Play all audios:
THE PETITION, TITLED ‘PREVENT THE CLOSURE AND RESTRICTION OF VEHICLE ACCESS TO THE STONEHENGE DROVE’, HAS ALREADY GATHERED THOUSANDS OF SIGNATURES. 08:09, 21 Apr 2025 Drivers face a 18-month
ban from parking near Stonehenge. Wiltshire Council has begun limiting drivers from being able to park near Stonehenge, a historic site in the south of England which is a go-to for millions
of tourists. A petition was launched last month calling for the immediate removal of the restrictions. The petition, titled ‘Prevent the Closure and Restriction of Vehicle Access to The
Stonehenge Drove’, has already gathered thousands of signatures. "As a local and frequent visitor to The Stonehenge Drove, its recent closure and limitations on vehicle access imposed
by Wiltshire Highways deeply concern me. For several months, the freedom to access this sacred site has been significantly curtailed," it warned. Article continues below READ MORE EXACT
DATES NEXT UK MINI-HEATWAVE START AND END WITH 72-HOUR SCORCHER SET TO HIT "I fear that if the public is prevented from parking or driving onto the Drove, there will be more
limitations and obstructions to access the site." Councillor Parvis Khansari, the corporate director for place, said: "Some byways within the Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage
Site are currently closed, as they have been significantly damaged by motor vehicles. "We are looking to repair the byways over the coming months, and in the meantime, we are engaging
with stakeholders to seek their views on the best way forward for these byways. The current Experimental Traffic Regulation Order can remain in place for up to 18 months." He noted that
the council has engaged with stakeholders to seek their views on the "best way forward for these byways". He added: "Should a traffic regulation order be necessary, this
would be subject to a formal consultation process during which anyone can comment before a final decision is made." "Without it, their accessibility to the stones is likely to be
severely reduced. Furthermore, for those devoted to their spiritual faith, access to the stones is not just desirable, but essential," the petition warned. Article continues below The
petition shared: "Stonehenge is an icon not only for Wiltshire, but for all of the UK, drawing in approximately 1.5 million visitors per year before the Covid-19 pandemic. The sign of
things returning to normal is these spaces reopening - and we should be making it easier, not harder, for people to access their heritage and enjoy their open spaces." Campaigner Simon
Banton said it would be "extremely prejudicial to less-mobile members of society and would effectively bar them from experiencing the landscape ‘out of hours’." "Even when the
visitor centre is open, the cost of a family ticket essentially precludes the possibility of experiencing the monument and its landscape from all but those wealthy enough," she said.