion and sheer grit!! This is what Google says for the meaning of "Sheer Grit"..."unwavering determination and courage in the face of difficulty or hardship. It describes a person's strength of mind"....that was me!!  

We got out when we could to a lovely part of the country - the borders of Scotland and England. Close, but not too close to the M6 with Carlisle our nearest town....A nice climate with a good mix of warm sun, rain and the occasional hoolay....but peace and quiet and time to relax!

                    This just in today from The Secretary of State for Transport (Labour)

The Secretary of State for Transport 

proposes to make an order to 

revoke the A303 (Amesbury to Berwick Down) DCO : 

Development Consent Order 2023. 

 Further details can be found on the 

Department for Transport GOV.​UK page

https://national-infrastructure-consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/TR010025

2025 No. 000 INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING 

The A303 (Amesbury to Berwick Down) Development Consent 

(Revocation)  Order 2025 

The Secretary of State, in accordance with the Infrastructure Planning 

(Changes to, and Revocation of, Development Consent Orders) Regulations 2011(a), 

gave notice of the intention to consider making an Order to revoke the 

A303 (Amesbury to Berwick Down) Development Consent Order 2023(b). 

The Secretary of State has considered the responses to the publicity carried out in accordance with regulations 55 and 56 of the Infrastructure Planning (Changes to, and Revocation of, Development Consent Orders Regulations 2011. The Secretary of State is satisfied that without an application being made, there are exceptional circumstances that make it appropriate to exercise the power to make the Order revoking the A303 (Amesbury to Berwick Down) Development Consent Order 2023. 

The Secretary of State, in exercise of the powers conferred by paragraph 3(1) and (7)(b) of Schedule 6 to the Planning Act 2008(c), makes the following Order. Citation and commencement 1. This Order may be cited as the A303 (Amesbury to Berwick Down) Development Consent (Revocation) Order 2025 and comes into force xx 2025. Revocation of the A303 (Amesbury to Berwick Down) Development Consent Order 2023 2. The A303 (Amesbury to Berwick Down) Development Consent Order 2023 is revoked. (a) S.I. 2011/2055, amended by S.I. 2012/635, S.I. 2012/2654, S.I. 2012/2732, S.I. 28/378, 013/522, S.I. 2013/755, S.I. 2015/377, S.I. 2015/377, S.I. 2015/760, S.I. 2015/1682, S.I. 2017/314, S.I. 2017/524, S.I. 2018/378, S.I. 2019/734, S.I. 2020/764, S.I.

Signed by authority of the 

Secretary of State for Transport 

Date Head of the Transport and Works Act Orders Unit Department for Transport EXPLANATORY NOTE 

(This note is not part of the Order) 

This Order revokes the A303 (Amesbury to Berwick Down) Development Consent Order 2023 (“the DCO”), a development consent order made under the Planning Act 2008 (“the Act”). The Secretary of State has made this Order having given notice of her intention to revoke the DCO without an application being made to her pursuant to paragraph 3(1) and (7)(b) of Schedule 6 to the Act.  

https://national-infrastructure-consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/TR010025/get-updates/unsubscribe-confirm?email=55fe5d510bfae8a8e4523e1b8bf462c59e7d3e7aa0713346194a84b7339a97bd72530c;

Playing right into the hands of stonehengealliance !!!

Robbing Peter to pay Paul....

Oh well, you see I'm Rachel Reeves the Chancellor of the Exchequer, 

and I'm allowed to do what I like at any cost! 😓

I hope you read this post "Shot herself in the foot etc" following Labour taking office on 5th July 2024 and.... we're all aware by now, of the rash decisions made by this Government...decisions badly thought out with little or no experience of the subject at hand or long term thinking and, here's just one of those decisions: https://staga303.blogspot.com/2024/07/shot-herself-in-foot-going-forward.html

Of course, making decisions of this nature may seem right at the time, but this type of decision doesn't come cheap.  The other announcement made by this government, is the self created £22 billion black hole in the country's finances, tho' the Independent Fiscal Institution (IFI) have never been able to substantiate this £22 billion black hole, which was apparently created by the previous government, and aren't we reminded of it every time, any of the life inexperienced MP's either talk to camera or write a newspaper article.....not only are we all sick of hearing the term "black hole" but it's now boring to hear.....just get on with the job or stand down!!!  Didn't the last government inherit another type of "black hole" when they took over from Labour in 2010 and took years to balance the dosh, when along came Mr Covid and it all fell apart again!!!

