Progress on work on the Stonehenge tunnel has been paused again, after another appeal has been made against the scheme by the Save Stonehenge World Heritage Site (SSWHS).

SSWHS been given permission to appeal the decision made earlier this year by Mr Justice Holgate, which heard that a second judicial review of the Government's decision to approve the £2.5bn road scheme was unsuccessful.

The appeal came after the Department for Transport approved the tunnel last year.

A303 Stonehenge Project Director for National Highways, David Bullock, said: “We are hugely disappointed by this decision, which will cause more delays to this scheme as the next stage of the legal process unfolds. 

“However we will participate fully in any future legal proceedings to continue to present the case for the scheme, working closely with DfT.”

Salisbury Journal: Further delays to the Stonehenge tunnel scheme

Following the approval, on July 14, 2024, National Highways chief executive Nick Harris said: "We’re now a step closer to solving the longstanding issues of congestion and delays on the existing A303, improving journeys for all our customers and bringing much-needed relief to local communities."

SSWHS said: "He [Mr Justice Holgate] dismissed SSWHS’s application for judicial review of the Government’s decision to approve a highly damaging, £2.5bn road scheme through Stonehenge World Heritage Site, for a second time.

"UNESCO, five planning inspectors and more than 238,000 people are all opposed to National Highways’ highly damaging plans. Save Stonehenge WHS’s legal action had been the only thing stopping the giant earthmovers from entering this 5,000-year-old landscape."

READ MORE: Stonehenge Alliance accuses National Highways of misinformation

John Adams, chair of the Stonehenge Alliance and one of the 3 directors of SSWHS, added: “This is extremely good news. All those who care passionately about our cultural heritage can breathe a sigh of relief. We now have a new opportunity for the Government decision to be thoroughly scrutinised.

“This road scheme would be incredibly damaging to Stonehenge World Heritage Site. Yet, the Government doesn’t seem to care and is desperately trying to bulldoze through this decision before it is thrown out of office."

SSWHS raised £80,000 earlier this year to bring about the legal action against National Highways' plans, and must now raise a further £34,000 for the Appeal Court hearing.