§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether "Seahenge" was listed or designated; and, if not, why not. [HL3782]
§ Lord McIntosh of Haringey"Seahenge" was not statutorily protected. English Heritage advised my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport that protecting the site as a Scheduled Ancient Monument would not have been appropriate, as it would not provide a sustainable solution for the preservation of the timbers. If left in situ, the timbers would have been destroyed relatively quickly by natural processes. The only appropriate action to recognise the national importance of the timbers was to remove them for conservation.