Representation by Joseph Nicholas
- Date submitted
- 11 December 2018
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I wish to object to the current proposals for the construction of a short road tunnel across the Stonehenge World Heritage site for the following reasons: 1. It would cause irreparable damage to the WHS, its archaeology and its setting, which has been described by UNESCO as a "landscape without parallel". In particular, there would be a catastrophic impact on the Mesolithic site of Blick Mead to the east of the eastern tunnel portal; at the western tunnel portal, the western end of the Normanton Down barrow cemetery would be cut off, the archaeological remains in the woodland of Normanton Gorse would be destroyed, and a rare group of seven Neolithic long barrows which were respected by later Bronze Age cemeteries would be gouged through. Additionally, light from the western tunnel portal would interfere with the winter solstice sunset which is one of Stonehenge's most important astronomical alignments. 2. UNESCO itself, and its international advisers, have said on several occasions that the proposed short tunnel should not go ahead in its present form. 3. The consultation on the current proposals by Highways England was deficient because it did not make any serious attempt to consider alternative options for the road layout that would not damage the World Heritage Site. 4. There would be severe disturbance to and disruption of nesting and feeding habits of two rare bird species -- the Stone Curlew and the Great Bustard -- both during construction of the short tunnel and from use of the road afterwards (particularly pollution by vehicle exhausts). There are also concerns about the impact on the River Till, which is legally protected as a Special Area of Conservation for aquatic plants and snails, and which would also be adversely impacted by construction of the tunnel and use of the road afterwards.