Stonehenge Alliance Press statement: Tuesday, 25 June, 2024

The World Heritage Committee repeatedly requested that the cuttings be removed from within the inscribed property because they would have major negative impact on the overall prehistoric landscape, and compromise the physical intactness of the “highly significant ancient cultural landscape.”   Photo © Stonehenge Dronescapes

The Stonehenge Alliance (SA) [1] welcomes UNESCO’s recommendation that the Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site be placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger due to the threat from the A303 road scheme. The recommendation is contained in a report to UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee that will be meeting in July in India [2].

The report reveals that National Highways and the UK Government have proposed changes to the scheme to try and disguise the deep cutting through the Bronze Age landscape on the western side of the site. These include ‘cantilevered sides’ and another ‘green bridge’ adding £50m to the scheme costs [3]. However, these do not appear to have addressed UNESCO’s concerns.

Also revealed is the level of frustration with the UK Government’s attitude towards its obligations under the World Heritage Convention. Also, with its failure to respect UNESCO’s request to pause all work to allow further discussion [4]. This was seen earlier in the year when National Highways pressed ahead with closure of the A360 (to much local concern) to carry out preparatory works for the scheme [4].

All eyes will now be on the incoming (most likely) Labour Government as it will inherit the scheme and will have to decide on its future.

John Adams, chair of the Stonehenge Alliance and one of the 3 directors of SSWHS [5], said:

“This is a damming verdict on National Highways’ plans. Its minor tweaks have quite rightly cut no ice with UNESCO. You can put lipstick on a pig, but it is still a pig. Whichever way you look at it, this scheme will be hugely damaging and should be scrapped. The money should be spent instead on improving public transport links to and around the South West. That would be the best way of reducing pressure on the A303, while still retaining the view of the Stones for passing travellers.”

Tom Holland, president of the Stonehenge Alliance:

“When in a hole, stop digging – and when the hole is one that has been dug by your political opponents, definitely stop digging. The new Government will have the perfect opportunity to reverse a road scheme that is not only ludicrously expensive, but risks huge damage to the country’s international reputation. We hope that whoever comes to power next week will seize it.”

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Contact us by email SaveStonehenge (at) gmail.com

Notes to editors:

[1] The Stonehenge Alliance supporter-organisations are: Ancient Sacred Landscape Network; Campaign to Protect Rural England; Friends of the Earth; Rescue, the British Archaeological Trust; and Transport Action Network.

[2] UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee is holding its 46^th meeting in New Delhi, India, from 21 – 31 July, 2024, which will be live streamed.

[3] This additional work would all be permitted within the existing DCO, which further suggests its limited impact, given the UK Government had previously stated that longer tunnels would require a new DCO. UNESCO is of this opinion (extracts from page 13, item 7B of the provisional agenda):

“The proposals for changes to the consented Scheme put forward by the State Party would have only very modest visual benefits. The two bridges would allow access across the four-lane highway, but would not minimise, or even reduce the impact on archaeological resources or the integrity of the landscape. The current main road through the landscape is undesirable, but the proposed cuttings represent a more serious and irreversible threat to the OUV of the property. Furthermore, these changes do not comply with the ‘minimum’ requirements previously determined by the Committee, nor do they align with the recommendations of the 2022 Advisory mission, and they do not offer what was sought in the request for corrective measures set out in Decision 45 COM 7B.62, which provided an explicit indication that:

“the minimum change required must include an extension of the underground section of the western approach (in tunnel and/or cut-and-cover) to at least the western boundary of the property, with the western portal relocated as far west as reasonably practical, thereby reducing the length of the cut-and-cover section and minimising the extent of archaeological resources which must be removed”;”

The report also states:

“Although the State Party considers that the consented Scheme provides ‘best available outcome for the OUV of the property’, that is within the limits that the State Party itself has set for this project.”

[4] UNESCO’s frustration is revealed here (top of page 13, item 7B of the provisional agenda):

“Moreover, contracts for the construction of the DCO Scheme have been awarded (subject to necessary approvals) and preliminary works are taking place in 2024, with substantial construction to proceed in 2025. While the preliminary works are outside the property and not subject to the DCO, they do not comply with the request of the Committee in Decision 45 COM 7B.62 that ‘all further decisions or actions to implement the Scheme in its current approved state are halted until the Committee has reviewed the comprehensive information package of proposed modifications at its 46th session.’”

[5] Save Stonehenge World Heritage Site (SSWHS) is the organisation set up by the Stonehenge Alliance that has been granted permission to appeal the judgement on the latest Government approval of the A303 Stonehenge Development Consent Order.