So, to get back to the cancellation of the A303 Project as per my blog in July this year.   There is a cost to this and it doesn't come cheap either! National Highways, a government owned organisation, will pick up the bill, so ultimately, you and me will pay.  They say that, to wind down such a high level project, this being for work already carried out in preparation for the green light, which has now turned red!!!! cannot be costed right now but the BBC link below provides an insight into that cost.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjdn05r3yz7o#:~:text=The%20scheme%20to%20bury%20the,taken%2010%20years%20of%20planning. 

My thanks to a resident of Shrewton for requesting a "Freedom of Information" which has now produced an article that tells us just some of the cost of that cancellation and the reasons there in.  here's what he posted on S.O.S Shrewton yesterday.....https://www.facebook.com/groups/166415460189511

"The public cost of the now-cancelled A303 tunnel has risen to £179.2m. I made a request under the Freedom of Information Act, and National Highways responds that the cost will increase further. Although it does not have to pay compensation for cancelling the major contract with an international consortium of engineering companies, it will still have to pay for work already untertaken. It states: “National Highways is liable to pay for reasonable costs and these are being considered. These activities take time.” The final cost is not yet known."

When I started STAG back in October 2013, the cost of the project was already at £46m of wasted time and effort and that, just on meetings and deliberations over some 20 years...along come Labour who in 2007, cancelled the project, allowing costs to rise expodentially. With nothing going on for the next 6 years, following my petition to get the traffic moving on the Stonehenge section of the by now, over capacity A303 and to stop the rat running through the village of Shrewton, with the help of local MP John Glen, a debate took place at Westminster Hall where it was agreed the project should re start .....In July this year, when The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves took office - (who it appears, has a certain resemblance to Cruella DeVille) cancelled it - again!!!! it was all ready to GO!! Some preparation work during this autumn and into the spring on 2025 and the tunnelling machine could move in.

Now! from tax payers money, she will have to pay the ongoing costs to cancel the project....who knows how much, but standing presently at £180million!!!!!!! By the way.....have you signed the petition yet.....

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/700143?fbclid=IwY2xjawHVB1NleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHccGlRQm-2Sl89AWvjVc4qvR3-AEWp3vRrqLODwY7_bZK3UBJj9bU5cWqw_aem_TBg-HdI3kcKmhE7kEaheCQ

This beggars belief from Stonehenge Alliance.......!!

Not only are they taking the credit (if in fact that's the correct word) for Rachel Reeve's decision, they're looking for yet more money from you folks to go back to court.....for why?!   This time they think that by going to court, they can 

overturn the legal judgement that the DCO will remain in place for the next 4 years....in otherwords they want the DCO hung drawn and quartered, so that it cannot be resurrected at any time in the future.

This is what's in their bank account, while they apparently....go back to court!!!!  

£137,173 

5 days to go....

pledged of £140,000 stretch target from 4308 pledges 

https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/save-stonehenge-world-heritage-site-again/ 

Save Stonehenge World Heritage Site

               Determined to protect the Stonehenge landscape for future generations          

We’re applying to the Supreme Court

"After the disappointing news from the Court of Appeal, we’ve decided to make an application to the Supreme Court. We believe the issues at stake: the protection of World Heritage Sites and that ministers should know the detail of what they’re taking a decision on, are too important to be left hanging. Plus of course the planning permission for the proposed new road and tunnel remains in place and could be resurrected at any time should the politicians change their minds (up to 4 August 2028)

Before making this decision, we asked our supporters what they wanted to do, and overwhelmingly they said we should continue, at least for the moment. We now have to get our application in to the Supreme Court before the end of November. However, we’re unlikely to hear back for 4 – 5 months as to whether we’ve been successful or not.

Most of the costs for doing this are already covered but we are still a few thousand short if you are able to spare anything towards this case.

Many thanks, 

Chris, John and Mike

Save Stonehenge World Heritage Site

This is their claim...

