UNESCO Decision on Whether Stonehenge Is in Danger Delayed Amid Controversy

UNESCO has postponed a decision to add Stonehenge to its “World Heritage in Danger” by 18 months, according to the Art Newspaper.

The organization considered adding Stonehenge to that list because the UK government is planning to build a divided highway tunnel near the ancient monument. These plans have sparked intense debate and opposition from groups like the Stonehenge Alliance.

Chris Todd, director of Transport Action Network, a partner with the Stonehenge Alliance, told the Art Newspaper that the proposed redevelopment of the site would cause “permanent and irreversible harm according to the five planning inspectors who recommended it be refused [in 2020].” 

However, UNESCO said that the tunnel and the open cut at the western end may not currently pose a sufficient threat to warrant the “in danger” listing. English Heritage, which manages Stonehenge, supports the redevelopment plan.

According to National Highways, the UK governmental body in charge of the proposed project, the danger is wildly overstated. “One of the most common myths is that the tunnel will be going under Stonehenge. This is just not true. It will in fact be further away than the current road,” the agency said in an online statement. Unesco will reassess the situation in December 2025. 

The road tunnel project, approved by former minister Grant Shapps in 2020, faced a court challenge and was quashed in 2021. The project was reapproved in 2022, with the latest legal appeal still pending.

UNESCO has previously opposed the tunnel project, citing adverse impact on the site’s outstanding value.