UNESCO Rejects Stonehenge's 'Endangered' Status Amid Highway Controversy

LONDON (AP) — The United Nations’ cultural agency, UNESCO, has decided against placing Stonehenge on its list of endangered world heritage sites, despite concerns that a proposed highway tunnel could threaten the prehistoric monument's landscape. UNESCO experts had recommended the designation due to ongoing legal challenges surrounding the highway redevelopment project, which has been a contentious issue for decades. The agency clarified that adding a site to the List of World Heritage Sites in Danger is not a punitive measure but rather a way to highlight the need for conservation and encourage corrective actions. While the inclusion of Stonehenge could have pressured the British government to reconsider the highway plans, officials argued that their mitigation efforts were adequate. A government spokesperson expressed satisfaction with UNESCO's decision regarding the iconic site. In contrast, the campaign group Stonehenge Alliance expressed shock at the outcome, urging the new Labour government to distance itself from what they termed “political maneuverings.” Legal challenges against the highway plan continue, with campaigners recently initiating their latest appeal in the U.K. Court of Appeal. Stonehenge, constructed over 5,000 years ago, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1986. Its significance has been debated throughout history, with various theories regarding its purpose, including its role as a temple or astronomical observatory. Currently, it is most commonly viewed as a prehistoric temple aligned with solar movements, according to English Heritage.