Fantastic news! We’ve stopped the road! 

Today, the new Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, cancelled the scheme, calling it a “low value, unaffordable commitment”. In doing so she has ended years of upset and concern.Our huge thanks to everyone who has helped us win the battle and stop the dualling of the A303 across the World Heritage Site and the harm it would have caused. However, while the scheme has been cancelled on affordability grounds, its planning permission remains intact. On that point, the Court of Appeal will still be considering its judgement on the legality of the decision to approve the scheme which we expect to be handed down in the Autumn. We will keep you posted on this.  In the meantime, savour our collective success!

Many thanks for your support

Chris, John and Mike

If you're prepared or even interested enough to know if they might get away with this, here's the link : ttps://localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk/planning/318-planning-features/30223-changing-development-consent-orders 

There's a lot of reading here, but the relevant section is "The PA 2008"
with the relevant Part 1, and Part 2 appearing to be covering the
fundamentals: one thing is certain, Stonehenge Alliance/SSWHS would need
to clearly demonstrate (they) 'have an interest in the land' - which
they would have difficulty in justifying unless e.g. National Trust or
English Heritage would agree to this/these bodies purchasing title to
the land (Stonehenge WHS).

I'm livid with one....Mickey Kyrle

Or perhaps that's just what Micky wants, maybe he's a lonely old sod looking for responses!!!  He certainly considers himself an expert on matters A303 and all things Shrewton related.  Well let me tell him, he is NO expert and clearly knows nothing about Shrewton and it's problems.  He's obviously not read this blog....now with over 101,000 viewings, where he just might update himself on official figures and stats and the stuff he's written here is way off the beam and will anger and upset every Shrewtonite - of which I am and remain so after 32 years albeit having moved to Scotland because of the - NON traffic he refers to!!   For him to personally insult and verbally attack both a Shrewton villager and Parish Councillor is just downright ignorance and not very intelligent. 

 If one Goolges "Mickey Kyrle" he tells us he considers himself a nice person....this is what he says about himself on You Tube: "I Like to help people all the time. I've got a heart of gold until someone tries to mine it then I'm a monster. My life isn't perfect but it's peaceful and its how I like it. I don't claim to be perfect and never do but will keep moving forward. Mickey198424@hotmail.com" Well, Mickey has certainly shown his true colours in the following comments in Salisbury Journal following the closure of the A303 last evening and a fatality.  They have invoked a huge response...like I say, maybe he's lonely....this is what he says in: 

"The traffic through Shrewton is no worse than it was beforehand, to harp on about the tunnel is bonkers. Shrewton is a small village surrounded by farmland which generate income and the farmers aren't going to allow their land to be dug up due to a bunch of imbalanced people moaning that an extra few cars coming through Shrewton that doesn't exist. I've got friends and family in Shrewton and they tell me the issues you highlight have been present for decades, so get over yourself. The tunnel costing more than £1.7 billion was a waste of time and taxpayers money at the very least. The bottleneck section needs to be widen and let's get on with it and shut up moaning, this would cost only a couple of million pound and improve the road infrastructure and take the non-existent extra cars out of Shrewton to satisfy the individuals complaining. More cars equals more trade for local businesses but if that's not allowed then tell all local businesses in Shrewton to pack up and leave as I'm sure that then you'll have really something to moan about. Some places don't have shop in their village etc and yet your complaining about the apparent extra cars that don't exist, what a delusional individual and we all wonder why the area is falling apart with individuals like this in charge of the council, my mind boggles. Shrewton needs more homes on designated brown areas aka building areas deemed safe to do so and to leave all farm land alone, if Shrewton doesn't grow towards Amesbury and Durrington it'll disappear. As for your comments on rat runs of Shrewton it's not possible to drive through Shrewton like a rat run or racecourse due to the hard corners and the river running through it. The roads aren't wide enough to do what you claim and its the reason why the r2 is being effected as the roads are becoming awkward to navigate due to overgrown vegetation from gardens etc but yet homeowners complain there's little public services. Cut back the vegetation and street lights could be seen, corners can be seen, road markings can be seen, bus stops can be seen, stick to the designated paths that are in place and keep vegetation off the paths so they can be used by children etc. For maybe once these village cllrs need to grasp a dose of reality if you don't want the world at your doorstep then buy a huge acreage and live in the middle of it, better yet build a home underground and be that loner you so want to be. Utter twoddle from this cllr and clearly get another person in there with common sense and youth to them and let's get on with making life's better rather than destroying soo much to suit the NIMBYs like this cllr."

