Stonehenge Tunnel campaigners say fight isn't over

Councillor Paul McKernan believes a tunnel is the only way forward

One year on from the scrapping of the Stonehenge tunnel, campaigners say the fight is not over.

The two-mile (3.2km) scheme along the A303 in Wiltshire had been agreed by the previous Conservative government but was scrapped by Labour after a spending review.

Some people living in nearby villages like Shrewton said they considered selling their homes due to rising traffic levels caused by motorists avoiding congestion on the A303.

A spokesperson for the Department for Transport said it recognised the importance of the A303 and added a new Road Safety Strategy is being developed.

A year on from the decision, parish councillor Paul McKernan said he was disappointed the project had not gone ahead.

"We were within weeks of delivering on a 40-year gestation period for the project.

"To this day, people around here cannot believe it. How can they simply throw all that effort away."

He expressed concern for the summer period, believing up to 12,000 vehicles could use village roads every day to avoid A303 queues.

Planning for the tunnel first began in 1995

A high volume of traffic on small village roads has sparked safety concerns for those who live and work there.

One property in Shrewton had its fence knocked down by a motorist passing through the village.

The homeowner said it was caused by a driver coming around an S-bend too fast and mounting the pavement before "taking out the bus stop and the fence".

One homeowner's fence was damaged by a car

"Somebody is going to get badly hurt here, somebody is going to get killed," said Colin Nufer, who runs the Plume of Feathers pub in High Street.

He added: "The feeling of the general populace who come in here is that the tunnel needs to come back, it needs to start again and the hope is there."

But the proposed tunnel was divisive, with those against it raising concerns it would damage the World Heritage Site.

Stonehenge Alliance has been campaigning against the tunnel for the past 30 years.

Kate Freeman from the group said the site should be untouchable.

Campaigner Kate Freeman said the site's heritage should be the top priority

She said: "It's truly shocking that a great big gash could have been cut straight through the landscape."

She said it was "very disappointing" that the scheme was scrapped due to financial concerns, rather than fears about how it would affect the World Heritage Site.

"We realise that we still have a mountain to climb," she added.

As for alternatives, Mrs Freeman said: "Unesco has already proposed there should be another route further south that should be investigated. Also the villages need strong traffic management. We can't carry on this way."