Representation by David Seilly
- Date submitted
- 11 January 2019
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I wish to object to this road scheme to upgrade the A303.
Essentially because it consists of a 2.9 km tunnel only part of the 5.4km Stonehenge World Heritage Site archaeological landscape. This tunnel will involve the excavation of major cuttings into the site, destroying the archaeology in the soil and subsoil in the process. The actual construction process will take up further land be damaging to such a sensitive site.
The damage caused be this scheme to the archeology and World Heritage Site landscape will obviously be irreparable. The area was described by UNESCO experts as “a landscape without parallel”, which makes it something all the more special and precious in a densely populated and highly urbanised country like the UK.
UNESCO the international experts on the Stonehenge WHS advise that the road scheme should not proceed in its present form.
I am also concerned about the effect of the proposed A303 scheme on the Blick Mead Mesolithic site and its setting.
Finally I feel that the World Heritage Site Archeological landscape should also be recognised, for what it is, a living landscape that is important for nature conservation, especially chalk grassland. Chalk grassland is recognised by experts in nature conservation, as one of the highest priority habitats in both the UK and Europe.
Chalk grassland and Stonehenge go together.