Stonehenge on the brink of becoming an endangered heritage site

PARIS:

The UN cultural agency said on Monday it had recommended that Stonehenge, the famous prehistoric site in England, be added to the list of world heritage in danger, which could be seen as an embarrassment to London.

The site has been targeted by the United Nations agency because of the British government’s plans to build a controversial road tunnel near the world heritage site in southwest England. In a written decision seen by AFP, the World Heritage Committee recommended that Stonehenge be added to the UN’s list of heritage sites in danger “with a view to mobilizing international support”.

The decision will have to be voted on by the member states of the World Heritage Committee at a meeting in New Delhi in July. said a diplomat AFP that the decision will probably be approved.

Stonehenge has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986. Being placed on the UN’s heritage list is considered dishonorable by some countries.

Last July the British government approved the construction of a controversial road tunnel near Stonehenge despite efforts by activists to stop the £1.7 billion ($2.2 billion) project. The diplomat pointed out that London decided to approve the project “despite repeated warnings from the World Heritage Committee since 2017”.

The planned tunnel aims to reduce traffic congestion on an existing main road into the south west of England which is particularly busy during peak holiday periods. Experts have warned of “permanent, irreversible damage” to the region. Druids have held protests against the tunnel at a site they consider sacred and where they celebrate the summer and winter solstices – the longest and shortest days of the year.

Built in stages between 3,000 and 2,300 BC, Stonehenge is one of the most important prehistoric megalithic monuments in the world in terms of its size, sophisticated layout and architectural precision. UNESCO maintains a list of World Heritage sites around the world, a prestigious title that countries compete to bestow on their most famous natural and man-made sites. A listing can help boost tourism – but comes with obligations to protect the site.

The port city of Liverpool in northwest England lost World Heritage status for its docks in 2021 after UNESCO experts concluded that new real estate developments in the city had affected too much of its historic fabric.

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