Progress report

We've submitted our application for development consent for the scheme to the Planning Inspectorate. The application will appear on the Planning Inspectorate’s website.

Non-statutory consultation on the scheme took place between 12 January and 5 March 2017, followed by statutory consultation between 8 February and 23 April 2018, and supplementary consultation between 17 July and 14 August 2018.

We'd like to thank all who have participated. The responses have played a major part in shaping the scheme submitted for development consent.

What’s next

The A303 improvement past Stonehenge is classified as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) and will be considered under the Planning Act 2008. Under the Act, applicants apply for a Development Consent Order (DCO) from the Secretary of State for Transport.

We submitted the DCO application to the Planning Inspectorate on 18 October 2018. The Inspectorate will decide whether to accept the application within 28 days of submission. Following acceptance, the Inspectorate will undertake a detailed examination of the application, in which stakeholders and the public can participate, before making a recommendation to the Secretary of State.

More details can be found on the Planning Inspectorate’s website.

Timeline

Community news

We've established a Local Community Forum and appointed an independent chair as leader.

Why we need this scheme

As part of the most direct route between the South East and the South West, the A303 past Stonehenge plays a big part in the daily lives of tens of thousands of people, and for many it can be a daily struggle.

Average traffic flows along the single carriageway section between Amesbury and Berwick Down are twice what it was designed for, and the road is even busier in the summer tourist period.

The road bisects the Stonehenge part of the Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites World Heritage Site, running just 165 metres away from the most famous stone circle in the world. The road also cuts the village of Winterbourne Stoke in two.

An improved dual-carriageway, via a tunnel past Stonehenge, will help unlock economic growth in the South West by transforming journey reliability, increasing safety and improving connectivity with neighbouring regions, while protecting or enhancing the environment.

To make sure we achieve this, the project has four key objectives:

• Transport: to create a high quality reliable route between the South East and the South West that meets the future needs of traffic.
• Economic growth: to enable growth in jobs and housing by providing a free-flowing and reliable connection between the South East and the South West.
• Cultural heritage: to help conserve and sustain the World Heritage Site and to make it easier to reach and explore.
• Environment and community: to improve biodiversity and provide a positive legacy for nearby communities.

Roadworks and Events for England

The latest incident information for England's motorway and trunk routes provided by Highways England