And here are some of the replies: 

↪ in reply to Mickey Kyrle Freddiesaunt 18th September 5:07 pm What rambling nonsense. Will you allow your child to walk home from school along that busy road with no pavement? No, didn’t think so. You know nothing about life in Shrewton. Last Updated: 19th September 7:42 pm

↪ in reply to Freddiesaunt Local resident 18th September 6:21 pm "I agree with your comments.  I moved to Shrewton nearly 40 years ago, for many years it was possible to walk around with little fear of being knocked down. The closure of the A344 changed all that (thanks to Wiltshire Council) and the traffic situation now is totally unacceptable. I have never heard anyone say a lot of fuss is being made about nothing (the opposite is true) so where Mickey Kyrle's 'friends and relatives' live is anybody's guess and perhaps Mickey would care to tell us where all the businesses are that are benefitting from the traffic. From 23 August to 2 September there was a Speed Indicator Device with a traffic counter data logger in place in Shrewton's London Road, in that time over 41,000 vehicles passed through with a maximum speed of 68mph being recorded (this road being a 30mph speed limit)." Last Updated: 9 hrs ago

It does appear that Mickey has really got his dander up.....

↪ in reply to Freddiesaunt Mickey Kyrle 19th September 8:21 am Freddiesaunt wrote: "What rambling nonsense. Will you allow your child to walk home from school along that busy road with no pavement? No, didn’t think so. You know nothing about life in Shrewton."

This is what Mickey says....."Oh yes of course only you dwellers know what happens in Shrewton. Get a grip on yourselves no parent allows any child to walk anywhere unescorted and if you do you're a truly a bad parent. I visit Shrewton often and all I see here is utter twoddle. Privileged individuals which is a minority wanting to rule majority as only their opinions matter. Very few vote in Shrewton and look at what's on offer for cllrs. Instead of asking for everything and give nothing think of others for once. If you have no paths demand for them as by law there has to be paths for pedestrians, oh that's right Privileged individuals don't want paths outside their homes. Cut back the vegetation like you're all been told to do for decades now that effects the main roads and maybe just maybe paths will appear. If you don't want progress then cut Shrewton off from the world and shut up, the UK is flat broke due to incompetent individuals running the UK, cllrs demanding from MPs to get super expensive projects done but nothing as simple as a road widening etc. Don't blow a horn for the misgivings of others if you refuse to help those that may need it, furthermore paths will be put in once Shrewton agrees that it needs to be evaluated for better quality infrastructure. Stop being backwards and be forwards, I'll be in Shrewton in the next couple of days and will enjoy the scenery of overgrown vegetation and beautiful homes that I can see". Last Updated: 19th September 3:49 pm 

in reply to Mickey Kyrle wilts resident 19th September 9:45 pm - "I stopped reading after your first sentence - "The traffic through Shrewton is no worse than it was beforehand" ABSOLUTE BALDERDASH The levels of traffic have increased by many, many times over the last decade, and not just at weekends but on every single day of the week - but what do I know I only live in the village! In my opinion the twaddle you referred to in your letter was written by you." Last Updated: 3 hrs ago 

So! Mr Kyrle.....get yourself updated before putting proverbial foot in mouth and stop being an expert on stuff you know nothing about!!!!!

A303 The Highway to Hell

Speaks for itself.....write to Rachel Reeves : 

Phone: 020 7219 7097

Email: rachel.reeves.mp@parliament.uk

https://youtu.be/bRQvxHInb2o?si=nc8Qs-AyDw_EUVTg

I didn't expect anything more from this government!!!

So! at last, I've received a response from the PM following my letter to him on 31st July 2024 the same day as I wrote to The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves and sadly, her department have not seen fit to respond as yet and we have to assume this is it!   

