CPRE (National Office): Objection to Draft Orders, 4 September 2003

4 September 2003

Dear Sir or Madam

Stonehenge

This letter is to formally lodge CPRE's objection to the current proposals for the A303 at Stonehenge. We believe these do not represent the best environmental option and would instead advocate a long bored tunnel, as originally recommended by the Planning Conference which the Agency convened. In brief, our reasons for objection are:

• the proposals are incompatible with the Stonehenge World Heritage Site Management Plan, and the recommendations of the Highways Agency Planning Conference 1995;
• the impact which the road scheme will have on the heritage of the area, and in particular, on archaeological remains and the integrity of the wider landscape as a whole;
• the road scheme, provision of a visitor-centre, and the access implications which it will give rise to should be considered together;
• insufficient attention has been given to the cumulative impact of dualling the A303 at this stretch for the rest of the road corridor and its environment; and
• that additional expenditure for the road scheme has come from funds allocated for heritage purposes. We believe this arrangement, whereby the availability of budgets of organisations charged with protecting environmental or cultural assets, are used to determine the design and quality of a transport project is wholly inappropriate.

CPRE Wiltshire Branch has also lodged an objection to this scheme and we would support their position in any Public Inquiry which may, and we believe should, be called.

Yours sincerely

Neil Sinden

Director of Policy