There will be another delay on the decision to approve the Stonehenge Tunnel project after more archaeological finds that need to be investigated, according to the Department for Transport (DfT).
An announcement on whether the £1.7bn scheme should go ahead, was due to be made today but the DfT has said the decision will now be made in the autumn.
Andrew Stephenson, Transport Minister said in a statement: “Following notification of a recent archaeological find within the World Heritage Site, the deadline for the decision is to be further extended to 13 November 2020-an extension of four months-to enable further consultation on and consideration of this matter before determination of the application by the secretary of state.”
Highways England started a four-month process in June this year to select a team of archaeological experts under a £35m contract to undertake work should the planning consent be granted.
Although much archaeological inspection work has already been carried out in light of the road construction plans. Last month a
In late June a giant neolithic structure 4,500 years old, was found near Stonehenge. The Stonehenge site has UNESCO World Heritage Site (WHS) status and the organisation has been critical of the proposals.
