National Trust members to vote on A303 tunnel near Stonehenge

Plans were approved for a £1.7bn tunnel near Stonehenge in 2020

National Trust members are set to vote on whether they support plans for a new tunnel near Stonehenge.

Former Transport Secretary Grant Shapps approved the proposed £1.7bn two-mile (3.2km) tunnel for the A303 in 2020.

The Wiltshire road is well-used by drivers travelling through the west of England and the project hopes to ease traffic issues.

Campaigners have called the planned tunnel, which would be on National Trust land, an "international scandal".

Dr Kate Felden is a member of the National Trust (NT) and also the Stonehenge Alliance, which opposes the scheme.

She said: "The NT is not obliged to take any notice of the final vote by its members at an annual general meeting.

"Although, I think it probably would take some notice and maybe would reconsider its approach to the scheme."

Swindon-based National Trust members will debate the planned tunnel

However, organisations such as the Stonehenge Traffic Action Group are campaigning for the tunnel as a solution to traffic issues in nearby villages like Shrewton.

Janice Hassett supports the tunnel and says crossing nearby roads is unsafe due to the volume of vehicles.

"I've taken to actually putting my hand up to stop the traffic if I want to cross the road," she said.

Back in 2020, the Planning Inspectorate had recommended Transport Secretary Grant Shapps withhold consent for the project, warning it would cause "permanent, irreversible harm" to the World Heritage site.

But the Department for Transport wrote to Highways England stating: "The Secretary of State is satisfied that, on balance, the need case for the development together with the other benefits identified outweigh any harm."

Swindon-based NT members will debate the tunnel plans over the weekend.