The Secretary of State for Transport announced yesterday the decision to grant consent to the A303 development. We’re excited to be part of this project; our comprehensive programme of archaeological works will allow us to understand more about this special landscape and share what we find with local communities and the wider public.
The A303 upgrade also represents an exciting and unprecedented opportunity for close collaboration within the commercial archaeology and environmental management sector to produce an outstanding programme of work – and change the way our industry co-operates in the future.
We are very proud of the fact we have been recognised by Highways England as a sector leader able to carry out this work. The Stonehenge landscape is home ground for Wessex Archaeology, and we are the best-placed team of specialists to manage major archaeological works in this special place.
Our ability to carry out our ambitious programme of work is only made possible with the partnership and support of a number of our colleagues across the sector. We will be working together with some of the best minds in the business to draw on wide-ranging, world-class expertise, learn from one another, and share best practice and resources. This will require the involvement of experts in fieldwork, specialist areas of study and research, environmental archaeology and ecology, as well as engagement professionals to support our dedicated Public Archaeology and Community Engagement (PACE) programme. The scale of this collaboration is unprecedented and together, we aspire to create ground-breaking outcomes for the scheme.
This represents a chance to change the way that the sector works together, to influence how the value and relevance of heritage is understood, and to elevate the profession and its future as an integral part of the supply chain.
Our collaborative partners are:
Highways England Press Office:
pressoffice@highwaysengland.co.uk
0844 693 1448
Wessex Archaeology Press Office:
+44 3303 137100