THE National Trust (NT) is proposing changes to the design of the A3 Hindhead Tunnel scheme.
It has contacted the Highways Agency with proposals to reduce the environmental impact of the tunnel at the northern end.
The NT believes that its new proposal will help alleviate foreseen traffic issues at the northern portal.
The Highways Agency has acknowledged receipt of the alternative plans and agreed to put them forward for consideration at the forthcoming public inquiry.
The NT's project manager, John Chesshyre, explained their plans. "Instead of having the Boundless Junction, we feel that it may be an improvement to have no junction, and that Boundless Road be carried beneath the A3 through an underpass.
"The official scheme shows a cyclepath running to Greensands Way and the junction of the A3 at Thursley, along the line of the old A3, north of the Devil's Punch Bowl.
"It is suggested that this be upgraded to provide the continuation of Boundless Road, linking it with the Thursley junction.
"Another amendment which the Highways Agency has agreed to put forward, is to use the Greensands Way underpass to give access to the Thursley junction to the residents of a group of farms to the east of the A3.
"The Highways Agency has agreed in principle to create a road to carry vehicles to the junction, using the underpass.
"The trust has always been concerned over the environmental impact of the Boundless junction. The new proposals avoid this impact.
"The reason that the Highways Agency proposed in the draft orders that Boundless Road be closed, was because it felt that the junction would draw traffic in. This is an example of where traffic modelling has called into question an aspect of the published scheme.
"The new plans give an advantage in terms of local access. With the proposals to close Boundless Road, it would mean that residents could not get to Thursley without taking a convoluted route. The new proposals maintain Boundless Road without generating extra traffic and without connecting it directly to the A3.
"This new proposed route gives an alternative means of access to the A3 to residents of Boundless Road and to the National Trust residents at Highcomb Bottom, which will, admittedly, be longer for those travelling to and from the south.
"The plans have come about as part of a well-recognised procedure. If people have ideas for an amendment to the plans, then they have to submit them to the Highways Agency by a certain deadline, so that the Highways Agency can carry out its own appraisal of the idea and then turn it into an actual design.
"The published scheme has been widely available for view, so in order to be fair to everyone, all the proposed alternatives need to be published so that people can have a look and make up their own minds before the alternatives are considered at the public inquiry.
"I'm told that the Highways Agency plans to do this in around late April or early May.
"The National Trust has not adopted a position at this stage whereby it will not be satisfied if this proposal is not taken on board; it has merely put the proposals forward for consideration."
This news has been welcomed by the Boundless Improvement Group (BIG), a pressure group set up to represent the views of approximately 60 residents, who are concerned about the environmental impact of the junction at the northern portal of the proposed A3 tunnel.
The group, led by Tom Grillo, feels that the junction currently being proposed in the draft orders will not only despoil the landscape value of the countryside, both close by and for miles around, but will also change Park Lane and Boundless Road into a major highway, increasing the traffic flow more than threefold.
Regarding the trust's proposals, Mr Grillo said in the group's newsletter: "The very exciting news is that the National Trust has put up a proposal with which I think we could live.
"It does away with the Boundless Junction altogether, and extends Boundless Road under or over the A3, but without a junction to the A3.
"The significant point about this, is that it is a public acknowledgement by the National Trust that the three properties in the Devil's Punch Bowl can be serviced by such a road, and do not need a junction in the Boundless Valley.
"While this proposal does not have the benefit of Boundless Road being closed altogether, it avoids the disadvantages of a junction with the A3 at that point.
"The new extended Boundless Road would be so long and narrow, that we feel it is unlikely to provide a convenient rat-run between the A286 and the A3. This, no doubt, will be demonstrated by the Highways Agency's traffic model in due course.
"It also has the merit of providing a reasonable access from Boundless Farm and the other properties there on to the A3. You will remember that they are the sole proponents of an A3 junction in Boundless Valley.
"Doing away with the Boundless Junction brings environmental gains in that the construction there can be smaller, and the sound bunds and landscaping more effective.
"The two farmers on the west side of the A3 have both told us that they like the idea and see several benefits from it. One of them is a landowner. The other landowners have not yet been approached, but there seems little reason to expect anything other than their co-operation.
"We have invited the National Trust to address a private meeting of BIG, an invitation that it is considering. The scheme proposed by the National Trust and supported by BIG should impress the Highways Agency."