Stonehenge could be placed on the list of World Heritage Sites in Danger because of plans to build a tunnel beneath its precious landscape.
UNESCO officials have recommended that the Wiltshire stone circle and surrounding area be added to the list amid concerns the tunnel would “compromise the integrity” of one of the Earth’s great prehistoric sites.
The Conservative government and the Highways Agency are keen to push ahead with the construction of a two-mile tunnel which aims to cut journey times and eliminate the sight and sound of traffic.
But a number of groups and individuals, including archaeologists, environmentalists, historians, transport experts, rural activists and druids, say the plans would wreak havoc on the site.
The plan will be discussed at a meeting of UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee in New Delhi next month, when committee officials are due to make recommendations to member states. Add Stonehenge to the danger list.
They say: “The name Stonehenge applies to both the main henge and the wider landscape, which has sometimes led to confusion. It is the whole landscape, not just the henge, that should be protected.”
“Mainhenge is a highly visible and well-known monument and the proposed tunnel would improve its surroundings. However, the monument must be considered in the context of being surrounded by and closely linked to numerous prehistoric sites which form part of the ancient landscape as a whole.”
“It is the whole of the registered landscape, not just the main henge site, that makes up the Stonehenge part of the heritage site. The collection of interconnected sites is regarded as a designed ritual landscape, and the tombs and other features are deliberately positioned to be visible to one another.”
They say the plan “severs several important links and undermines the integrity of this prehistoric landscape” and argue that adding it to the list would garner international support.
John Adams, chairman of the Stonehenge Alliance, which opposes the tunnel plans, said: “This is a harsh verdict on the highway plans. By any measure this scheme will cause enormous damage and must be scrapped.”
“That money should be used to improve public transport links in and around the South West.”
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“The new administration will have a golden opportunity to reverse a road project that is not only enormously expensive but also risks enormous damage to the country’s international reputation,” said historian Tom Holland. “I hope whoever takes power next week will seize the opportunity.”
An English Heritage spokesman said: “Stonehenge’s World Heritage status is of the utmost importance to us and we are naturally disappointed by this proposed decision.”
“After decades of discussion, English Heritage is convinced that the current plans are the best and most practical option and, above all, will deliver a lasting, positive legacy for this World Heritage Site.”