£10m 'protest management' contract signed for Stonehenge scheme

National Highways has awarded a contract worth up to £10m for security work and protest management on the A303 Stonehenge project.

The High Court Enforcement Group Limited will carry out the security job for an initial period of five years from the start of construction with the option to extend for a further three years.

The contract is designed to run for the duration of the work and is estimated to cost between £5m and £10 depending 'upon service requirement'.

'The contractor will carry out the service safely and effectively to minimise any impact on National Highways' programme and reputation,' the roads authority said in its contract notice.

Plans for the controversial Stonehenge scheme were recently approved by transport secretary Mark Harper under a new development consent order (DCO) after a previous DCO granted by predecessor Grant Shapps was overturned in the High Court.

At approximately eight miles long and costing around £1.7bn, the scheme is one of the largest on National Highways' books.

It comprises the following key components:

• a northern bypass of Winterbourne Stoke with a viaduct over the River Till valley,
• a new junction between the A303 and A360 to the west of and outside the World Heritage Site, replacing the existing Longbarrow roundabout,
• a twin-bore tunnel approximately 2 miles (3,3 km) long beneath the WHS, and
• a new junction between the A303 and A345 at the existing Countess roundabout

Derek Parody, project director for the scheme, said National Highways was currently analysing the detailed changes within the DCO and assessing timescales but anticipates being able to start preparatory work next year.