A303 Meetings - 25th/27th Feb '17

Guide Centre – 25th Feb ‘17

1. Welcome to Berwick, Stapleford & Winterbourne Stoke & others from neighbouring villages
2. Alistair Sommerlad – Chair of Stonehenge & Avery WHS Partnership
3. Format – Myself to give quick summary of background to the bypass.  Julian Glyn-Owen to follow with what we know /don’t know, what we have done/ still to do.  At the end will invite Alistair Sommerlad to join us at the front to answer any questions .  Afterwards those still requiring assistance to fill in forms, classroom next door
4. Two lines of approach
   1. Individual responses through the questionnaires citing concerns
   2. Group response supported by professional reports privately commissioned.  Both in by 5th March
5. Show of Hands
   1. How many came to one of the last two meetings we have held in the Reading Room
   2. Who didn’t manage to get to one of the public consultations
   3. Who has completed their questionnaire
6. World Heritage Site   -   Heritage Community
   1. National Trust
   2. Natural England
   3. English Heritage
   4. Wiltshire Council
7. Original Mandate to keep A303 out of sight of Stonehenge.  Tunnel & Route essentially configured to comply (max length =2.8km). Tunnel then moved east so that eastern portal was east of The Avenue.

Creates problems for Western Portal

Since then Heritage Community trying to move goalposts by insisting that A303 should not be visible from WHS, and certainly not from Visitors Centre  Tunnel not regarded as long enough.  Want it to be at least 4.7 km to move the exit out of WHS.  Extra cost prohibitive (Total £2 billion).  At present not an option.  “Blatant Vandalism / Permanent Disaster words from some very influential archaeologists.

Position of Western Portal will have a marked effect on where W-S Bypass goes

Height of embankment; 

1.          2% slope desirable not mandatory
2.          Spoil may be able to be put elsewhere
3.          Position of 360/303 interchange not fixed

The fund raising has been extremely successful and we want to thank Druids Estate and every home owner and tenant from Berwick St. James, Winterbourne Stoke and Stapleford who has contributed so generously. Even if the Northern Route is chosen in August, we propose that any remaining funds are kept, to support the additional actions of the Southern Till Valley community, to mitigate the impact of the Northern Route on the Till Valley ecology and landscape.