A360 closed south of A303 for major works. April to July 2024.  © Stonehenge Alliance

The Stonehenge Alliance is condemning National Highways for starting work on installing power cables and closing the A360 [1], ahead of the start of road building works on the A303 at Stonehenge [2].

Given that the approval of the scheme is still being challenged in the courts, the Stonehenge Alliance believes this work is premature and unnecessary. In addition, it risks wasting public money if the legal challenge is successful and its Development Consent Order quashed.

This appears to be the position of local landowners as well.  National Highways has claimed that with their cooperation the road closure could have been avoided [3]. But they wanted to await the conclusion of the legal process before agreeing to allow these works on their land.

Much like the road works by National Highways on the M25 at J10 Wisley interchange, these are likely to be hugely disruptive for the local community and its economy, particularly tourism. The Salisbury Chamber of Commerce has called for the works to be suspended [4]. The Stonehenge Alliance believes that it is exactly this sort of behaviour that the Office for Rail and Road (ORR) should be examining in their current investigation of National Highways [5].

John Adams, chair of the Stonehenge Alliance, and one of the three directors of SSWHS [6], said:

“This work by National Highways ahead of any decision by the courts is premature and risks wasting even more public money in a hugely controversial scheme. Its arrogance seems to know no bounds.  It is hell bent on jumping the gun, regardless of the misery it will cause local residents.

“If the courts find something wrong with the decision-making then National Highways will have wasted millions of pounds of public money for no reason. It’s time that they were reined in and I hope that the ORR will take a long hard look at what is going on.”

NOTES AND REFERENCES: 

1. Scottish and Southern Electric Networks 9SSEN will be installing high voltage and fibre optic cabling along the route from 2 April 2024.

2. NH’s reasons for the work starting on 2^nd April 2024 

3. Article from Salisbury Journal on 29 February, 2024, where this was stated.

4. The Salisbury Chamber of Commerce has called for the road closure to be suspended

5. The Office for Rail and Road announced the investigation into National Highways on 14 February, 2024

6. Save Stonehenge World Heritage Site (SSWHS) is the organisation seeking permission to appeal the judgement on the latest Government approval of the A303 Stonehenge Development Consent Order.

IN THE NEWS:

• Construction News – 8 April, 2024, National Highways starts enabling works for Stonehenge tunnel – Critics are questioning National Highways’ decision to start enabling works for the £2.5bn Stonehenge tunnel project while legal challenges remain unresolved.
• Salisbury Journal – 5 April, 2024 A360 closure ‘premature and could waste more public money’
• Highways Magazine – 9 April, 2024, National Highways presses on with A303 works
• Salisbury Journal – 12 April, 2024, A “SAT nav-induced plague” caused by the closure of the A360 has been wreaking havoc in a village just outside Salisbury.
• Amesbury Police on Facebook  – 9 April, Traffic through Berwick St James to be monitored for lorries