Date set for latest A303 Stonehenge tunnel appeal

The challenge will go before the High Court in a matter of weeks

Author: Faye TryhornPublished 2nd Jul 2024

A date's been set for a new appeal against the A303 Stonehenge tunnel to be heard in the High Court.

Campaigners against the £3 billion scheme want to see it scrapped on environmental grounds, and the 'fairness' of the decision making process.

Their case will go before a judge from July 15th - with the hearing rushed through ahead of the summer recess.

The Save Stonehenge group were given permission in May |newtab) for their latest challenge to go before a judge.

The two mile tunnel, plus further upgrades for the route - such as a flyover for Amesbury's Countess roundabout, and a bypass for Winterbourne Stoke - have been opposed by around 238,000 who've signed a petition against the scheme.

UNESCO has also warned that the area could lose its World Heritage Site status. |newtab)

But there's also a race against time for campaigners, who've been crowdfunding to pay their legal fees throughout the process.

They've suggested they're around £20,000 short of their target, and need to raise it by the time the appeal is heard.

In a statement released when the appeal was given permission, A303 Stonehenge Project Director for National Highways, David Bullock, said:

ā€œWe are hugely disappointed by this decision, which will cause more delays to this scheme as the next stage of the legal process unfolds.

ā€œHowever we will participate fully in any future legal proceedings to continue to present the case for the scheme, working closely with the Department for Transport.ā€

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