Residents of heavily congested villages near the A303 in Wiltshire are calling for the creation of alternative plans after the much-publicised construction of a tunnel near Stonehenge was cancelled.

Planning permission for the two-mile (3.2km) underpass next to the world heritage site was officially revoked in March despite millions of pounds already having been spent on it, says the BBC.

Paul McKernan, a parish councillor in nearby Shrewton, said a “national solution” to a problem that “hasn’t gone away” was still needed. Wiltshire Council said it was pressing the government for a “viable alternative” while the Department for Transport (DfT) said it was committed to “projects that deliver for the taxpayer and drive growth”.

Mr McKernan said local parish councils were working together to keep the problem “in the public eye. If we had the voices of the 30,000 or so motorists a day who go past Stonehenge we would have a much louder voice about what a terrible situation this is.”

Many people living nearby said they believed a tunnel was still the most appropriate option because of traffic congestion on surrounding village roads when the A303 is blocked. Winterbourne Stoke Parish Council chairman Peter Smith said traffic on the A303 had “soared”.

“When the congestion builds up… the traffic capacity of the road is doubled,” he said, adding that the “level of rat running” in the nearby village of Winterbourne Stoke was “appalling”.

He said: “We can’t have trucks doing 40mph along a village high street. It’s just ridiculous and no longer sustainable.”

National Highways said, on average, 26,000 vehicles use this stretch of the A303 every day, increasing to more than 30,000 in August.

(Picture: National Highways)