Back to list A303 Stonehenge

Representation by The Turner Family (The Turner Family)

Date submitted
11 January 2019
Submitted by
Members of the public/businesses

The Turner Family Manor Farm, Winterbourne Stoke.

DCO Registration of Interested Parties.

We wish to make full written and oral representations on many aspects of the scheme (an outline of the representations we shall be making are given below). We do need to reserve the right to raise additional detailed submissions and representations – not least because many scheme design details and mitigations have not be fully proposed or explained by the acquiring authority.

The National Farmers Union will also be making representations on our behalf in respect of specialist points.

Please note that reference to features such as ‘Settlement Pond 1’ relates to annotations to plans accompanying our consultation response dated 19 April 2018. Comment Request / Requirement

Land take is excessive • Unjustified land take (including; compound areas, boundary fence alignments, settlement ponds). • As Settlement Pond 1 has been removed from the scheme the redline in the vicinity of Foredown House can be relocated closer to the proposed route alignment.

Severance & Business • The proposals severs our main farm steading and buildings from the land. Full and unimpeded access must be maintained for farm traffic during and after construction. • Severance of the calving operation at Foredown House from the main holding cannot be effectively mitigated within the scheme design so the relocation of farm infrastructure / farmsteading is required. • An events venue business is operated from the farm that will have trade severely affected by the scheme. Mitigations are required.
• Access between Kighton Track, the A360 and tenanted fields on the WHS must always be maintained. Current staggered gate proposal inadequate.

Water Abstraction • Manor Farm is reliant on borehole water abstraction. • There is a significant risk, as a result of the scheme of contamination and interruption of groundwater flow to the farm’s 5 points of abstraction points. • The farm’s internal water pipes traverse the proposed compound areas (for gravity feed purposes) so an alternative secure mains supply is required. • The farm cannot in any circumstances be left without water, a suitable and sufficient alternative mains supply needs to be contractually provided by the acquiring authority (with enduring legal rights for use by the farm). This alternative supply needs to be taken to Kighton Buildings. • We will request that the Inspector orders a binding Water Supply obligation upon the acquiring authority.

B3083 • Absolute provision (legal and practical) must be made for full and unimpeded access between the B3083 to Land and property in Manor Farm’s ownership to the east of the road. Classification of access should be private right of way only. Settlement Ponds • Settlement ponds remain unsuitably shaped and located. No evidence has been given to justify the size, shape and positioning necessities of these features. • Access to Settlement Pond 3 should be routed from the east alongside A303 and not via a separate track. • The positioning of Settlement Pond 5, creates wasteful and unnecessary land take and sterilisation. Justification of proposal has not been evidenced.
• Clarification and reassurance is required as to how these ponds will be maintained and how leaching will be prevented. Public Rights of Way • Proposals to add to and widen the existing network of public rights of way in the area should (unless directly affected by proposed engineering works) be heard and evaluated on their merits through normal rights of way protocols and not attached to central governmental infrastructure schemes. • We specifically object to the creation and alignment of a public right of way from Winterbourne Stoke to Longbarrow. • All rights of way along this route should be located on the southern side of the highway – This would improve road safety and user experience. This route can also be incorporated into the width of the existing road and verge (saving unnecessary land take). • Byway WST06B should be downgraded as part of the proposals to improve the quality of the public rights of way network and support the peacefulness of the greater WHS landscape. • The designation and routing of rights of way to and the former A303 and A350 are unsound and will lead to unlawful use (for example the existing layby near Scotland Lodge will not be removed and be vulnerable for illegal camping, flytipping etc). • We are concerned that inadequate provisions are being made to prevent unlawful activities on public rights of way (including hare coursing and camping).

River Till Viaduct • Screens to reduce noise pollution should be fitted to both sides of the viaduct and should be non-reflective and a neutral colour.
• The road must be surfaced in material designed to minimise noise. • The eastern bridgehead and earthworks from which the viaduct will project, should be reduced for flood and alluvial purposes. • Additional planting is required to the earth bank on the north side of the eastern bridgehead. • There is no need to plant a hedge alongside the Byway underneath the Viaduct (how will it grow under the shade of the viaduct and who will maintain those parts that do establish). It would be unjust for Manor Farm to have to meet this cost.

Human Health and Injurious Affection • The issues of dust, noise, vibration and light pollution have been insufficiently risk addressed. • Additional specific mitigations are necessary and should be included in the scheme to better protect homes and businesses in the closest proximity. This should include additional ground works (e.g. protective bunds) and further tree and hedge planting. • There should be a prohibition against night work. Animal Health • The proposals have significant potential to distress through noise and disturbance animals grazing or being housed in proximity to the work. This has not been insufficiently recognised and mitigated.

Adequacy of consultation • It is the acquiring authority’s intent to carry forward the detail of many critical mitigations so that the provisions are at the discretion of the ‘Design and Build Contractors’. W request that the Inspector insist that design, treatment and mitigation statements are contractually agreed and included within the DCO. These statements should include: o Soil and substrata protection, management and aftercare o Site compounds (limitation of use and reinstatement) o Fencing specifications o Field and road Drainage o Public Rights of Way and private points of access • No topographical information has been provided to show the extent of earthworks (the before vs the after). • The limited detail on mitigation provisions have made it impossible to comment in full in all aspects of the scheme.
• Meaningful negotiation has not been undertaken due to lack of information.

Village streetscape(Winterbourne Stoke) • The realignment of the road provides an opportunity to declutter the existing A303 route by removing street lamps, speed camera, reduction in size of layby and junction with B3083. This opportunity has been ignored.