Alliance against road building

 

PRESS RELEASE – 20th July 2005

STONEHENGE - SCRAP ROAD BUILDING

Road Block today welcomed the rejection of the road tunnel at Stonehenge, but urged the government to stop 'fence-sitting' and scrap all plans for road building in the World Heritage Site around Stonehenge. The tunnel has only been put under review on cost grounds, but the Inspector and the government accept that a road should be built. This demonstrates the government remains committed to destructive road building, only it doesn't have the money to pay for it. The government today announced a review of the options, as the costs of the tunnel scheme had escalated to £470 million (1).


Rebecca Lush of Road Block said:

"This scheme should be rejected as it would increase traffic, and devastate the Stonehenge World Heritage Site, not simply because it costs too much. This shows the government is more concerned with money, than tackling traffic growth and CO2 emissions, and environmental protection. Any new road scheme would encourage more traffic into the South West, an area characterised by its beauty and tranquillity. All road building plans on the A303 should be scrapped".

"There are now over 200 planned road schemes that the government should be scrapping. Road building generates more traffic, when every effort should be made to halt the climate change impact of road transport, and protect the environment. The government still sees road building as a 'solution' to traffic problems, despite all the evidence that it only generates more traffic, and diverts cash away from the sustainable alternatives"

Almost every road scheme sees massive cost escalation (2).

Notes to Editors:

(1) The DfT press release can be seen here http://www.dft.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2005_0081

(2) Road schemes almost always see huge cost increases after being approved. Sometimes by as much as 170%. See http://transport2000.org.uk/news/maintainNewsArticles.asp?NewsArticleID=175