Stonehenge may be next UK site to lose world heritage status

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

Stonehenge may be next UK site to lose world heritage status

Britain is eroding global reputation for conserving its historic assets, culture bodies are warning

Josh Halliday North of England correspondent
Fri 23 Jul 2021 16.58 BST

The UK is eroding its global reputation for conserving its “unparalleled” historic assets, culture bodies have warned, with Stonehenge expected to be next in line to lose its coveted World Heritage status after Liverpool.

The UN’s heritage body has told ministers that Wiltshire’s cherished stone circle will be placed on its “in danger” list – the precursor to it being stripped of world heritage status – if a £1.7bn road tunnel goes ahead as planned.

Heritage bodies said on Friday that Unesco would throw a “harsher spotlight” on the UK’s other 31 listed sites, which include the Palace of Westminster and Kew Gardens, after Liverpool became only the third place in nearly 50 years to be stripped of its world heritage status.

Other sites expected to come under greater scrutiny from the UN agency include Stonehenge, Edinburgh’s new and old towns, the Tower of London and Cornwall’s historic mining area, all of which have attracted concerns over controversial developments.

Chris Blandford, the president of World Heritage UK, complained that there was a “low awareness at the government level” of the importance of the country’s Unesco sites, which rank alongside international gems such as the Taj Mahal and the pyramids of Giza. He said many were critically underfunded and that ministers had shown a “great reluctance to want to make the most of our World Heritage offer”.

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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/jul/23/stonehenge-may-be-next-uk-site-to-lose-world-heritage-status

[Goonch]

1. List of World Heritage in Danger

https://whc.unesco.org/en/danger/

[haele]

2. Well, that's what happens when you let Tories run government.

The Transportation Secretary decided it would be better to build a tunnel under the site (but not too deep) then re-route the existing road so they can improve it for all the well-to-do "working" in the City moving out to the country to live like squirearchy in the victorian era.

Heritage or Manor House living?
Heritage costs more money to maintain, doesn't make much of a profit or show off their status. Stonehenge is rather small and drab anyway...
Much like the previous UNESCO Liverpool waterfront merchantile district site; a good chunk was sold off, built and paved over for far more profitable ultra-modern office project that destroyed much of the historical buildings and sites along the dockside.

Haele

[appalachiablue]

6. +1

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. It's not an improvement for City types; it's for the local traffic, and for Stonehenge itself

it would be a bit of an improvement - the short tunnel would hide the existing considerable main road traffic for about a mile around the stone circle:



The problem is how close the uncovered dual carriageway will come to the associated sites, especially the one immediately west of Amesbury. The existing traffic (local, and vacation - but not particularly rich City people; more the typical Briton) is a problem for Stonehenge; but this a a solution "on the cheap" that causes more of a problem in other parts of the World Heritage Site.

[msongs]

3. visited stonehenge in early 60's - our family of 4 were the only people there - no ropes

or barriers or restrictions. a cold wet and windy day. all it needed was vincent price

[lagomorph777]

4. Do Tories not understand the commercial value of a gem like that?

Obviously, like Taliban or Trumpers, cultural value is meaningless to them. But Stonehenge probably brings in hundreds of millions of dollars a year to local businesses.

[MerryHolidays]

5. Truly unbelievable that they could allow this to happen

Besides learning to comb your hair, BoJo, please also learn how to take care of your greatest assets. The former was probably taught when you were around 3, and the latter is just innate.