https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiCmjtUpHIM
The transport secretary, Mark Harper, has grants the development consent order to build ta 2-mile tunnel and road widening near the ancient site. The project aims to solve the traffic jams on A303 highway.
This is the second time the project is being approved. The High Court had overturned the first approval (of 2020) out of concerns for the possible damages to the Stonehenge archeological site. The current transport secretary approves it with minor changes in a 64 pages-long report published at government site.
The report concludes; ` In the Secretary of State’s judgment any harm to heritage assets, including the OUV, is less than substantial and this harm (whilst carrying great weight), along with the other harms identified, are outweighed by the benefits of the Proposed Development.'
The plans were first approved in 2020 but were later overturned in 2021 after a campaign.
cover tunnel photo by: Matt Brown from London, England / CC BY
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https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/wp-content/ipc/uploads/projects/TR010025/TR010025-004262-230713%20A303%20Stonehenge%20SoS%20Decision%20Letter.pdf