Unesco could add Stonehenge to World Heritage in Danger list over plan to dig road tunnel
- The decision to dig a tunnel near the prehistoric site has raised fears about ‘permanent, irreversible harm’
The United Nations’ cultural organisation, Unesco, said on June 24 that it had recommended adding Stonehenge, the renowned prehistoric site in England, to its World Heritage in Danger list, in what would be seen as an embarrassment for London.
In a written decision, the World Heritage Committee recommended that Stonehenge be added to the heritage-in-danger list “with a view to mobilising international support”.
The decision will have to be voted upon by the member states of the World Heritage Committee at a meeting in New Delhi, India, in July, but one diplomat said that the decision would probably be approved.
Stonehenge has had Unesco world heritage status since 1986, but in July 2023 the British government approved the building of a controversial road tunnel near Stonehenge despite efforts by campaigners to halt the £1.7 billion (US$2.16 billion) project.
The diplomat pointed out that London had decided to approve the project “despite repeated warnings from the World Heritage Committee since 2017”.