Stonehenge campaigners win right to challenge judicial review

The scheme involves overhauling eight miles of the major road from London to South West England

Campaigners who oppose a road tunnel near Stonehenge have won the right to challenge the outcome of a judicial review, which allowed the scheme to go ahead.

Save Stonehenge World Heritage Site (SSWHS), who oppose the government's £2bn two-mile tunnel on the A303, lost its most recent legal battle in February.

However, it has now been granted permission to appeal the decision and another hearing will take place.

Preparatory work by government-owned National Highways, had expected to begin on Salisbury Plain this month, but will now be delayed while legal arguments continue.

Work on the tunnel itself was expected to begin in early 2025, with more than one hundred archaeologists already hired, and waiting to begin digging at the sites of the tunnel portals.

National Highways said the scheme will reduce traffic on the A303 near to Stonehenge

How did we get here?

Planning permission for the scheme, which Highways England said will reduce traffic and cut journey times on the key route, was first approved in November 2020, despite Planning Inspectorate officials saying it would cause "permanent, irreversible harm" to the area.

The decision was later quashed by the High Court in 2021 after campaigns by locals.

The scheme, which is backed by Wiltshire Council and involves overhauling eight miles of the major road from London to South West England, was again given the green light by the Department for Transport in July 2023 but was put on hold after another High Court challenge by campaigners in December.

They had argued the legal process followed by the government was wrong.

However, a judicial review dismissed their challenge in February and said the Department for Transport had followed the correct process.

The outcome of the judicial review was believed to be incorrect by campaigners, and after appealing the decision, have now been granted approval to challenge it.

'Fight continues'

Chris Todd, director of Save Stonehenge World Heritage Site, said: "The fight continues. The case is still live and the government is still in the dock."

He said that if the new hearing is successful, the Development Consent Order to build the tunnel would have to be rejected.

National Highways project director David Bullock said: "We are hugely disappointed by this decision, which will cause more delays to the scheme as the next stage of the legal process unfolds."

Mr Bullock added: "We still believe our project is the best solution to the ongoing issues along the A303 past Stonehenge."

John Adams, chair of the Stonehenge Alliance and one of the three directors of SSWHS, said it was "extremely good news" and "all those who care passionately about our cultural heritage can breathe a sigh of relief."

SSWHS has to now raise a further £34,000 for the Appeal Court hearing.