Timeline since the property’s inscription by UNESCO IN 1986.
Link here to Stonehenge Development Consent Order from 2014 to the present
2023
- 2023 August 26 – Legal proceedings initiated on Stonehenge road scheme
- 2023 July 14 – At the end of this parliamentary session: Decision by Secretary of State taken to go ahead with the A303 Stonehenge road widening scheme.
- 2023 March 14 – Following two changes of Government the Secretary of State’s much awaited decision failed to appear in the Chancellor of Exchequer’s Spring Budget and statements on infrastructure.
- 2022 October 14 – Stonehenge Alliance response to UNESCO’s Advisory Mission
- 2022 October 14 – All responses to UNESCO’s Advisory Mission Report
- 2022 September 14 – New Transport Secretary letter inviting Interested Parties to provide comments on the Applicant’s response by 28 September 2022.
- 2022 August 26 – Transport Secretary letter inviting the Applicant to provide comments on the Advisory Mission’s report by 9 September 2022.
- 2022 August 14 – Stonehenge Alliance response together with wider comment on published responses.
- 2022 August 25 – The responses to the Secretary of State’s consultation letter of 13 July published together with UNESCO’s Advisory Mission report.
- 2022 July 18 – Stonehenge Alliance responses to various deadlines and comment: 10 June /4 April
- 2022 July 13 – Invitation by Transport Secretary to comment on Applicant’s replies to concerns, Deadline 3 August 2022
- 2022 July 12 – Submissions by National Highways’ replies to concerns
- 2022 June 20 – Transport Secretary issues letter requesting further comments from the Applicant
- 2022 June 17 – Responses to consultation to National Highways’ submissions on carbon
- 2022 April 29 – Invitation by Transport Secretary to comment on Applicant’s update to Section 4 on Carbon. Deadline 10 June 2022.
- 2022 April 26 – Stonehenge Alliance specialists’ responses published as a single document. For individual topics see blog.
- 2022 April 26 – 1,237 entries published in response to Transport Secretary’s consultation letter of 24 February 2022
- 2022 April 4 – Deadline for comment on National Highways’ reapplication and justification. Members of public (unregistered Interested Parties) have responded, but their comments will only be published at the Transport Secretary’s discretion.
- 2022 February 24 – Sec of State’s invitation to Interested Parties to comment on his Statement of Matters and National Highways’ responses by 4th April 2022
- 2022 January 23 to February 23 – National Highways responses and further information submitted to Transport Secretary’s Statement of Matters published under Documents dated 23/01/22, 24/01/22 and 23/02/22
- 2021 November 30 – REDETERMINATION Secretary of State’s Statement of Matters and invitation to the DCO Applicant to make further representations for the purposes of his re-determination of the scheme
- 2021October 27 – Chancellor’s spending review omits budget for A303 Stonehenge scheme – see media report
- 2021 August 10 – Notice that the Transport Secretary will re-determine the DCO Application
- 2021 July 30 – Scheme quashed: High Court judge rules against the Secretary of State’s decision to proceed with the scheme: judgment by The Hon. Mr Justice Holgate: Summary | Full
- 2021 February 16 – High Court “Rolled up hearing” of the legal case announced
- 2021 January 29 – Transport Secretary approves A303 Sparkford-Ilchester upgrade
- 2021 January 6 – Just over 200,000 signatures recorded on Stonehenge Alliance petition
- 2020 December 30 – CrowdJustice appeal stretch target of £50,000 reached
- 2020 December 23 – Application for judicial review made on behalf of Save Stonehenge WHS Ltd (SSWHS)
- 2020 November 30 – CrowdJustice appeal launched for legal challenge funding
- 2020 November 12 – Transport Secretary decision to proceed with scheme despite Examining Authority’s recommendation to refuse
- 2020 July 17 – Decision by Transport Secretary delayed
- 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 27-28 – Stonehenge Alliance and Council for British Archaeology comment to SoS on responses from Highways England, Historic England, and Wiltshire Council
- 2020 May 21 – media report that completion of work on A303 Stonehenge will be delayed by a year
- 2020 May 18 – all responses published on Infrastructure Planning website
- 2020 May 16 – SA also responds with comments
- 2020 May 7 – Save Stonehenge WHS Ltd set up to enable a legal challenge should the Transport Secretary decide to proceed with the scheme
- 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 March 11 – Chancellor funds Stonehenge scheme
- 2020 January 2 – Examining Authority’s Report and Recommendation sent to Secretary of State for Transport
- 2019 October 2 – Examination ends
- 2019 May 20 – National Audit Office publish assessment ‘Improvement between Amesbury and Berwick Down’. Scheme costs range from £1.5 billion to £2.4 billion
- 2019 April 3 – Start of Examination of Scheme
- 2019 April 2 – Examining Authority’s Preliminary Meeting for interested parties
- 2019 May 17 – 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 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 December 14 – Final date to register as an Interested Party
- 2018 November 16 – Planning application accepted by Planning Inspectorate. The timescale to be published to register as an “Interested Party” and make a “Relevant Representation”.
- 2018 October 9 – Highways England submit application to Planning Inspectorate. Cost increases to £1.7bn.
- 2018 July 17 – August 14 Supplementary Consultation on minor alterations
- 2018 June 5 – Westminster debate led by Alex Burghart MP
- 2018 February 8 to April 23 – Statutory consultation on proposed scheme. Cost increases to £1.6bn.
- 2017 July 20 – Institute for Government: red RAG rating in report Government delivery of major infratructure – less is more
- 2017 March 22 – National Audit Office: Highlights construction risks in its Progress with the investment strategy
- 2017 September – Announcement of preferred route
- 2017 January 12 to March 5 – Non-statutory consultation on route option. Cost increases to £1.4bn.
- 2015-2016 – Route assessment and identification
- 2014 – Scheme included in the Roads Investment Strategy. Budget cost £1.2bn.
- 2013 – A303 feasibility study announced as part of the Autumn Statement
2002 – 2007 First Stonehenge Tunnel proposal
- 2007 – Government withdraw scheme from the roads programme
- 2006 – Conservation groups joint vision statement: 30 March by the following (in alphabetical order):
- ASLaN – Ancient Sacred Landscape Network
- CBA – The Council for British Archaeology
- CPRE – The Campaign to Protect Rural England
- FoE – Friends of the Earth
- ICOMOS-UK – International Council for Monuments & Sites, UK
- Prehistoric Society
- RESCUE – The British Archaeological Trust
- The National Trust
- Transport 2000 – Now Campaign for Better Transport
- WANHS – Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society (Wiltshire Museum)
- 2005 – Review of options after substantial increase in estimated costs
- 2004 – Public inquiry
- 2002 – 2.1km initially cut and cover, then short bored tunnel announced. Stonehenge Alliance formed
Key events before formation of Stonehenge Alliance
- 1999 – Preferred route announced
- 1998 – Scheme re-introduced to roads programme
- 1996 – Scheme withdrawn from roads programme
- 1995 – Planning Conference – Salisbury
- 1994 – 1995 – Further route identification
- 1994 – International conference by English Heritage “Stonehenge: The Great Debate” London – National Trust commit to a long bored tunnel
- 1993 – Public consultation
- 1991 – 1993 – Initial route identification for improvements to A303
- 1986 – Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites World Heritage Site inscribed by UNESCO
