M3 Motorway - Trust Annual Report 1990
In February this year Cecil Parkinson, Secretary of State for Transport, announced that the Department's proposals for completing the final 2.63 mile section of the M3 motorway were to go ahead. This route involving a massive cutting to the east of St. Catherine's Hill, has been the subject of two Public Inquiries. At the last Inquiry which ended in March 1988 the M3 Joint Action Group (JAG) opposed the Department's route and supported as an alternative a Tunnel under Twyford Down. The Trust has been a consistent supporter of the Tunnel solution and we continue to believe that this would have been the best solution and that the Department's route, if it is built, will be a great deal more damaging than many people realise. Suggestions have been made that the Tunnel is impracticable but it was taken very seriously by the Inspector of the last Inquiry who, whilst recommending in favour of the Department's route mainly on grounds of cost and time to complete, stated in his report that the Tunnel was the most acceptable solution environmentally. Indeed in a written reply to a Parliamentary Question the Secretary of State himself confirmed that the Inspector was impressed by the Tunnel alternative. The Trust therefore has no regrets as to the stance it has adopted.
The present situation is that the Minister's decision is to be challenged in the Courts by five individuals. A new body, The Twyford Down Association has been founded to back their action and a High Court hearing is due to be held in October.