Lord Kennet askedHer Majesty's Government:
What commercial outlets are being envisaged by English Heritage for the Stonehenge World Heritage Site visitors centre. [HL4323]
§ Lord McIntosh of HaringeyIt is envisaged that the new Stonehenge visitor centre at Countess East will provide catering outlets and retail facilities of the highest quality. The planning brief for the site makes provision for fast food outlets, more traditional restaurants and beverage outlets. There will also be areas for English Heritage and the National Trust to sell their memberships.
Any proposals for additonal uses or facilities will be considered on their merits.
Lord Kennet askedHer Majesty's Government:
What assessments and what public consultations underpin English Heritage's decision that a large commercially operated visitors centre is appropriate for the Stonehenge World Heritage Site. [HL4457]
§ Lord McIntosh of HaringeyThe current visitor facilities at Stonehenge, which receive nearly 1 million visitors a year, were described by the National Audit Office in 1991 as "poor" with cramped and squalid facilities which were too small and frequently overcrowded. The Public Accounts Committee of the House of Commons in 1993 said that Stonehenge was a "national disgrace". The creation of a new visitor centre, located outside the boundaries of the World Heritage Site, is a direct response to those criticisms. It will be developed on the Countess East site within guidelines set out in the 1999 planning brief recently adopted by Salisbury District Council as supplementary planning guidance following full public consultation.
§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether English Heritage has been given carte blanche by Ministers to choose a commercial operator for a visitors centre for the Stonehenge World Heritage Site; and, if so, whether one has yet been chosen. [HL4458]
§ Lord McIntosh of HaringeyThe preferred commercial operator will be chosen by the selection panel which is made up of commissioners and senior staff of English Heritage, council members and senior staff of the National Trust and a senior member of staff of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Short-listing of bidders has taken place and final bids are due back on 15 November, with selection taking place in January 2000.
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§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
What criteria and what conditions an operator for a visitors centre for the Stonehenge World Heritage Site will be required to meet. [HL4459]
§ Lord McIntosh of HaringeyThe marketing brochure and information pack circulated to bidders makes clear that the successful bidder will be required to provide the following: an imaginative visitor experience for the presentation and interpretation of Stonehenge and its monumental landscape providing full information on Stonehenge and the heritage attractions of Wessex; an education and resource centre; a children's play area; a first aid centre; an outlet for English Heritage and National Trust to sell membership; a range of catering outlets including fast food restaurants and other beverage outlets; adequate toilet facilities; a range of retail facilities; adequate coach and car parking; and an environmentally sensitive transport link to take visitors from the visitor centre to the drop off points. The information pack contains further detailed requirements which the successful bidder will need to satisfy and additional supplementary guidance clarifying these requirements has recently been circulated to all the short listed bidders.
§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether Ministers have been shown mock-up pictures of how the Stonehenge World Heritage Site would look if the currently proposed cut-and-cover tunnel and road-dualling throughout the World Heritage Site were carried out, alongside pictures of the proposed twin-bore tunnel. [HL4501]
§ Lord McIntosh of HaringeyMinisters, and the public, have been shown pictures of what the Stonehenge World Heritage site will look like after completion of the proposed cut and cover tunnel in the Stonehenge master plan literature. There are no plans at present to produce any further such illustrations. There were no pictures created to show the effect of a long bored tunnel, as this is not an option under consideration by the Government.
§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Who are the bidders for the commercial operator licence to design, finance, build and operate a new visitors centre for the Stonehenge World Heritage Site. [HL4502]
§ Lord McIntosh of HaringeyThe selection process is currently under way but it would be contrary to the normal arrangements for commercial confidentiality to release the names of the short-listed bidders at this time. English Heritage anticipates that the identity of the preferred bidder should be announced in January 2000.