CONSERVATIONISTS were unveiling major plans for the future of Stonehenge today.

A new dawn was declared for Stonehenge with the announcement of a £57 million scheme by English Heritage.

The new visitor centre and improved access is hoped to rescue the world-famous monument from its label as "a national disgrace".

The Heritage Lottery Fund has pledged £27 million towards the project with the Government giving backing of at least £10 million.

A contribution of £11.7 million will come from English Heritage while the balance will be raised by a major fundraising appeal later this year.

Landowners, the National Trust, will also organise funding for improvements to the landscape which will include opening up the ancient site in Wiltshire to give the fullest access ever with options for exploring the World Heritage site from a variety of new routes and drop-off points.

The new visitor centre will give tourists a short introductory multi-media presentation in one of two film theatres on the midsummer and midwinter solstice events and will also explain the theories of astronomy at Stonehenge in a dramatic new film and animated graphics.

Sir Neil Cossons, chairman of English Heritage said the new visitor centre would be placed outside of the archaeologically sensitive site.

"The importance of today's announcement cannot be underestimated. These funds are the key to reuniting archaeological landscape rich with ceremonial monuments spanning over 10,000 years.

"Stonehenge is a familiar image even to those who have never visited it, yet it is the site on which the nation's heritage-led tourist industry is judged. Although about 830,000 people a year from around the world pay to visit it, they spend on average just over half-an-hour at the stone circle.

"Visitors to Stonehenge deserve better than this and at long last they will be able to engage with the wonder of the Stonehenge landscape as never before."

The other half of the Master Plan for the prehistoric monument, controversial plans to alter the roads around Stonehenge, are still under consideration by the Highways Agency.

It may be planning to close the existing A344 and create a 2km section of the A303 under the site in a tunnel. A spokesman for the Highways Agency said at the announcement that draft road plans should be complete by January 2003 with a public inquiry expected to be held in the autumn of 2003.

The plans for improved access and the new visitor centre are hoped to be complete by 2006. Construction of the road scheme is likely to start in 2005 and be complete by 2008.