Representation by Pauline Wilson
- Date submitted
- 7 January 2019
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
Highways England have recently demonstrated that they are not competent to oversee the construction of a road, including a tunnel and elevated sections without irreparably damaging the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Stonehenge Landscape. They undertook this destruction at the unique, recently announced, site at Blick Mead, destroying the ritualised 6000 year old aurochs hoof prints carefully excavated by archaeologists, which was beginning to illuminate the origins of the stone monument. They did not seek permission to enter the site nor consult with the site archaeologist before undertaking their destruction, although they were aware that such a precious site was there. This so clearly illustrates how vulnerable and precious the SH landscape is. If road builders can behave in such a cavalier way before approval for the road is even given, there can be no confidence that if, the road were to go ahead, the SH Landscape and future such discoveries will survive such interference. UNESCO would be fully justified in removing the current World Heritage Site status. Alternative & cheaper routes have been proposed but are not being considered and it is unbelievable that this one is currently the only being examined. It seems most bizarre and I can only think that the reason for this selection is that, by cutting off views of the Stones from the public highway, some institution or other (government? National Trust?) will be able to charge people, from around the whole world to look at their own heritage. This would be an outrage.