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Stonehenge and its Environs

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Responses to rejection of visitor centre plans


From the article in 'This Is Wiltshire'
http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/wiltshire/salisbury/news/SALIS_NEWS4.html

An English Heritage spokesman said: "We believe the grounds for refusal are ones that can easily be addressed and we will be discussing with Salisbury district council when to resubmit the scheme."

Salisbury MP Robert Key said it was important that meetings to resolve concerns about the scheme were held quickly, to ensure the funding remained in place: "There is a worry that, if there continues to be this time-slippage, the lottery funding for the project will be allocated to the Olympic Games, which would love to get its hands on these millions of pounds," he said.

The Heritage Lottery Fund says it will stick by this project for the time being, but something must be resolved. "If English Heritage does appeal against the council's decision, it could take up to a year and Salisbury district council - and therefore the council taxpayer - could be facing a bill of £500,000. "It will save a lot of time and money if these issues can be resolved and the plans are resubmitted."

The National Trust echoed the view, adding that the fundamental solution to Stonehenge's problems was "resolving the current stranglehold of the A303 and A344". Fiona Reynolds, director-general of the trust, said: "English Heritage's plans are only one part of the vision to reunite the stones with their landscape and improve the experience for visitors."

The district council said English Heritage had failed to demonstrate that the height, width and length of the land train and track would not have an adverse impact on residents, the world heritage site and archaeology. The council committee was also concerned about the impact on the flow of traffic on the A303.
Rhiannon Posted by Rhiannon
3rd August 2005ce
Edited 10th February 2006ce

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