So you want to wreck your country’s premier World Heritage landscape with massive new dual carriageways in cuttings? How do you get the locals to enthuse?
Well, you do something you could have done for the past many years but mysteriously you didn’t do until now. You concoct and publish an embarrassingly inappropriate peak-time traffic relief route directing all the A303 traffic straight through a small local community and you announce it in an apparently innocent, chirpy fashion: “Stuck in traffic on the A303 Stonehenge? Our planned upgrades will ease congestion, making journeys faster and more reliable”….
Admittedly it’s 50% further and saves only 8 minutes but that’s not the point. It’s so disruptive it will ensure local support for the short tunnel is solid, and that IS the point, who could seriously deny it?
“Nah, it’s not that at all” – a paid Spokesman.
The Heritage Journal 
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19/12/2016 at 15:42
Simon Howell
I can’not see what exactly it has to do with Highways England;? A World Heitage Site is strictly protected and would surely come up with a blanket ban on such a project from National Trust and English Heritage.A short term committee of non-elected persons on a Highways planning panel would be held for ever in total disgrace, as would any officers of the other two mentioned bodies. Nothing can disturb a unique World Heritage Site, not even the National Trust( they are only a National body) to whom is given, if the name means anything a Trust to protect what belongs to that nation, and English Heritage, now so shamed should not be considered. Heritage implies inheritance and English Heritage must look after what it has inherited. A short term cost cutting plan needs professional advice on the meanings of a totally unique site. There are future generations as well as those wishing to see and explore further.Many visitors from abroad. One hurried and short term decision can not be permitted to lose for ever a part of what the Nation and the world holds as unique. Let those who are going to have a vote on the final outcome of the future of the site come forward and openly give their assurance that nothing will diturb the site. If they do not come forward we may safely assume there is some secret plan behind closed doors. Future generations will look at the decision if not in favour of total protection and demand “but who could possibly have allowed this vandalism?’ The answer will be;, the names of those who took the decision, ignoring and ignorant of their duty to the mation.
19/12/2016 at 17:03
heritageaction
Simon,
Agreed.
But put Yowling Moggy into our search box and visit http://stonehengealliance.org.uk/ and https://www.facebook.com/stonehengealliance/ !
19/12/2016 at 18:36
Edwin Deady
Tghat diversion is insane. Have they actually driven through Larkhill? I am sure the Bulford and Larkhill military people would be delighted at this. There is a problem of traffic going up through Shrewton and dropping south the use Salisbury has its own problems. A Southern bypass to drain through traffic and ease Salisbury congestion seems ideal.