Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment has been made of the potential effect on the Blick Mead archaeological site of the proposed alterations to the A303 around Stonehenge.

Blick Mead is outside the existing highway boundary for the A303 and on land that will not be disturbed by the scheme.

Even so, Blick Mead is included in the extensive Heritage Impact Assessments that Highways England are carrying out to ensure the scheme brings benefits without creating an unacceptable impact on important local features.

As part of the development of the scheme, Highways England have been carrying out hydro-geological modelling of groundwater flows. This suggests that there will not be any adverse effects on the Blick Mead spring. This finding has been reported in the scheme’s Preliminary Environmental Information Report (February 2018), which was issued as part of the public consultation material.