Improved Stonehenge environment "is an obligation" (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Improved Stonehenge environment "is an obligation"

English Heritage has told the inquiry that Britain has an obligation to the rest of the world to improve the area surrounding Stonehenge.

In his opening statement, Robert McCracken, for the charity, which supports the A303 improvement plan, said the stone circle was "a great achievement of mankind", and "a masterpiece of human creative genius".

But he added: "Alas, much has happened since the stones were placed where they are now.

"Enjoyment is spoiled and vision blurred by intrusive developments in recent history, especially the A303 and the A344 - the A344, of course, being noted by the International Committee on Monuments and Size as a feature that needed to be removed at the time of inscription as a world heritage site."

Key objectors to the scheme, including the National Trust, are pressing for a longer tunnel, at an estimated cost of £400m, but English Heritage argued that the centre of the world heritage site should be prioritised and the higher costs were not justified.

"The choice in reality is between a 2.1km tunnel or nothing," said Mr McCracken.

"Beyond the current length of tunnel, the law of diminishing returns sets in.

"The greater cost of longer tunnels is not reasonable when set against the improvements they would achieve."

Supporting witness Christopher Young said: "English Heritage believes this accords with the higher priority given in the management plan to the central area of the world heritage site over its periphery.

"The proposed scheme achieves the management plan objectives - and the huge benefits of the proposals to Stonehenge and the world heritage site outweigh any impact on the landscape on its periphery.

"Aspirations for the ideal have to be tempered by what is realistically achievable.

"We do not consider that other schemes with significantly longer tunnels are realistically achievable."