Stonehenge road scheme announcement

The long awaited decision concerning the Stonehenge road scheme has been announced on 6 December 2007 in a Parliamentary Statement from the Department for Transport.  To our huge disappointment, it has concluded that the allocation of more than £500 million for the implementation of the proposed 2.1km bored tunnel scheme cannot be justified.

The decision signals the end of the project championed by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport and English Heritage over the last eight years which sought to improve both the landscape setting of Stonehenge and the visitor experience. The project, collectively decided upon by a range of national and regional stakeholders, was the best and most practical means by which the agreed vision for the Stonehenge World Heritage Site could have been achieved.

However, it is encouraging that the Government’s Statement today recognises that improving the setting of the Stones and the visitor facilities is still very much a priority. English Heritage will work closely with all interested parties to look into alternative ways to achieve this.