This is the letter:
...I would like to extend an invitation to you to submit a short piece on your views on the need to dual the A303 beyond Stonehenge Bottom to its end near Honiton, the need to bypass villages such as Winterbourne Stoke in a sympathetic manner and the need to develop some short term measures to overcome the chaos and enhanced danger on the roads surrounding Stonehenge since the closure of the A344.
We have extended the same invitation to local, national and international figures and have already published a statement by John Glen MP and hope to have a similar piece from Graham Watson MEP in the next few days. These will be published on our blog - WiSBAng - Winterbourne Stoke (A303) Bypass Angst http://bypasswinterbournestoke.blogspot.co.uk/ which works in conjunction with the Stonehenge Traffic Action Group http://staga303.blogspot.co.uk/ (STAG - previously known as the Shrewton Traffic Action Group).
You may also be able to clear up a puzzle for us. We know that as recently as 11 April 2011, Wiltshire Council wrote to the then Minister of Transport to remind him that the Council was against any plan to close the A344 without an improvement to the A303 because of the likely impact on traffic in local communities - a likely consequence of which Wiltshire Council was well aware since before 2005. We are keen to understand why, at some point between April 2011 and June this year, Wiltshire Council seemingly reneged on its long held position and acceded to the closure of the A344 - acceded without so much as a whimper? What pressure was brought to bear on Wiltshire Council by central government and which representatives of Wiltshire Council were involved in agreeing, or at least not resisting, the A344 closure. It's the sort of thing our readers will like to be aware of when it comes to elections, by-elections and that sort of thing...
It came as something of a surprise to get the following very terse response:
...Wiltshire Council's position in relation to the latest initiative to improve this vital transport infrastructure was captured in the attached prospectus which we produced in partnership with Devon and Somerset County Councils and the Local Economic Partnerships in our area. Since submission of the prospectus to the minister, the government has announced funding for a feasibility study on the whole route and we will be working with Highways Agency and other local authorities to progress the study. We shall also continue to promote the much needed improvements at every opportunity. We are due to meet the new Transport Minister in December...
We looked at the prospectus and noted it referred to traffic censuses on the A303. That was a bit of a puzzle as we had just received a response from the Highways Agency, acting as the executive agency for the Department for Transport, to a Freedom of Information Act request on traffic censuses on the A303 - and they claimed that none had ever taken place between 2000 and 2013. It turns out that the Highways Agency were being spectacularly incompetent and they had failed to realise that an FOIA raised with the DfT needed to be answered on behalf of the DfT and not just the Highways Agency.
Still, offering us a freely available prospectus seemed a bit, well, half-hearted.
Cllr de Rhé-Phillipe had also ducked our last question - so we sent her a gentle reminder, by return,
...Thank you very much for your response and the prospectus. Having read it, it leaves me a little concerned as it refers to traffic figures. According to a response to an FOIA I received from the Highways Agency today, they “are unaware of any traffic censuses on the A303” - which if true, may cast doubt on the case that is being made. It would be interesting to know where the data came from.
I also see that you have not answered the second part of my question regarding the apparent change of heart of Wiltshire Council with respect to closure of the A344 before the A303 was improved. I am sure that this was merely an oversight on your part in your eagerness to provide me with information relating to the first part of my query. I will hold any public comment to your for a few days to give you a reasonable chance to respond....
Sadly, since the end of October we have had no further reply from Cllr de Rhé-Phillipe. I think we've exceeded the few days grace we extended her by a goodly margin, so that's why we've now published the limited correspondence we have had.
It does make us wonder though why Cllr de Rhé-Phillipe is so seemingly reluctant to explain why Wiltshire Council reversed its position so abruptly and unexpectedly. Perhaps it's because Cllr de Rhé-Phillipe simply isn't privy to decisions of that level of importance - despite her Cabinet membership? Or, if she was privy to that decision, is there some embarrassment about it within Wiltshire Council circles? Has something worse taken place?
If Cllr de Rhé-Phillipe wants to clarify things, or another Wiltshire Councillor, or Cabinet member, knows why the position changed, we would love to hear from them. If not, rest assured we will keep on digging until we get to the answer.
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