Campaign group Save Stonehenge World Heritage Site (SSWHS) challenged the transport minister’s decision in court.
David Wolfe QC, barrister for SSWHS, said Mr Shapps had “misconstrued the advice of Historic England,” which recommended that development consent should be withheld when he made his decision.
It comes after Liverpool this week became the first UK heritage site to lose its status. The UN’s heritage body said it was removing the city’s historic waterfront from the list – which includes sites such as the Taj Mahal, Venice and the Great Wall of China – because its “outstanding universal value” had been compromised by new and proposed buildings, including Everton football club’s new £500m stadium.