We have prepared an email to send directly to Government from here. But it is incredibly helpful to write to your newly elected MP here as well, and raise their awareness. Could you ask your MP to forward your concerns to any of the ministers below. Please mark it URGENT!
In your own words, please write a short email that could include these points:
- Share your concern about the imminent threat the A303 Stonehenge road scheme poses to the World Heritage Site (WHS)
- The costs have escalated to at least £2.5bn, but estimates suggest it would be in excess of £3bn (probably more) by the time it is finished
- The Government’s own Planning Inspectors said the road project will cause permanent and irreversible harm to the World Heritage Site and should not go ahead.
- The new Labour government should listen to UNESCO’s concerns, repeatedly expressed to the last government through reports, decisions and meetings. It has recommended that the World Heritage Site be inscribed on the List of Sites in Danger – the first step to deleting its world heritage status. The decision will be taken at its next meeting between 21st and 31st July
- There are no plans to complete the rest of the bottlenecks along the A303 corridor, so what is the point of road widening this short stretch of road only to meet a traffic jam further down the road?
- This road scheme risks our country’s international reputation, wastes money that the country cannot afford, will generate more CO2, and doesn’t even achieve its transport objectives.
- Please cancel the scheme in time for the UNESCO meeting this month.
Other points:
- The Stonehenge road and tunnel scheme has also been condemned by the Planning Inspectors, many eminent archaeologists and specialists, and over 239,000 petitioners world wide.
- The scheme makes no economic sense, costing more than it can ever deliver in benefits.
- Why spend billions on building roads to the South West when parts of our rail network are still only single track?
- We need to prepare our UK rail network for extreme weather events which will cost at least £2.8bn.
- The Climate Change Committee has advised a re-think on all major road proposals in the light of climate change and carbon emission reduction considerations.
- The scheme’s impact on biodiversity in the Stonehenge landscape is also worrying, especially for the disturbance of the rare Stone Curlew and the reintroduced Great Bustard.
Secretaries of State and other ministers you can ask your MP to forward your concerns to:
- Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy: Lisa Nandy, c/o enquiries@dcms.gov.uk | If you are her constituent please write to lisa.nandy.mp@parliament.uk
- Transport Secretary, Louise Haigh: Louise Haigh, c/o transportsecretary@dft.gov.uk | If you are her constituent please write to louise.haigh.mp@parliament.uk
- The Future of Roads Minister, Lilian Greenwood: c/o transportsecretary@dft.gov.uk | If you are her constituent: lilian.greenwood.mp@parliament.uk
- Chancellor, Rachel Reeves: Complete the message form by pressing NEXT at the bottom of this page | If you are her constituent please write to rachel.reeves.mp@parliament.uk
- Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Darren Jones: Complete the same message form by pressing NEXT at the bottom of this page | If you are his constituent please write to darren.jones.mp@parliament.uk
We are interested in replies you might receive. Please email: SaveStonehenge (@) gmail.com THANK YOU!
You can take action if you live outside the UK:
If you live outside the UK please consider writing to your country’s Culture Secretary /the UK Ambassador in your country / your country’s Cultural Attaché in the UK to urge them to forward your concerns to the British Government.