Stonehenge and the A.303 (Hansard, 13 October 1993)

HL Deb 13 October 1993 vol 549 cc195-6 195

§ 3.12 p.m.

§ The Earl of Clanwilliam asked Her Majesty's Government:

§ What archaeological experts were consulted by the Department of Transport before the recommendation of the grey and yellow routes for the Stonehenge section of the A.303 Amesbury to Berwick Down improvement was made.

The Earl of Caithness
My Lords, we carried out our usual informal consultation with representatives of interested bodies and organisations in the development of possible routes for public consultation. We also sought data from English Heritage, the Royal Commission on Historic Monuments of England, the Department of National Heritage, the International Commission on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), the Wiltshire County Archaeologist, the Society of Antiquaries and the Prehistoric Society, and we employed a consultant archaeologist.

The Earl of Clanwilliam
My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that very full reply. I believe that he mentioned the National Trust and many other important bodies. Although the noble Lord, Lord Chorley, is not able to be in the House today, I have his authority to say that there is great anxiety that the existing yellow routes will he adopted without the construction of a much longer tunnel. If a long tunnel is not possible, it will be important—indeed, imperative—that the route should be taken to the north, if necessary through MoD territory. My noble friend will accept that Stonehenge is a world heritage site, the only one in the United Kingdom. The 1,500 acres around it are of enormous archaeological importance. Will my noble friend accept that to run a road through them would be folly?

The Earl of Caithness
My Lords, we all accept that Stonehenge is a world heritage site, but the existing road is also within that site. That is where there is a problem. There is a huge amount of congestion and there have been a substantial number of accidents in the area. Everyone recognises that there is a problem. The difficulty is how to solve the problem with everybody's agreement; and that is extremely tricky.

§ Lord Clinton-Davis
My Lords, are the Minister's officials considering and discussing the question of compensation? Having regard to the Government's determination to preserve their own neolithic image, what are they doing in relation to the preservation of the neolithic and bronze age sites in the area which are of great historic importance to this country?

The Earl of Caithness
My Lords, the noble Lord raises an important point. There are a vast number of tumuli and monuments in that part of the world. Wherever one tries to alleviate a problem by building a better road in the area there will undoubtedly be some damage. That is why we are taking the matter extremely seriously and a grew deal of consultation is taking place.

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§ Lord Montagu of Beaulieu
My Lords, will my noble friend accept that wherever a road is built in the Stonehenge area it will cause archaeological problems? Therefore, does he agree that it is better to look at where damage has already been done on existing road lines; rather than using another route?

The Earl of Caithness
My Lords, my noble friend is right. There are about 400 listed monuments in the area. It is now a question of trying to find the best route to solve the problem which everybody agrees exists.

§ Viscount Head
My Lords, the noble Earl is no doubt aware of the report from the Landscape Advisory Committee which, as I understand it, expressed unanimously the view that the proposed grey route would be extremely detrimental to the landscape and should be abandoned as a result. Yet that report has not been made public. Will Her Majesty's Government publish the report in view of the crucial evidence that it contains and have a copy of it placed in the Library of the House?

The Earl of Caithness
My Lords, our normal practice is not to release the report given by the Landscape Advisory Committee at this stage. It is held in confidence lest anyone with an interest in any particular route should seek to exert pressure on individual voluntary members of the committee. The report will be made available when the preferred route is announced.