Representation by Molly Scott Cato MEP (Molly Scott Cato MEP)
- Date submitted
- 11 January 2019
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I am responding on behalf of my constituents in South West England and many others who are deeply concerned about the A303 Stonehenge proposal and the Government’s general transport strategy which has produced this proposal.
I do not believe that it is credible to comment upon the proposed scheme in isolation from the Government’s overarching transport policies. Therefore the following brief summary outlines what I believe is a strong case against the proposal, set in context.
• UNESCO, the international body charged with overseeing globally significant cultural sites, opposes these developments and has urged Highways England to explore further options.
• There will be inevitable damage to the archaeological heritage and value of this globally acclaimed World Heritage Site, in particular to Blick Mead Mesolithic site and its setting.
• While the proximity of the current road to the sacred site is far from ideal, the proposed solution appears to be predominantly a road-widening scheme designed to increase road capacity and reduce road travel times to and from London.
• There is ample evidence that merely increasing road capacity in the UK under current policies increases traffic volumes further – the phenomenon of induced demand. These proposals will induce more traffic and barely affect transport times in reality.
• The huge cost of this project should instead be used to upgrade the existing railway lines – as previously promised by the Government – and to invest in public transport in general in the area.
• Transport is now the leading contributor to the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions (over 25%). This scheme will increase such emissions in contradiction of UK law requiring the Government to cut greenhouse gas emissions. We should at the very least upgrade the railway line between Salisbury and Exeter – which is still single track for much of its length – and improve local and regional bus services instead.
• Transport is also a major contributor to air pollution; the UK Courts recently ruled for the third time that the Government needs to take immediate action to reduce air pollution.
• There are many interventions the Government could take today to facilitate a rapid shift away from ever-increasing private transport towards public transport and solutions that benefit the common good including the health of our wider environment. These include restoring the fuel tax levy, disincentivising private transport, prioritising local economies producing for local markets. There is also an opportunity to shift large amounts of freight transport from roads onto rail.
For these reasons I ask that you reject this scheme. I am more than happy to meet with you to discuss these issues in more detail if required.
Yours faithfully,
Molly Scott Cato MEP