M3 Motorway - Trust Annual Report 1991
As reported last year, the Twyford Down Association was formed to preserve the downs and to back a High Court action, then pending, by two Parish Councils and three individuals, challenging the Minister's decision in favour of the Department's "cutting" route to the east of St. Catherine's Hill. This action failed but the Twyford Down Association made a complaint to the European commission claiming that the Government had failed to comply with an EEC Directive requiring an "Environmental Impact Assessment".
At the time of writing, the latest reports are that the EEC will act on this complaint, but the implications of any such action are not clear at this stage.
Meanwhile various other developments are taking place. The archaeological investigation of Twyford Down which is to precede construction of the Department's "cutting" route is under way and the exposed chalk on the downs above Hockley give some idea of the route of the cutting. For its part the Twyford Down Association engaged consulting engineers to conduct two feasibility studies. One was to study measures to make the A33 function during any delays occasioned by a rethink of the M3 proposals should this happen. This has demonstrated the cost effectiveness of a temporary bridge crossing the A33 at Hockley which the Trust amongst others advocated may years ago. The second, still in progress, is examining the feasibility of a privately funded toll tunnel scheme.
The Trust, which is not a member of the Twyford Down Association, because of strongly divided opinion amongst its membership, continues to watch the situation from the sidelines.