The Stonehenge Alliance (SA) is "condemning" National Highways for starting work on installing power cables and closing the A360 ahead of the start of works on the A303 at Stonehenge.

Following an appeal lodged against the recent High Court Ruling in favour of the scheme, National Highways’ planned archaeological fieldwork and other preliminary works have been paused until the outcome of the legal process.

The power cabling installation work, however, sits outside the Development Consent Order process and as such is unaffected by the legal challenge.

SSEN are undertaking the work to ensure programme timescales for the delayed A303 Stonehenge scheme and to prevent any further delay once the legal process is concluded.

The alliance argues that given that the approval of the scheme is still being challenged in the courts,  "the work is premature and unnecessary".

In addition, it says, the work risks "wasting public money if the legal challenge is successful and its Development Consent Order quashed".

The alliance also said: "Much like the work National Highways is doing on the M25 at J10 Wisley interchange, these works are likely to be hugely disruptive for the local community and its economy, particularly tourism.

"The Salisbury Chamber of Commerce has called for the works to be suspended. SA believes that it is exactly this sort of behaviour that the Office for Rail and Road (ORR) should be examining in their current investigation of National Highways."

John Adams, chairman of the Stonehenge Alliance, added: "This work by National Highways ahead of any decision by the courts is premature and risks wasting even more public money in a hugely controversial scheme.

"Its arrogance seems to know no bounds.  It is hell bent on jumping the gun, regardless of the misery it will cause local residents.

“If the courts find something wrong with the decision making then National Highways will have wasted millions of pounds of public money for no reason. It’s time that they were reined in and I hope that the ORR will take a long hard look at what is going on.”

In response, Andrew Clark, National Highways’ Project Manager for the A303 Stonehenge scheme, said: “The road scheme will ultimately tackle the longstanding issue of rat running and provide a real benefit to local communities, and for this essential preliminary work, we are doing all we can to put in measures to lessen the impact for local communities and the travelling public.

“We need to carry out the work now to maintain our programme, we appreciate that roadworks and road closures can be frustrating and we’d like to thank motorists, local residents and businesses for their patience.

"Without the full closure, the work would take a lot longer to complete, a year as opposed to three months, and working with Wiltshire Council, we’re making every effort to ensure that the impact on drivers and local communities is kept to an absolute minimum.”