Representation by Sara Bryant
- Date submitted
- 10 January 2019
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I believe that the proposed work will cause permanent damage to this World Heritage Site, its archaeology and setting, making impossible much overdue work to explore it in greater depth than ever before, something which shows enormous promise in the light of recent discoveries at Blick Mead.
Needless to say, Blick Mead and other equally sensitive and so far unexplored sites would be damaged and ruined for ever as a resource for understanding our prehistory and the true context of Stonehenge.
It seems that there is a woeful lack of alternative options that would avoid damage to this site and the entire area, and not enough effort made to unearth such suggestions. Almost anyone you ask would be delighted to see it made a National Park and that would also make the entire area a much more attractive place for visitors from around the world to come to. There appears to have been a lack of sufficient consultation and of the necessary willingness to listen to the wishes of the people of this country regarding such an important site.
Opposition to the current proposal, at least in its current form, is also strongly backed by the august body of UNESCO, which should not be discounted.
Also, not to be forgotten is the disturbance the work would cause to rare bird species, such as the Stone Curlew and Great Bustard, and also the inevitable and unacceptable increased noise created by more and faster traffic.
Moreover, the view of Stonehenge from the road, which has always existed, would be lost, and those who wish to see it, even from a distance, would be sure to have to pay. While nobody minds helping to fund the preservation of such a site, this seems the wrong way to go about it and likely to alienate people rather than encourage them to contribute. It could appear to be a cynical money-making exercise, excluding those without sufficient funds but who have a right to see the stones.
I trust a sense of responsiblity will prevail and that this entire exercise will be re-examined with a very open mind.