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£1 million for new Stonehenge visitor centre to boost local
economy
14 October 2009
The South West RDA (Regional Development Agency) has awarded £1
million to English Heritage towards the cost of their new visitor
facilities at Stonehenge. Plans for the building were unveiled
earlier this week.
The Government has requested that facilities are improved at the
World Heritage Site in time for the 2012 Olympics - when an even
greater number of international tourists are expected to visit.
The prehistoric monument, which dates back over 5,000 years,
already attracts over 800,000 visitors a year, but often they come
from and return to London. The South West RDA believes that by
improving the facilities, visitors will be encouraged to stay
longer and spend more, both at the site and in Wiltshire and the
surrounding region.
Tourism in the South West is worth £9 billion each year to the
regional economy, employing over 250,000 people and attracting more
than 26 million visitors a year. It accounts for about 3.5 per cent
of GDP in the region.
The improved visitor centre, including exhibition and education
spaces, cafe, shop and toilets, will be environmentally sustainable
and sensitively designed for the historic landscape. Other
enhancements at the site will include highways improvements and a
new low-emission visitor transit system to take people from the new
centre to the stones. The current visitor facilities, car park and
part of the A344 will be returned to grass.
Tony Bray, the South West RDA's Wessex Director said: "For too
long the facilities at Stonehenge have not matched the magnificence
of the monument itself. The poor, often overcrowded visitor centre
contributes to the fact that the majority of visitors spend very
little time at the site - often getting back on board coaches and
returning to the capital.
"The new centre will have minimum impact on the surrounding
landscape, but ensure that visitors don't disappear within minutes
of viewing the stones. It's our hope that the new centre will
encourage visitors to spend more time there and explore other parts
of the county, creating a boost for the local economy."
Loraine Knowles, Stonehenge Project Director, English Heritage,
said: "We are delighted that the project has been so generously
supported by the South West RDA. The improvements we are seeking at
Stonehenge will offer visitors an appropriate welcome and a more
enjoyable experience, enticing them to venture further afield to
the many more wonderful places in the region."
Ends
Notes to editors
1. The South West RDA leads the development of a sustainable
economy, investing to unlock the region's business potential It is
helping companies respond to the economic crisis and charts a
course for recovery. The RDA is developing or expanding initiatives
which include: establishing a Business Loan Fund; coordinating the
response to large companies in difficulty; preparing for economic
recovery.
2. For more information on English Heritage's plans go to
www.stonehengevisitorcentre.org
For media enquiries, contact Kierstan Lowe or Sue Amiel at
Spirit Public Relations
klowe@spiritpublicrelations.co.uk
samiel@spiritpublicrelations.co.uk
0117 944 1415