A303 Stonehenge: What is the latest position? - Save Stonehenge World Heritage Site

UPDATED 20 January 2025

17 January 2025 – Our ally, Transport Action Network (TAN), launched their report ‘Connecting South West England: in place of A303/A358 widening’. Read more here
November 2024 – Application to the Supreme Court: 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); two key issues at stake are too important to be left hanging i.e. (i) the protection of decision-making of World Heritage Sites remains unresolved, and (ii) the question of the extent of detail that ministers should know to inform their decision-making. Consultation with donors to the legal challenge agreed that the case should be pursued. The application is likely to take 3 or 4 months.
16 October 2024 – The Judgment from the Court of Appeal was handed down this afternoon. Unfortunately it has dismissed the application for Judicial Review with the exception of whether interpretation of the World Heritage Convention is a matter for the court, but then dismissed this argument ‘on its merits.’ Link to our statement: “Judgment disappointing, relief at Labour’s scheme cancellation.’ Link to the judgment here.
30 July 2024 – The Development Consent Order remains in place unless the Court of Appeal quashes the Transport Secretary’s approval. Judgment expected in the autumn.
29 July 2024 – The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, cancelled the £2.5bn Stonehenge scheme as a “low value, unaffordable commitment”. However, the Development Consent Order remains in place unless the Court of Appeal quashes the Transport Secretary’s approval. Judgment awaited.
2024 21 – 31 July: UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee, Delhi will meet in Delhi, and will consider the State of Conservation Report and whether to place Stonehenge WHS on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
17 July 2024 – Close of Court of Appeal hearing. Judgment reserved.
15 July 2024 – Petition letter handed in to Secretaries of State for Transport and Culture, Media and Sport. See article.
15 July 2024 – Photo call to mark the opening of the Court of Appeal hearing at 1pm outside the Royal Courts of Justice, London – Press release
11 July 2024 – Trio of video interviews by Tom Holland with Professor Mike Parker Pearson published: What is Stonehenge? | What is so special about the Stonehenge landscape? | What is wrong with the Stonehenge road scheme?
5 July 2024 – New Secretary of State for Transport and new Secretary of State for Culture appointed.
2024, 25 June: UNESCO recommends that the Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site be place on the List of World Heritage in Danger due to the threat posed by the A303 road scheme. Press release.
2024, 21 May: Government decision on Stonehenge back in court. No date set yet, but the appeal for a further £34,000 has been launched today. [13]
2024, 25 April: National Highways paused the DCO preparations to allow for legal processes to be completed. Public information events were held locally by National Highways: 27 April to 7 May 2024
2024, 2 April: National Highways started preparatory works on 2 April which the Stonehenge Alliance considered premature whilst legal processes are in progress and could waste more public money
2024, 19 February: Judgment handed down. Challenge unsuccessful. Press statement with notes here. [12]
2024, 2 February: UK Government suppress their full State of Conservation Report – unusually, it only publishes a summary here.
2024, 4 January: Mailshot to mailing list ‘Reflections on a tumultuous year’: Judgment awaited. [11]
2023, 12 December: Demonstration against Stonehenge road scheme to mark the start of the 3-day hearing: 12:45 for 30-45 minutes, pavement outside Royal Courts of Justice [9]
2023, 8 December: Press Release ‘Court to rule on future of Stonehenge’ [10]
2023, 6 December: SSWHS reaches its target of £80,000 [8]
2023, 1 November: Roll up hearing announced “sometime in December”. Read SSWHS case update: “Our Day in Court Approaches” [8]
2023, 17 August: The scheme promoter, National Highways, confirms it has let the contracts. Construction is expected to start in early Spring 2024 if the legal challenge is not accepted. [7]
2023, 4 August: The Development Consent Order for the A303 (Amesbury to Berwick Down) Development Consent Order 2023 came into force. [6]
2023, September: UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee met in Riyadh and stuck to its guns: they condemned the road scheme and threatened to place the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger if the road goes ahead. UK Government asked to report to the Committee by 1st February before taking action. [5]
2023, August: SSWHS submitted case and await the High Court’s decision whether to proceed with a hearing. Expected soon. The grounds for the claim are here. [4]
2023, July: The independent legal team associated with the Stonehenge Alliance, Save Stonehenge WHS Ltd (SSWHS), immediately commissioned lawyers to challenge the decision. [3]
2023, 14 July: Mark Harper, Transport Secretary, approved virtually the same scheme on 14th July after a prolonged redetermination process. [1, 2]
2021, 30 July: Decision for A303 Stonehenge road scheme in 2021 quashed by the High Court.
2020, 12 November: Grant Shapps, Transport Secretary, approved the A303 Stonehenge scheme.

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