A303 Stonehenge DCO & timeline - Save Stonehenge World Heritage Site

The Examination of the draft Development Consent Order(DCO) opened on 2nd April 2019 and closed on 3 October 2019. The Examiners’ report was submitted to the Secretary of State on 2nd January 2020 and published by the Planning Inspectorate on 12 November 2020.

DCO Application via Planning Inspectorate site
Examination library with reference numbers via Planning inspectorate site
Recordings of Issue Specific and Open Floor Hearings via Planning inspectorate site
Stonehenge Alliance explainer of the DCO planning process: An overview of Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP)

Timeline of process, scheme and Stonehenge Alliance written representations and submissions

See also a summary of Our Case

The links on the timeline take you to our documents published on the Planning Inspectorate library

2025 to 2030 – New window for scheme completion
2023 – Main five-year construction phase expected
2021 – Fieldwork expected to begin in late spring,
2020 November 12 – Report and recommendation against the scheme by Examining Authority
2020 November 12 – Decision by Transport Secretary and reasons for going ahead with scheme
2020 September 28 – Dept for Transport invitation to key players for comments on responses
2020 August 13 – Stonehenge Alliance response to consultation on Late Neolithic Pit Structures and response from consortium of archaeologists and the Blick Mead project team
2020 July 17 – Decision by Transport Secretary (delayed)
2020 July 16 – SoS requests further information and consults on Late Neolithic Pit Structures
2020 June 25-26 – Stonehenge Alliance and a Consortium of specialist archaeologists write to SoS for Transport about implications of major new archaeological find in WHS
2020 May 28 – Stonehenge Alliance to Secretary of State for Transport: response to queries of 4 May 2020
2020 May 27-28 – Stonehenge Alliance and Council for British Archaeology comment to SoS on responses from Highways England, Historic England, and Wiltshire Council
2020 May 18 – all responses published on Infrastructure Planning website
2020 May 16 – SA also responds with comments
2020 May 4 – SoS for Transport asks for comments and information from Highways England, Historic England and Natural England
2020 29 April – Transport Secretary announced Decision delayed until 17 July 2020
2020 2 April – Expected Decision by Secretary of State for Transport
2020 12 March – The Stonehenge Alliance reacts to Chancellor’s budget announcement on 11 March
2020 2 January – Examining Authority’s Report and Recommendation sent to Secretary of State for Transport
2019 2 October – Examination ends
2019 September 25 – Our summary of case submitted to the Planning Inspectorate
2019 3 April – Start of Examination of Scheme
2019 2 April – Examining Authority’s Preliminary Meeting for interested parties
2019 14 December – Final date to register as an Interested Party
17 May 2019 – Stonehenge Alliance to Planning Inspectorate concerning information still missing
2019 April 17 – Stonehenge Alliance to Planning Inspectorate : concerning Hydrogeological reports, Groundwater Monitoring & Modelling reports
2019 January 30 – Stonehenge Alliance to Planning Inspectorate: concerning lack of relevant information
2019 January 30 – Stonehenge Alliance to Planning Inspectorate : concerning lack of critical information from Environment Agency
2019 January 10 – Stonehenge Alliance representation – accepted
2018 December 14 – Stonehenge Alliance to Jesse Norman, Minister of Transport: concerning limited registration period
2018 – 16 November – Planning application accepted by Planning Inspectorate. The timescale will be published and people can register to become an “Interested Party” by making a “Relevant Representation”.

Deadline 1 Submission – Suggestions for sites to include in itinerary for Accompanied Site Inspection on 21 May 2019

Deadline 1 Submission – Highways England: Response to Stonehenge Alliance concerning missing information

Deadline 2 Submission – Introduction to Case

Deadline 2 Submission – Written Representation on Principal Issue 1 Alternatives Dr. Kate Fielden, BA, D.Phil. and George McDonic, MBE, BL, DIPLTP, DPA, FFB

Deadline 2 Submission – Written Representation on Principal Issue 4 Biodiversity, Biological Environment and Ecology Dr. Kate Fielden, BA, D.Phil., with advice of Tracé Williams, MSc., BSc.

Deadline 2 Submission – Written Representation on Principle Issue 7 Flood Risk groundwater protection Dr George Reeves, CGeol, CEnv, PhD, MSc, BSc (Hons), FGS, FIMMM

Deadline 2 Submission – Written Representation on Principal Issue 9 Heritage and the Historic Environment Dr Kate Fielden, BA., D.Phil.

Deadline 2 Submission – Written Representation on Principal Issue 10 Landscape and Visual Aspects of the LVIA Andy Norfolk, MSc, Dip.L.A

Deadline 2 Submission – Written Representation on Principal Issue 11 Noise and Vibration (Tranquillity) Clive Bentley, BSc (Hons), CEnv, CSci., MCIEH, MIEnvSc. MIOA

Deadline 2 Submission – Written Representation on Principal Issue 11 Vibration from tunnel boring Rupert Thornely-Taylor, FIOA

Deadline 2 Submission – Written Representation on Principal Issue 13 Transport Planning and Economics Issues Dr Simon Temple, BSc, MSc, D.Phil.

Deadline 2 Submission – Written Representation on the Cultural Heritage Value Report Alan James, MA, BSc.

Deadline 2 Submission – Written Representation on Concerns about consultation on the Scheme Dr Kate Fielden, BA, D.Phil.

Deadline 3 Submission – Open Floor Hearings Tom Holland, Dr Simon Temple & Dr Kate Fielden and Dr Temple, Dr Fielden and Dr George Reeve

Deadline 3 Submission – Summary of Open Floor Hearing on Climate Change – Mike Birkin, Friends of the Earth

Deadline 4 Submission – Our Summary of Oral Representations made at Specific Hearings and Further comments

For all later submissions by the Alliance and others, please see Examination Library (Planning inspectorate site).

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