The final route chosen ran to the south of St. Catherine's Hill, taking 1 hectares (approximately 4.5%) of the Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and went to a public inquiry in 1985, where the then Planning Officer of Winchester City Council described the route as "bold" and an "imaginative solution" 18 In February 1992, the M3 was improved between Southampton and Compton, and soon afterwards work began on clearing the route across the down.