§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the intended relationship between the Stonehenge World Heritage Site Management Plan (which is to be submitted to UNESCO) and the Stonehenge Master Plan, which is not; and whether the two plans are compatible. [HL4504]
§ Lord McIntosh of HaringeyThe Stonehenge World Heritage Site Management Plan is being drawn up in response to the international obligation to produce such plans for all World Heritage Sites. It sets out objectives for the conservation and presentation of the Stonehenge World Heritage Site and suggests a detailed programme of action that is achievable. It provides the overarching framework within which the Stonehenge Master Plan will be implemented. This will improve the presentation of the monument, in particular the setting of Stonehenge by removal of the roads that pass close to the site and the establishment of a new visitor centre. The Government are satisfied that the two plans are fully compatible.
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§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
How English Heritage has spent £96,237 in the last year on legal fees relating to the proposed new Visitors' Centre for Stonehenge World Heritage Site; what has been achieved by publication relations and consultancy firms fees amounting to £179,751 paid by English Heritage; and what firms have received these sums (HC Deb, 19 October, WA 427). [HL4375]
§ Lord McIntosh of HaringeyIn 1998–99 and 1999–2000 English Heritage has commissioned legal work on a variety of matters, including planning, highways and road closure orders, procurement issues and general advice in relation to the tendering process for the design, finance, building and operation of the new Visitor Centre, negotiation of a contract to purchase land as a site for the new Visitor Centre at Countess East and acquisition of land adjacent to the Countess East site, project documentation for licences and agreements with the National Trust and other adjoining landowners, title matters, advising on employment and TUPE issues. Firms used include Norton Rose, Charles Russell and Bevan Ashford.
From time to time English Heritage has commissioned design material to inform and explain elements of the Stonehenge Master Plan to the general public. This work has included the Master Plan brochure, newsletters, exhibition and display material and a new Stonehenge logo for use in the marketing launch. Firms used include Atelier Works, Redwood Publishing Ltd. and Uffindell West Ltd.
§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Why there has been no contribution to funding the improvements now necessary within the Stonehenge World Heritage Site from the Lottery or the Millennium Funds; and whether, in the light of the damage to the site identified in the 1998 Report to the Highways Agency from Messrs Halcrow as deriving from the "Master Plan", they will now seek funding sufficient for the improvements to which English Heritage and the National Trust committed themselves in 1995; and [HL4667]
Whether, as stated in the Halcrow Report, Ministers decided in November 1997 that the improvements to the Stonehenge World Heritage Site to which English Heritage and the National Trust had committed themselves in 1995 should not be supported; and, if so, on what advice that decision was taken. [HL4668]
§ Lord McIntosh of HaringeyThe 1996 Stonehenge Millennium Park bid submitted to the Millennium Commission by English Heritage and the National Trust was unsuccessful. An application will be made by English Heritage to the Heritage Lottery Fund for a contribution to the roads improvements which are aimed at bringing substantial heritage and environmental benefits. The planning conference in 1995 supported, in principle, a number of proposed measures to improve the setting of Stonehenge and its environs. These included the construction of "a long222WA tunnel under the Stonehenge site" to take the A.303. However it recognised that finding the level of funding required would be problematic. At an estimated cost of £300 million this option was considered by the Government to be neither economic nor affordable. The report in 1998 to the Highways Agency from Halcrow reviewed the English Heritage proposal for a 2 km tunnel and comparative affordable options. It compared both benefits and disbenefits using the Government's New Approach to Appraisal. Nothing in the Halcrow report causes the Government to change their assessment of a long bored tunnel, and consequently they see no need to seek additional funding to build one.
§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many copies of the Halcrow Report on Stonehenge options are available; to whom they have been circulated; and whether this includes the Management Plan Working Group. [HL4325]
§ Lord McIntosh of HaringeyThis report was produced for Ministers in June 1998 as part of the work undertaken for the roads review. Copies were placed in the Libraries of the House and were made available to English Heritage, The National Trust, Wiltshire County Council and Salisbury District Council. All these bodies are represented on the Stonehenge World Heritage Site Management Group. Copies of the report have also been supplied on request to the organisations RESCUE and to Ms Kate Fielden, Mr Richard Wort and Mr C Woodford. We stand ready to fulfil any further requests for copies.