There was no surprise in the reply, and of course the letter is not actually from the PM's office at all.  In reading the letter, I was very tempted to correct some of the punctuation to allow it to scan properly.  I doubt very much that the PM or the Chancellor have the time to read my blog and therefore would have missed the bit on my post about Rachel Reeves shooting herself in the foot : https://staga303.blogspot.com/2024/07/shot-herself-in-foot-going-forward.html

This bit here......

"Whilst this blog was mainly a campaign to stop rat running through the nearest village to Stonehenge - Shrewton, it's not all about rat running, but also about opening up the west country, including Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, by unlocking the traffic bottleneck past Stonehenge on the A303, where it can take up to 2 hours to travel 3 miles....clearly, Ms Reeves has never sat in that queue!!!  By progressing with this now over costed project - all down to Stonehenge Alliance's continued whingeing and their lies - tourism, alone would allow the project to pay for itself, but sadly she's just killed that and Devon and Cornwall will suffer as a result.   Has she ever thought about the truckers who have to sit in the queue and who can't rat run, when all they want is to deliver the goods on board and get back to their families.  Of course, she's just another person who sits at a desk in London and makes decisions for the rest of us and is apparently, entitled to do so!!"

I've managed to unearth a letter from Salisbury's MP John Glen to the Chancellor of the time.....

The Rt Hon George Osborne MP which explains all.   Although early on in the campaign, it confirms and belies the present chancellor's statement that "The A303 scheme was ultimately set to deliver low value for money" etc 4th para in their letter.  The letter confirms that the project would in fact pay for itself and some.  Sadly, with all the delays and procrastinations, the letter is somewhat out of date and costs have risen exponentially as a result.  

So! the long term benifits of achieving a cohesive upgrading of the A303 where single carriageways punctuate this direct trunk route to the West Country, have been arbitrarily swept aside, citing unaffordability whilst competely discounting the financial benefits for the future!!!

DO THE SUMS MS REEVES!!!!!

                                                          

The A303 is the main arterial route from London to Cornwall

And by pulling the plug on fixing the a303 passing Stonehenge, the present government have also prevented the little village of Winterbourne Stoke from becoming a safer place.  The by-pass for this village was part of the package and so the residents continue to have the same misery they've experienced for years going forward.....bonkers!!!   

Please sign this petition especially if you ever have need to use the A303.....

https://www.change.org/p/urge-parliament-to-insist-on-a-bypass-for-winterbourne-stoke-village/psf/share?share=1&short_display_name=Janice&source_location=petition_page&allow_actions=true 

It's surely time that this government learned that life is......

NOT A ONE SIZE FITS ALL!!!!

Where will the money go then Stonehenge Alliance???

I do wonder what .https://stonehengealliance.org.uk/?page_id=1583 will do with all that banked money from around the world now that it's not needed....will they even come clean??? 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fixing-the-foundations-public-spending-audit-2024-25/fixing-the-foundations-public-spending-audit-2024-25-html?fbclid=IwY2xjawEdfitleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHXQgHYL9sq1Pj7rsbU0_LCrvBlxHKsHIMQrvUsE9wj63y9zKU6z9Cd-Feg_aem_MC6dhULPQQaw1D4zpOACBQ#annex-responding-to-the-2024-25-pay-review-bodies-recommendations

The above is the link to the present government's announcement on the 29th July, showing everything they pulled from the British people.   Had they put this information out to the voting public/made it easier to find..... before the election and when they secured their place in government on the 5th July 2024, I doubt they would be in office right now....feeling conned!😡

However, if you don't have the time or the inclination to wade through the document, https://stonehengealliance.org.uk/?page_id=1583 have done it for you!  How kind!!!   

They've picked out the bit that refers to the pulling of the 

A303 Stonehenge Project just so they, childishly can....gloat gloat gloat!   

But.....they're still looking for your money folks!!!  This is on their web page this morning.....

.https://stonehengealliance.org.uk/?page_id=1583 

 

You can donate to the Stonehenge Alliance campaign here!

 

To use PayPal you do not need a PayPal account.  It accepts all major credit and debit cards.

We need money for:

• Commissioning independent specialist advice, data analysis, technical support and online communication platforms.

• Publicity such as flyers, banners, social media ads and videos.

