Stonehenge conservation groups are furious at a decision by UNESCO to block the U.N. organization from listing the site as endangered, ostensibly allowing a planned highway expansion.
British planners say the roadworks, which include not only widening motorway lanes but also a tunnel running under part of the Stonehenge ruins, will improve traffic flow and eliminate the sights and sounds of traffic over the ruins. Critics say the plan was developed without appropriate public consultation and poses a threat to the site’s geology, which could damage the site. There is also undiscovered archeology to consider.
On Wednesday, a UNESCO committee voted against adding the Monoliths to the organization’s list of World Heritage in Danger. If the effort to add the monolith to the list is successful, it could force the British government to revise or abandon its motorway plans.
The List of World Heritage in Danger aims to raise international awareness of the threats facing some of the oldest and most culturally, historically or scientifically significant sites on Earth. UNESCO also allocates financial assistance to protect sites on the list.
John Adam, chairman of the Stonehenge Alliance, said in a press release: “This is a dark day for Stonehenge and a hollow victory for the UK government as this decision will not stop harm to the World Heritage site. ” We should not forget that the scheme failed the planning test and was recommended for rejection because it would cause ‘permanent and irreversible’ harm.
The plan has been approved by the country’s conservative party, which was ousted from power in the July 4 election.
“This is a travesty of justice,” said Tom Holland, chairman of the Stonehenge Alliance. “The weakness of the government’s case can be gauged by the absurd lengths they went to cover it up. If Labor ministers were involved, then let’s They were disgraced.
Anna Nsubuga, British Ambassador to UNESCO commend The committee voted that the planned tunnels did not justify placing the Monoliths, a World Heritage site in 1986, on the danger list.
“The UK looks forward to continuing work on our proposed scheme which will reconnect the site, restore peace and tranquility and give the stone and landscape the respect and context they deserve,” she wrote on X.
Stonehenge(a magical placethe moon rises with a dragon face) It has undergone many restorations and restorations. Most recently, in 2021, the rocks on top of the support stones were coated with weather-resistant cement mortar, which also helps to hold them in place.
Stonehenge’s original purpose dates back to 3700 B.C., but it’s still not fully resolved a theory In recent years it has become widely recognized as a memorial site. Others have wondered whether it was a religious temple or a timekeeping device.
more: Ancient Britons traveled hundreds of miles to attend the pork festival at Stonehenge
