THE A3 tunnel's funding saga has continued to be kicked around like a political football this week. The government has stuck to its guns and has insisted that the proposed scheme is only of regional importance. The Conservatives have slated this and are piling on the pressure for a U-turn, while the Liberal Democrats have accused the Tories of acting too late. As previously reported by The Herald, construction work to the tunnel, assuming it is given the go- ahead, has been delayed for two years following the government's decision to label the tunnel as only being of regional importance. The government has prioritised its list of major road schemes and is handing over cash to national schemes as a priority while delaying "regional" schemes. Since the announcement was made last year, the Tories have been quizzing the government and urging it torethink. This week, SW Surrey MP Virginia Bottomley accused the government of failing to answer its critics, following the news that it had consulted no one before delaying the funding and that it was refusing to release vital documents which led to the decision. Mrs Bottomley has again written to the government asking if it will make public the advice given to ministers, which resulted in the funding being delayed. The government replied that it had "no plans to do so at present". The MP has received letters from the National Trust, which has been working closely with the Highways Agency over the A3 project, confirming that it was not consulted and was only informed indirectly through contacts at Surrey County Council. "Government ministers are ducking and weaving," Mrs Bottomley said. "In spite of the new Freedom of Information Act they are refusing to make the relevant documents available. "It is ludicrous to suggest that the Hindhead A3 tunnel is anything other than a route of national significance. It is key London artery and the route to Portsmouth (a major passenger port) and Continental Europe. "The decision to halt progress was evidently a subjective decision taken for partisan reasons. It seems the minister consulted neither MPs, the CBI (Confederation of British Industry), the National Trust, nor SEEDA. "The delays and dangers at Hindhead, as well as the damage to our villages, are intolerable. Government prevarication and evasive ministerial responses have only enraged my constituents even more." Boosting Mrs Bottomley's efforts is SW Surrey's Tory prospective parliamentary candidate Jeremy Hunt, who has continued his bid to get the reinstatement of the A3 scheme on his party's manifesto. He has been told that he has been successful in his plea and that, should the tunnel plans be approved, it will be a manifesto promise to reinstate the project's funding. "The downgrading of the scheme from national to regional was a disgraceful example of government contempt for our area," Mr Hunt said. Meanwhile the Lib Dems have also pledged to continue their fight for tunnel plans to be put back on track. SW Surrey's Lib Dem PPC Simon Cordon said: "What are the Tories talking about by saying they are 'trying' to get a manifesto commitment to the tunnel? Does this mean that the tunnel would be in doubt under a Conservative government? "They've had 18 years in government and three decades to make this a manifesto commitment. Waiting until now is a bit too late." Mr Cordon is backing a motion to the SE regional conference of the Lib Dems in Godalming next month declaring the tunnel as a "national priority traffic and environmental scheme". MPs and civic leaders from all three parties in the Portsmouth area, which will be a major winner if the tunnel is built, have also added their weight to the campaign to reinstate the tunnel funding.