• Sundry items e.g. postage and creative campaign materials.

 

Shot herself in the foot - going forward....

Stonehenge tunnel scheme scrapped by government

 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0jq8pxg0weo

By cancelling this project, Rachel Reeves has just shot herself in the foot if she thinks she's helping the economy out of her own created black hole which has just emerged on her 24 day watch!!!  Ms Reeves has not looked at the wider picture and gone against what she said in the Labour manifesto, that she would not be making any rash decisions which are short lived and today, she's done just that!!!  

                                                         Phone: 020 7219 7097

                                            Email: rachel.reeves.mp@parliament.uk

Whilst this blog was mainly a campaign to stop rat running through the nearest village to Stonehenge - Shrewton, it's not all about rat running, but also about opening up the west country, including Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, by unlocking the traffic bottleneck past Stonehenge on the A303, where it can take up to 2 hours to travel 3 miles....clearly, Ms Reeves has never sat in that queue!!!  By progressing with this now over costed project - all down to Stonehenge Alliance's continued whingeing and their lies - tourism alone would allow the project to pay for itself, but sadly she's just killed that and Devon and Cornwall will suffer as a result.   Has she ever thought about the truckers who have to sit in the queue and who can't rat run, when all they want is to deliver the goods on board and get back to their families.  Of course, she's just another person who sits at a desk in London and makes decisions for the rest of us and is apparently entitled to do so!!

And now to the cancelled project....In removing the present A303 from the World Heritage Site by going underground, this would have opened up the whole area for all to enjoy the fawn and flora, cycling, riding, walking and in turn keeping people healthy and fit.   It's a well known fact that the A303 at Stonehenge is regularly over capacity by 86% and local villages suffer hugely by rat run traffic.  I always quote the SID figures for August 2019 that in just one month 169,000 vehicles travelled down London Road in Shrewton, which is just 8 meters wide and 6 in places, with a left hand bend and no pavements.  There is a small community on London Road who need to get down into the village for school, doctor and shops but the whole of the village is grid locked especially every Friday and Saturday through out the year and this traffic increases come school holidays making Shrewton a very dangerous village indeed.  I hear today that the figure is over 3000 per day as I write this.  The news will also affect house buying and selling in Shrewton....watch for a glut of local people leaving, but sadly getting a reduced price for their properties!

Here's what Cllr Richard Clewer head of Wiltshire Council, has to say on yesterday's news :

https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/news/wiltshire-council-expresses-disappointment-at-a303-stonehenge-decision 

Wiltshire Council expresses disappointment at A303 Stonehenge decision

Published 29 July 2024

Wiltshire Council has today (Monday 29 July) expressed its disappointment at the Government's indication to cancel the A303 Stonehenge tunnel project.

Cllr Richard Clewer, Leader of Wiltshire Council, said: We are extremely dismayed and disappointed at the Government's decision to cancel the A303 Stonehenge tunnel project. These improvements are needed now to ease traffic congestion on the A303 and reduce traffic in our communities, and also ensure economic growth in Wiltshire, unlocking jobs and investment in the wider south-west region.

It has taken many years of lobbying and working closely with partners, including National Highways, to bring this major infrastructure project to Wiltshire, and so it is a huge blow to get to the stage when construction is ready to begin, only to have this taken away from us at this late hour.

There has already been £160m spent on this project, and cancelling it now wastes that huge investment, including the work to run a power supply up the A360 to the tunnel site. There is currently no viable alternative to the tunnel on the table. It would return the Stonehenge landscape to something like its original setting and allow local communities greater access to the ancient stones and the surrounding World Heritage Site.

We will remain committed to this project and will continue to work closely with all stakeholders to try to bring this project back to Wiltshire, to reduce rat-running in our communities, to reduce journey times to the wider south-west, to boost economic growth in Wiltshire, and to unlock jobs and investment across the region.

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Presumably this lot are taking all the credit.....what will they do with all the money they've fleeced from around the world....I wonder?

Rachel Reeves has put a lot of short term thought into her decision and she will regret it one day very soon!

If you're going to Glasto this year.....

