Representation by Ian Mitchell
- Date submitted
- 8 January 2019
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
A303 Stonehenge Amesbury to Berwick Down
The Issues – Travel versus Amenity, Values and Assumptions
Stonehenge is unique. It is the highlight of the World Heritage Site (WHS). The A303 runs through this landscape. The fundamental issue is the clash between the ability to travel to and from the South West and the amenity of the areas the traffic moves through. There are stakeholders with divergent points of view giving different weights to travel and their amenity.
The earlier Technical Appraisal excluded the Southern Surface route (F010). I believe that this should have been retained as an option. The Short Tunnel has adverse impacts on the amenity of the WHS and Amesbury. Its advantages may depend on an assumption on environmental impact from fossil fuels and so be overstated.
Amenity of World Heritage Site
I am concerned that the process has selected the short tunnel as the solution despite the damage to the amenity of the World Heritage Site overall. The canyon to be cut into the West of the World Heritage Site is a further form of damage.
Amenity of Amesbury – Blick Mead
I am concerned at the uncertainty on the Tunnel’s effects on the archaeology at Blick mead and the expected impacts of the flyover on the amenity of this area of Amesbury.
The Technical Appraisal Report page 265 18.3.52 noted that “one of the construction methodologies may require dewatering of the chalk aquifer. Current assessment shows that a number of water environment features are within the potential area of influence of the scheme including local groundwater dependent biodiversity in the River Till and river Avon flood risk and cultural assets such as Blickmead Spring. De-risking work is being undertaken to fully evaluate the extent and magnitude of these construction effects and this may influence the assessment score.” The reported destruction of a trench at Blick Mead by a new borehole shows the direct adverse effect of construction. The indirect effects should also be considered.
Comparing Options
The overall summary (22.1.7 page 285) notes that “if the value of removing the A303 from the vicinity of Stonehenge is included in the assessment a positive economic case can be made for each of the options [D061, D062 and F010 – tunnel options and the Southern surface route].” Page 209 Table 11-9 shows the Southern Surface route could have the highest Benefit Cost Ratio BCR of 1.7 where the highest values for the tunnel options were 1.5 and 1.6.
Page 213 11.11.4 states “The final judgement of value for money for the A303 Amesbury to Berwick Down must consider the impacts on the World Heritage Site and the wider non-monetised landscape and environmental impacts.”
These impacts are not normally so important to appraisals but they are absolutely fundamental to this decision.
Underpinning Assumption for Impact from Roads
I am concerned that the appraisal of the Southern Surface Route may depend on the assumption of petrol and diesel engines being used through many more decades than is now planned.