A303 PI Inspector's Report
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Report to the First Secretary of The Planning State and the Secretary of State for Inspectorate 4/09 Kite Wing Transport Temple Quay House 2 The Square Temple Quay By Michael Ellison MA (Oxon) Bristol BS1 6PN 0117 372 6372 An Inspector appointed by the First Secretary Date: 31 January of State and the Secretary of State for 2005 Transport Assisted by Clive Cochrane Dip Arch, Reg Arch, MSc, MRTPI HIGHWAYS ACT 1980 ACQUISITION OF LAND ACT 1981 ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 THE A303 TRUNK ROAD (STONEHENGE IMPROVEMENT) ORDER 200 THE A303 TRUNK ROAD (STONEHENGE IMPROVEMENT) SLIP ROADS ORDER 200 THE A303 TRUNK ROAD (STONEHENGE IMPROVEMENT) (DETRUNKING) ORDER 200 THE A303 TRUNK ROAD (STONEHENGE IMPROVEMENT) SIDE ROADS ORDER 200 THE A303 TRUNK ROAD (STONEHENGE IMPROVEMENT) COMPULSORY PURCHASE ORDER (NO. ) 200 THE A303 TRUNK ROAD STONEHENGE IMPROVEMENT (COUNTESS ROUNDABOUT TO LONGBARROW CROSSROADS) (PROHIBITION OF CERTAIN CLASSES OF TRAFFIC AND PEDESTRIANS) ORDER 200 AND THE A303 TRUNK ROAD STONEHENGE IMPROVEMENT (STONEHENGE BYWAY) (PROHIBITION OF MOTOR VEHICLES) ORDER 200 Dates of Inquiry: 17 February 2004 to 11 May 2004 Ref: HA61/4/3 REPORT TO THE FIRST SECRETARY OF STATE AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR TRANSPORT FILE REF: HA61/4/3 CONTENTS Section Subject Page Number Case Details 1 1 Introduction 3 2 Description of the site and its surroundings 7 3 Procedural Submission 12 4 The case of the Highways Agency 14 Background and history of the scheme 14 The need for the scheme 17 Traffic forecasts 20 The scheme proposals 21 Design standards 26 The environmental impact of the scheme 29 Impact of the scheme on travellers 44 Community impact 44 Policy context 44 Economic assessment 46 The Compulsory Purchase Order 47 Modifications requested to the Orders as 47 drafted 5 The cases of the supporters of the scheme 48 (including interested parties) English Heritage 48 Wiltshire County Council 58 Winterbourne Stoke Parish Council 60 Councillor I West 61 Councillor C Mills 62 Mr H N Colthurst 62 The (International) Pagan Pride Project – 63 UK Division and TechnoPagans Unlimited Department for Culture Media and Sport 64 (written submission) Other written submissions in support of 68 the published scheme 6 The cases of the objectors to the scheme 70 (including interested parties) The National Trust 70 The response of the Highways Agency to 83 the objection of the National Trust ICOMOS - UK 89 The response of the Highways Agency to 95 the objection of ICOMOS - UK The Prehistoric Society 100 i REPORT TO THE FIRST SECRETARY OF STATE AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR TRANSPORT FILE REF: HA61/4/3 The response of the Highways Agency to 105 the objection of the Prehistoric Society Council for British Archaeology 107 The response of the Highways Agency to 114 the objection of the Council for British Archaeology Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural 117 History Society The response of the Highways Agency to 121 the objection of the Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society Stonehenge Alliance 123 The response of the Highways Agency to 136 the objection of the Stonehenge Alliance Friends of the Earth (Wiltshire) 148 The response of the Highways Agency to 151 the objection of Friends of the Earth (Wiltshire) Salisbury Green Party 152 The response of the Highways Agency to 155 the objection of the Salisbury Green Party The Association of Council Taxpayers, 159 South Wiltshire The response of the Highways Agency to 160 the objection of the Association of Council Taxpayers, South Wiltshire Dr C Gillham 162 The response of the Highways Agency to 166 the objection of Dr C Gillham Mr R Harvey 168 The response of the Highways Agency to 169 the objection of Mr R Harvey Mr T Mayer 169 The response of the Highways Agency to 170 the objection of Mr T Mayer Mr P Corp 170 The response of the Highways Agency to 171 the objection of Mr P Corp Mr P Matthews 171 The response of the Highways Agency to 171 the objection of Mr P Matthews Dr J R Moon and Mrs J Moon 172 The response of the Highways Agency to 175 the objection of Dr J R Moon and Mrs J Moon East Amesbury Residents 177 The response of the Highways Agency to 179 the objection of East Amesbury Residents Countess Road Residents’ Group (CRRG) 180 The response of the Highways Agency to 182 ii REPORT TO THE FIRST SECRETARY OF STATE AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR TRANSPORT FILE REF: HA61/4/3 the objection of CRRG The Avebury Society 184 The response of the Highways Agency to 187 the objection of the Avebury Society The Amesbury Link Road Action Group 189 The response of the Highways Agency to 191 the objection of the Amesbury Link Road Action Group Mrs J Robertson 194 The response of the Highways Agency to 196 the objection of Mrs J Robertson Mr G