by Richard Sadler of The Guardian
Wednesday February 4, 2004
A public inquiry into plans for a dual carriageway under Stonehenge will stoke the fierce debate on how best to protect a site on a par with the Taj Mahal and the pyramids.
Six years ago, when the new Labour government was seeking to justify spending £758m on the Millennium Dome, ministers were finalising plans involving another national monument, but it, unlike the dome, had been built to last – about five millennia at the last count.
Stonehenge, one of the world’s most famous landmarks and Europe’s most sensitive archaeological site, is on a par with the Taj Mahal and the Pyramid Fields of Giza on the UN’s list of world heritage sites. But the prehistoric monument was due for a makeover – at least, that is how the plans were sold by the government. Complete story here....