The controversial plan to build a tunnel under the Stonehenge World Heritage Site has been officially cancelled, the Department for Transport (DfT) announced on Wednesday. The project, first proposed in 1994, faced decades of opposition from campaigners concerned about damage to the ancient landscape.
The DfT revoked the development consent order (DCO) for the tunnel, two junctions and a northern bypass, citing “exceptional circumstances”. The decision means any future revival of the scheme would require a fresh planning application from scratch.
The plans were approved in 2023 but put on hold by the Labour government in 2024 after projected costs rose to £1.7 billion. Already, £179.2 million has been spent on the project, including planning expenses. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the scheme “no longer aligns with current strategic policy objectives”.
Mike Birkin, acting chair of the Stonehenge Alliance, welcomed the cancellation, calling the original approval “perverse” given the potential damage to the prehistoric landscape. He urged the government to redirect saved funds to public transport in the area.
However, Wiltshire councillor Martin Smith described the decision as “a huge blow for Wiltshire”, noting the lack of a viable alternative to reduce congestion and prevent rat-running through villages. The DfT said the revocation would remove “planning blight” and allow alternative proposals to come forward.