Can you do us a favour and seek out the children's entertainer - sorry, don't know his name but probably to be found at https://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/areas/kidz-field/ .  Please tell him from me, Dave is still suffering pain and his clavicle (collar bone) has not settled....see this photo from last week.  The man involved will remember that on his way home in his motorhome from last year's Glastonbury, he knocked my husband off his bike while Rat Running through Shrewton at 20 mph on a 6 meter wide road.  It is my understanding that the cyclist has priority over a motorised vehicle with pedestrians having 1st priority.  However, I doubt the guy will be too concerned since he, at the time, said he was "punched" by Dave....I fail to see how this could ever be the truth while Dave was on his way to the ground with damages to his bike and glasses as well as his mental health and well being.  You can read the full story here: https://staga303.blogspot.com/2023/07/2nd-in-command-comes-cropper.html

As it happens, the man may have done us a favour, because even although in some pain, we now live 390 miles away and he probably contributed to our decision to sell up and move on, now living in a quiet village on the borders of Scotland, we don't need to worry anymore about the traffic in Shrewton....sadly, we've left all that behind for the residents who have put up with the rat run for over 30 years, while it steadly gets worse as the A303 passing Stonehenge is no longer fit for purpose and the Project to fix this is continually held up by https://stonehengealliance.org.uk/   They continue to reap money from all around the world from people who have never been to Witlshire and wouldn't know where Stonehenge is, far less knowing why they're donating and to what.  These continual hold ups from this group are to blame for the increased cost and they have, at the same time missed the point of the whole process.

Court of Appeal up held - sadly!

And here's an update of the money SSWHS/Stonehenge Alliance have the ability to collect from people who don't live anywhere near the problem - some in other countries, and who don't understand and follow the lies!  

At 10.50 today 24th May - £104,870.00

This has come in from the A303 Project Director at National Highways:                                            

A303 Stonehenge - Court of Appeal update

On Friday 17 May, the Court of Appeal informed us that Save Stonehenge World Heritage Site’s appeal will be heard in the Court of Appeal.    

https://stonehengealliance.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2024-05-21-permission-to-appeal-web.pdf

We are hugely disappointed by this decision, which will cause more delays to this scheme as the next stage of the legal process unfolds.  
We will participate fully in any future legal proceedings to continue to present the case for the scheme, working closely with Department for Transport (Dft)

What does this mean for the scheme? 
We still have our Development Consent Order (DCO) in place, so the scheme isn’t cancelled, but this extra legal process will delay the start of our preliminary works and we’ll need to adjust the whole main works programme accordingly. We don’t know what that will look like yet, because we don’t know the extent of the delay. We can’t determine the length of that legal process, and we will need to work closely with DfT and our legal teams to understand what our next steps are.  

What happens next? 
We need to await the date for the hearing, which the Court of Appeal will decide. At the hearing, both sides will present their case and the judge in charge will use this to make their decision. They will either quash or uphold this latest legal challenge. If it’s quashed, that means we’ll be able to go ahead with the scheme, because there would be no other legal route for opposition groups to pursue. If the challenge is upheld, the Department for Transport would decide what to do next, working closely with the project team and National Highways to do so. 

What about the A360 temporary closure? 

This work will continue without any change.  You can find more about this work on the A360 temporary closure webpage (www.a360temporaryclosure.co.uk) provided and updated by Southern and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) who are carrying out this work on our behalf.  

A303 Amesbury to Berwick Down Info​​​​ A303 Stonehenge Project Email:  info@a303stonehenge.co.uk Web:  nationalhighways.co.uk/our-roads/a303-stonehenge/ So! SSWHS need a further £134,000.00 for this appeal - they will get this money from all around the world - from people who don't even know where the World Heritage Site is or have ever visit same!   They have two appeals to achieve this - one for the UK and one for International collections. I'm not going to provide the information on my blog....you'll have to read the link above! Very sad for the people who work tirelessly on the project for it to be knocked back for a third time.....not the mention the increased cost to the tax payer!!

It's Time for Action - apparently......

So this lot are at it again....telling the voting public what they should do, as if we don't have a mind of our own.....well maybe that's a mute point where their followers are concerned and they need to be led by the nose.....here's what they're saying......   

