As a local resident of Winterbourne Stoke living just 30 metres from the A303, I was delighted by the High Court decision to quash the development consent order (DCO) for the Stonehenge Tunnel, which included a long-awaited bypass for our village.

Having witnessed the death of a friend on the A303 and campaigned for a bypass for more than 60 years you may wonder why I’m pleased with this decision.

Read more: A303 Stonehenge tunnel decision was 'unlawful' High Court rules

Read more: Reaction as campaigners win High Court fight

The answer is simple – the proposed scheme did not consider the impact on local people.

Winterbourne Stoke would have had 1.25 thousand cubic metres of soil from the tunnel construction delivered to the village by a temporary road across the River Till.

This would have been a nightmare for locals during construction and resulted in the bypass being built much higher than specified in the 2004 plan.

The detrimental effect on the landscape, noise levels and local community would have left an appalling legacy for the future.

So, what’s the alternative?

I believe we should relinquish the World Heritage Status of Stonehenge in order to implement a workable solution.

This would allow the dualling of the A303 on its present line in a cutting deep enough to hide Stonehenge from the view of motorists but maintaining the marvellous view heading west.

A proper bypass for Winterbourne Stoke, to the north of the village and low enough to reduce noise levels, would be built as outlined in the 2004 plan.

This scheme would take less time to construct, save money and reduce the damage to the environment.

It would also be popular with those that are most affected – the local residents.

Ian West

Winterbourne Stoke