The contentious plan to build a tunnel beneath the Stonehenge World Heritage Site has been formally abandoned, with over £179 million spent on the ill-fated project. The Department for Transport (DfT) revoked the development consent order (DCO) on Wednesday, citing “exceptional circumstances” and a lack of alignment with current strategic policy.
First proposed in 1994, the tunnel was intended to ease traffic congestion on the A303, but faced decades of opposition from heritage groups and environmentalists. The Labour government paused the scheme in 2024 after projected costs soared to £1.4 billion, and has now confirmed its cancellation.
Mike Birkin, acting chair of the Stonehenge Alliance, welcomed the decision, calling the original approval “perverse” given the potential damage to the Neolithic landscape. He urged the government to redirect funds to improve public transport in the area.
However, local officials expressed dismay. Wiltshire councillor Martin Smith described the scrapping as “a huge blow” for the region, noting the lack of a viable alternative to tackle congestion and rat-running through villages.
The DfT stated that revoking the order would remove planning blight from the land and allow alternative infrastructure proposals to emerge that better reflect current needs. Any future revival of the scheme would require starting the planning process from scratch.
