Stonehenge at risk of losing World Heritage status

Stonehenge is a Neolithic and Bronze Age megalithic monument near Amesbury, England. It consists of earthworks surrounding a ring of stones, and is one of the world's most famous prehistoric sites. Archaeologists believe the stones were erected around 2500–2000 BC, although the surrounding ring of stones was built earlier, around 3100 BC.

The European Union Heritage Agency has warned it will remove Britain's Stonehenge from its World Heritage list if the government goes ahead with a £1.7 billion tunnel project near the famous landmark.

Speaking to the press on July 23, the agency announced that it would be more rigorous in reviewing 31 other British landmarks including Westminster Palace, Kew Gardens, Tower of London, etc. after Liverpool was stripped of its Heritage status.

The decision comes as a series of famous British heritage sites are being affected by excessive construction.

Chris Blandford, chairman of World Heritage UK, said that the UK government paid too little attention to the integrity of its heritage sites compared to other “national gems” such as the Taj Mahal and the Giza pyramids. Heritage sites in the UK are not being properly invested in and fully exploited as required by the organisation.

UNESCO representatives also criticized the British government for failing to fulfill its responsibility to protect Liverpool's historical value while focusing only on urbanization.

UNESCO believes that Britain needs to set up a body to manage cultural sites instead of leaving it to local authorities. Local authorities, with uneven funding levels, find it difficult to preserve historic sites in the face of financial pressure and urbanisation.

According to a 2019 report by the UK World Heritage Organisation, the organisation received only around £5m a year from 2013 to 2018. The UK's annual spending on its 31 World Heritage sites is around £19m, which pales in comparison to the £70m the government invests in its 15 national parks.

Ba Di