SALISBURY Green Party has demanded 'all or nothing' to solve Stonehenge's traffic problems.

Supporting Alternative Route Five, which asks for a 4.5 km tunnel through the World Heritage site, Hamish Soutar said his party would prefer that no new roads be built near the monument, but a long tunnel would be the best option if any construction were to go ahead.

Mr Soutar also slammed plans for the Countess Roundabout flyover and a dual-carriageway bypass at Winterbourne Stoke, saying that more time was needed to consider the impact of the schemes.

"The Green Party does not advocate any road construction at Stonehenge," he said.

"Our preferences are, firstly, for Stonehenge to be protected from traffic by the closure of the A303 and A344 through the World Heritage site, secondly, a minimum that only closes the A344, implements safety and traffic restraint measures on the existing A303 and does not involve the construction of a new trunk road, and thirdly, for any new trunk road through the World Heritage site to be entirely in a long bored tunnel."

The party called for the Highways Agency's plans for a 2.1km tunnel to be scrapped.

"The published scheme will convert a large area of downland into the A303," said Mr Soutar.

"The road cutting would become the most prominent monument within the World Heritage site."

Mr Soutar also questioned whether the capacity of the road should be increased at all.

"The nature of the road and the peak-period traffic using it does not create any need for a dual carriageway," he said.

"On the A303, congestion is largely caused and endured by people making optional leisure trips of questionable economic value.

"It would hardly seem in keeping with adopted plans and policies to spend a vast amount of money on a dual carriageway that will do untold damage to the landscape of the World Heritage site, just so that weekenders from London can get to their country cottages a few minutes quicker."

Green campaigners also dispute the need for a dual carriageway through Winter-bourne Stoke, arguing that any bypass should be single carriageway.

"In the meantime, there should be a comprehensive programme of traffic-calming," Mr Soutar said.

"I point out the irony that the bypass would enable people to cross the road safely to get to the village shop, but the loss of passing trade means that the shop is almost bound to close.

"What people need in order to cross a busy road in safety is a pedestrian crossing, which would cost one-10,000th the estimated cost of the published scheme."

Mr Soutar also criticised plans for the flyover at Countess Road roundabout, in Amesbury, saying there was likely to be strong local opposition to the proposed visitor centre.

"The published scheme has a massive impact on the Stonehenge bowl and the World Heritage site," he said.

"Investigation should continue into a long tunnel that would afford genuine protection.

"In the meantime, we should do the minimum to avoid any more damage and leave all options open for the next generation to come up with a more sensible solution.

"Even if this means leaving things largely as they are for 20 years, that is the blink of an eye when measured against the lifetime of Stonehenge and its unique landscape."