Email sent 7 November 2025 to The Secretary of State for Transport - Heidi Alexander MP and The Under-Secretary of State for Transport (roads) - Simon Lightwood MP :

Local Communities urge the Government “not" to revoke the A303 Amesbury to Berwick Down Stonehenge Development Consent Order

Following the scrapping of the A303 Stonehenge road scheme by the Government last year citing the lack of finances, your proposal to revoke planning consent is completely baffling and short sighted.

Why waste the money already spent on the scheme - a hefty £179.2m of taxpayer’s money? Revoking the scheme in its entirety is like throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Revoking the DCO would be disregarding years of extremely valuable planning, consultations, research and investment, which could still be used. Whilst we understand the current financial constraints of spending £2 Billion to cover the A303 road scheme from Amesbury to Berwick Down, including the Stonehenge tunnel, there is an important discussion to be had that all the hard-earned work could be used to deliver other road solutions; for instance, a much needed Winterbourne Stoke bypass which is part of this DCO.

You emphasise that Labour is committed to, and we quote: “Investing in projects that deliver for the taxpayer and drive growth, which is why we are investing nearly £5 Billion in this year alone on our Strategic Road Network to support its maintenance, enhancement, and ensure smoother journeys”. As the MP for Swindon South in Wiltshire, you would be well aware of the congestion generated on the A303 around Stonehenge and beyond which significantly impacts not only the local communities but also hundreds of transport companies - both British and European - that use the road to transport goods. Likewise, tourists wishing to visit Stonehenge are held up and then abandon visiting this important historic World Heritage Site. During school holiday periods, drivers are constantly delayed for hours. None of this can be said to match your ‘enhancement and ensure smoother journeys’ mantra.

During this year alone, there has been a surge in the number of times - frequently more than once a week - that this section of A303 has been closed due to serious road incidents. This has an enormous knock-on affect, which is further impacted by the noticeable increase in the number of vehicles now using the A303. The recent collision on Sunday 2nd November is a typical example, which resulted not only in the road being closed for hours; it also involved an extended closure overnight. As is often the case, our inappropriate narrow B roads through towns and villages are used as diversions.

We urgently need a road solution to improve what is one of the key transport corridors in England. Therefore, we fail to understand the Government’s motives in proposing to revoke the DCO. The benefits of keeping the DCO as a valuable Government asset are immeasurable. Retaining the consent would also save considerable taxpayers money for any future road infrastructures along this stretch of the A303.

We urge the Government not to revoke the DCO. Common sense must prevail.

Yours sincerely

Carolyn MacDougall

Berwick St James A303 Steering Committee

Wiltshire SP3 4TL