V Cowmeadow 196 The response of the Highways Agency to 197 the objection of Mr G V Cowmeadow Amesbury Town Council 197 The response of the Highways Agency to 198 the objection of Amesbury Town Council Councillor A J Brown-Hovelt 199 The response of the Highways Agency to 200 the objection of Councillor A J Brown- Hovelt The Trail Riders Fellowship 200 The response of the Highways Agency to 202 the objection of the Trail Riders Fellowship The Byways and Bridleways Trust 202 The response of the Highways Agency to 204 the objection of the Byways and Bridleways Trust Mr R Wort 205 The response of the Highways Agency to 207 the objection of Mr R Wort Stapleford Parish Council 207 The response of the Highways Agency to 208 the objection of Stapleford Parish Council Written Objections 208 Objections to the Compulsory Purchase 213 Order Objections made to other specific Orders 217 7 The cases for the Alternative Routes proposed 218 Alternative Route 1 – The Amesbury 218 Society Alternative Route 2 – South and West 222 Transport Action Group Alternative Route 3 – Mrs M P 228 Stephenson Alternative Route 4 – The Association of 231 Council Tax Payers (South Wiltshire) Alternative Route 5 – The Salisbury 246 Green Party Alternative Route 7 – Mr H J Case 254 Alternative Route 8 – Dr J R Moon and 260 iii REPORT TO THE FIRST SECRETARY OF STATE AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR TRANSPORT FILE REF: HA61/4/3 Mrs J Moon Alternative Route 9 – Mrs J Robertson 262 Mr P Lawrence 266 Mr M and Mrs S Aubrey 270 Other alternatives put forward at the 276 inquiries Other alternatives put forward in writing 278 during the inquiries Other alternatives put forward in writing 279 as part of the objections to the Orders 8 The cases of those who made representations 280 The Druid Network and the British Druid 280 Order The response of the Highways Agency to 281 the representations of the Druid Network and the British Druid Order Mr J S S Stewart 282 The response of the Highways Agency to 284 the representations of Mr J S S Stewart Professor D Maddison 284 The response of the Highways Agency to 287 the representations of Professor Maddison Mr R Moykopf 287 Written representations 288 9 Overall response of the Highways Agency 295 10 Conclusions 300 Structure of conclusions 300 The argument for sensitivity testing of 300 the Highways Agency evidence on transport economics The tests for the making of the Orders 301 The policy context 302 Conclusions regarding the background 308 and history to the A303 Stonehenge scheme Conclusions regarding the need for an 309 A303 scheme at Stonehenge The scheme proposals 311 Conclusions regarding design standards 311 Conclusions regarding compliance of the 313 published scheme with relevant policy Conclusions regarding the impact of the 319 published scheme on the environment Conclusions on impact on travellers 333 Conclusions on community impact 334 Conclusions on economic assessment 334 Conclusions on other issues raised by 336 objectors Conclusions on Objections to the 348 iv REPORT TO THE FIRST SECRETARY OF STATE AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR TRANSPORT FILE REF: HA61/4/3 Compulsory Purchase Order Support for the published scheme 350 Balancing of arguments in favour of and 351 against the published scheme Conclusions on individual objections 357 Conclusions on Alternative Route 376 proposals Overall conclusions on Alternative Routes 394 Conclusion on the issue of cost in the 394 light of consideration of the Alternative Routes proposed Conclusions regarding other matters 395 raised Conclusion on the Line Order 397 Conclusion on the Slip Roads Order 398 Conclusion on the Detrunking Order 398 Conclusion on the Side Roads Order 398 Conclusion on the Compulsory Purchase 399 Order Conclusion on the Tunnel Regulation 400 Order Conclusion on the Byway Regulation 400 Order Environmental Statement 401 Conclusion regarding the request to delay 401 a decision pending the removal of the Stonehenge Visitor Centre 11 Recommendations 402 Appendix A – List of Appearances 404 Appendix B – List of Documents 409 Stonehenge Report - Abbreviations AADT Average annual daily traffic AAG Amesbury Link Road Action Group ACT Association of Council Taxpayers - South Wiltshire AONB Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty BBT Byways and Bridleways Trust CBA Council for British Archaeology CEMP Contractor’s Environmental Management Plan Ch Scheme chainages, denoting the distance in metres along the v REPORT TO THE FIRST SECRETARY OF STATE AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR TRANSPORT FILE REF: HA61/4/3 published scheme, with Ch 0 starting at Berwick Down CPRE Campaign to Protect Rural England CRRG Countess Road Residents’ Group CRTN Calculation of Road Traffic Noise cSAC Candidate Special Area of Conservation CSERGE Centre for Social and Economic Research on the Global Environment dB Decibels DCMS Department