Stonehenge

Lord Dobbs Excerpts

Thursday 23rd July 2020 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Lord Dobbs]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have for the proposed tunnel by-passing Stonehenge.

[Lord Dobbs (Con) [V]]

My Lords, I am very fortunate to be a local resident. We have had more than 20 years of dispute between stakeholders—

[Lord Ashton of Hyde (Con)]

The noble Lord should put the Question standing on the Order Paper.

[Lord Dobbs [V]]

I beg your pardon. I beg to put the Question standing in my name.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Transport (Baroness Vere of Norbiton) (Con) [V]]

My Lords, the development consent order, or DCO, application for a new two-lane dual carriageway for the A303 between Amesbury and Berwick Down is currently with the Secretary of State for determination. Last week, the Government announced a further extension of the decision deadline until 13 November 2020. This is to enable further consultation following a recent archaeological find.

[Lord Dobbs [V]]

My Lords, as I said, I am very fortunate to be a local resident. We have had more than 20 years of dispute between stakeholders over this project. The costs are rising above £2 billion and they carry on rising. Now there is further delay. Does my noble friend agree that it seems unlikely that any tunnel could be finished much before 2030, by which time semiautonomous electric vehicles will be commonplace—perhaps even compulsory—making the traffic past Stonehenge less intrusive, less polluting and easier to manage? Because of these advances in vehicle technology, is it just possible that by the time any tunnel might be completed it could already be on the verge of becoming a hugely expensive white elephant?

[Baroness Vere of Norbiton [V]]

The Government share my noble friend’s ambition for automation with vehicles and we are working at pace to look at how we can bring that in. However, automated vehicles still need road space and further road enhancements will therefore be necessary. I cannot at this stage comment on how long it would take for a tunnel to be built.