Representation by Joanna Burnett
- Date submitted
- 11 December 2018
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I am deeply troubled by the inevitable and irreparable damage to the archaeological heritage of the Stonehenge World Heritage Site, in opposition to UNESCO's recommendations. This should be illegal under international law. In particular I have visited the Blick Mead site which will be seriously compromised by the planned works. This is effectively a hidden library of international importance, which has already been damaged only this week by Highways England's unauthorised drilling of boreholes to "monitor the water table" right in the very most important part of the current dig. (By the way, if they are only now beginning to monitor the water table, how can they say with confidence that the works will have no impact?). The entire project seems to rest on removing the road from the pretty view of the main stones of Stonehenge and reducing journey times by a few minutes. I would urge the planners to look beyond the pleasant artists' impressions of the road having been removed, and consider the impact of the tunneling works on the hidden heritage beneath, which once destroyed can never be replaced.