Drivers have been left furious over a local authority's plan to ban parking near a major tourist hotspot, which attracts millions of views every year.
Wiltshire Council has begun limiting drivers from being able to park near Stonehenge, with motorists now taking action.
A petition was launched last month calling for the immediate removal of the restrictions in place for drivers, with many citing the importance the parking spot holds for vulnerable road users and family cars.
The petition, titled ‘Prevent the Closure and Restriction of Vehicle Access to The Stonehenge Drove’, has already gathered thousands of signatures from drivers and residents in the area.
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Wiltshire Council has introduced an 18-month ban from parking near Stonehenge
PA
It detailed: "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.
"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."
The Drove is situated next to a historic site and has been flagged as an important parking spot for disabled people and visitors, which enables them to get close to the stones.
"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.
The Drove has been closed off for months due to Wiltshire Council stating that the surface conditions had "deteriorated to unacceptable levels" due to vehicles clogging up the area.
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 that the council will digest the feedback before making a decision on whether to extend or revoke the traffic order.
"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," he stated.
But campaigner Simon Banton raised concerns about the measures, expressing that it could 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 noted.
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Stonehenge sees roughly 1.5 millions visitors per year
PAThe 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."
