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Stonehenge: Unesco sees "little attention at government level" for the protection of the 5000 year old monument
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Ken Geiger / AFP
The controversial construction of a tunnel could endanger the status of the Stone Age monument Stonehenge as a World Heritage Site. There is "little attention at the government level" for the protection of such sites, criticized the head of the World Heritage UK organization, Chris Blandford, in the "Guardian" on Friday. The background is the planned construction of a motorway tunnel, which, according to the current state of planning, could endanger the more than 5000 year old monument.
The responsible Unesco committee passed a resolution at this year's meeting according to which Stonehenge could be placed on the list of endangered sites next year if the construction of the tunnel goes ahead as planned.
A legal dispute is currently ongoing about the planned construction.
Several local organizations are working to adapt the plans.
A longer tunnel would be more expensive, but it would be less of a threat to the site.
A few days ago, Unesco withdrew its World Heritage status from the port city of Liverpool.
It is only the third time in the history of the World Heritage Convention of 1972 that a cultural or natural site has had its prestigious title withdrawn.
Because of the city development project called "Liverpool Waters", the construction of high-rise buildings, infrastructure projects and poor management, the status was already threatened.
There was also criticism of a planned football stadium.
Liverpool has been on the list of endangered sites as a maritime trading city since 2012.
In a Unesco document it is said that it has long since lost its character, which led to it being classified as a world heritage site.
mkl / dpa