" It's time to take action! Tell your MP/ parliamentary candidates, that YOU WILL ONLY VOTE FOR THEM IF THEY STOP WASTING £3bn++ ON THE STONEHENGE ROAD SCHEME (and £bns on other big damaging road schemes which are making things worse). They should commit to spending on climate friendly transport instead. WHAT TO SAY? 

 https://stonehengealliance.org.uk/act-now/write-to-your-mp/"

Where they've calculated £3bn (if true) means they say the cost has doubled in just over 2 years....is down to them slowing the whole process up using money from around the world from people who don't even know where Stonehenge is to be found or the World Heritage Site for that matter.

When will someone other than STAG take them on, right now Stonehenge Alliance, seem to have the platform to themselves....we had a flurry of interest from the archaeologist's back in December last, see here: https://staga303.blogspot.com/2023/12/at-last-support.html but now they appear to have gone quiet...this is what they said to encourage more support back then..."archaeologists themselves have been overwhelmingly absent from the discourse. While a number of public figures have shared their views on the project, many of the individual archaeologists and heritage specialists who are best-informed on the subject are unable to comment due to factors which include their professional obligations. Meanwhile, many major organisations representing UK archaeology have distanced themselves from the heart of this politicised and polarised debate.   Into the vacuum has stepped the Stonehenge Alliance, whose increasingly divisive and populist rhetoric directly risks the public understanding of archaeology in the UK for many years to come. Rather than being presented with diverse, informed perspectives, the tone of the matter has been steered, almost single-handedly, by this campaign group and its backers.   The role of archaeological intervention in mitigating impact on heritage has been consistently distorted and misrepresented by the Stonehenge Alliance campaign in spite of persistent requests by archaeologists to tone down their rhetoric."   Hello!...where are you now?

More hyperbole on their Facebook page where they talk about campaigning for 3 generations....I work this out to be at least 66 years...Stonehenge Alliance.....your campaign is not that old - on research I see your group were constituded in 2001 and my calcs say that's just 22 years!!!  

Then we have to come back around to the main subject of traffic and the A303 causing rat runs through local villages....here is our take on this on their F/b page: 

"Do any of the present 9 who have 'liked' this post, actually live anywhere near the problem? I assume NOT!! The A303 at Stonehenge needs to be fixed by what ever means....it's not fit for purpose causing huge rat runs through local villages on roads as narrow as 6 meters wide with no pavements or street lighting. As for increasing the rail network....an you lot seem to have costed this out?? How many homes/villages would have to be compulsory purchased to achieve this...presumably not in your costings!!!"

See this comment : " our infrastructure and roads need investment also. This stretch is dangerous, overburdened by traffic it was never designed for, and as a result causes misery and enhanced emissions for both users of the road and the villages who are used to avoid the traffic. The project should have been started in 2019, the inflationary increase in costs is directly attributed to this farce of an organisation who have forced delay.

I'll be happy to see Stonehenge return to it's grassy landscape, without standstill traffic parked next to it, whilst also benefiting from a road that can handle the volume of traffic required to use it.

This country needs to progress it's transport links, it can't stay how it is." and further discussion here: https://www.facebook.com/search/posts?q=stonehenge%20alliance&filters=eyJyZWNlbnRfcG9zdHM6MCI6IntcIm5hbWVcIjpcInJlY2VudF9wb3N0c1wiLFwiYXJnc1wiOlwiXCJ9In0%3D

My thanks for permission to allow to this comment from SHA's Facebook page:Isn't it about time some people started getting annoyed about the vexacious stuff like this that Stonehenge Alliance persist in attempting to ram down our throats. You've now finally got prominent archaeologists up in arms about the litany of falsehoods perpetuated by this organisation which is nothing but a quango. The current MP, and the electorate he represents should be allowed to make their own minds up, and not be swayed by these kind of threats. Take note: the Stonehenge WHS didn't come into existence until 1986, when the trunk road that passes East/West across the area had been in existence for 8 decades and more. All alternative plans for this section of the A303 have been comprehensively examined for more than 30 years, and what is proposed is perhaps imperfect, but this £3 billion figure (if correct-which I doubt) would be considerably less if Stonehenge Alliance had been willing to enter meaningful discussions with Government Agencies, but chose not because they stated "we have NO common ground".

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