Decision 46 COM 7B.18

Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) (C 373bis)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/24/46.COM/7B.Add,
2. Recalling Decisions 18 BUR VI.B, [25 COM VII.83][25 COM VIII.83],  27 COM 7B.82, 28 COM 15B.102, 29 COM 7B.88, 31 COM 7B.104, 41 COM 7B.56, 42 COM 7B.32, 43 COM 7B.95, 44 COM 7B.61 and 45 COM 7B.62 adopted at its 41st (Krakow, 2017), 42nd (Manama, 2018), 43rd (Baku, 2019), extended 44th (Fuzhou/online, 2021) and extended 45th (Riyadh, 2023) sessions respectively,
3. Notes that collaboration and partnerships among interested individuals and organisations continue to support the conservation of the property, through initiatives such as exhibitions and events, and continued progress on revised management and governance arrangements, and welcomes the commitment by the State Party to submit the draft Setting Study and Site Condition Survey to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies;
4. Also welcomes the proposed new educational facilities within the Stonehenge component of the property and the manner in which the design process has considered the findings of the Technical Review by ICOMOS;
5. Notes that the proposed A303 road Improvement Scheme (hereafter: Scheme) within the Stonehenge component of the property, was granted a Development Consent Order (DCO) in July 2023 without modification requested by previous Committee decisions and the recommendations of the 2022 Advisory mission and that, as outlined in the State Party’s 2024 state of conservation report, the design can be refined following the granting of the DCO, and also notes that in February 2024 the UK High Court upheld the decision to grant the DCO and that in May 2024 permission to appeal against that decision was also granted;
6. Notes that preparatory works in the vicinity of the property have commenced and that the State Party submitted a set of corrective measures to the World Heritage Centre by 31 January 2024 in its state of conservation report 2024;
7. Takes note that the State Party has considered over 50 different options for the Scheme over the last 30 years, with amendments and modifications and has the support of the national heritage agency;
8. Acknowledges the State Party’s commitment to continue dialogue and consultation, that the State Party has provided the World Heritage Centre, as requested by the Committee, with an information package on the proposed design developments to the Scheme, and that the Scheme design has been updated to reduce the extent of the exposed highway cutting at the western end through cantilevered edges and the introduction of an additional 150 m-wide green bridge, and that the State Party has briefed the World Heritage Centre and Advisory Bodies about these proposed design adjustments;
9. Encourages the State Party to continue to explore whether there are any further options to further reduce the adverse impact of the Western Portal;
10. Notes in view of its previous requests, that the State Party should not proceed with the A303 route upgrade for the section between Amesbury and Berwick Down in its current further-modified form, and its previous advice that the minimum change required includes an extension of the underground section of the western approach (in tunnel and/or cut-and-cover) at least to the western boundary of the property, with the western portal relocated as far to the west as reasonably practical;
11. Notes that the current Scheme, as modified in January 2024, still retains dual carriageway sections exposed in cuttings, particularly those at the western end of the Stonehenge component of the property;
12. Recognizes that the proposed design developments offer enhanced mitigation of the impacts on the integrity of the property and that the impacts of the proposed open 0.7 km cutting at the Western Portal do not constitute sufficient ascertained or potential danger to warrant inclusion on the List of World Heritage in Danger;
13. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2025, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 48th session.