The Ramblers’ Association (RA) has expressed its “severe disappointment” at the decision of a district judge, Witney, to allow BMW and Oxfordshire County Council to close a 2000 year-old-path that up to 400 people use every day. They have criticised BMW’s handling of the case, that turned a theoretically simple case into an ordeal lasting well over a week.
The verdict, delivered today, follows a seven-day hearing which finished in Witney magistrates’ court last week. The case was the culmination of an 18 month campaign by the Ramblers’ Association to prevent BMW closing this historic route that runs through its plant in Oxford and that provides a link for walkers, workers, horse-riders and cyclists between the plant and the green spaces in the north east of the city.
The district judge backed BMW and Oxfordshire County Council’s plans to close the bridleway on the grounds that it is “unnecessary”, and that BMW have agreed to fund an alternative path. The planned alternative, however, runs for one mile along the heavily congested Oxford ring road. The RA has argued that this endangers the health, safety and wellbeing of pedestrians.
Adrian Morris, head of the RA’s footpath team is quoted as sayin
We are bitterly disappointed that BMW will be allowed to close this community’s historic path, and deny hundreds of local residents per day a safe and quiet means of accessing work and the countryside beyond.
The judge’s decision to close this safe and pleasant path flies in the face of the fight against obesity and climate change by encouraging people off their local paths and back into their cars!
Adrian Morris goes on to criticise BMW’s handling of the case.
BMW flooded the court with irrelevant paperwork, turning a theoretically simple case into a five-day ordeal – eight days in total – which sent legal costs soaring sky high.
The RA is also frustrated that Oxfordshire County Council chose to pursue the closure through the magistrates’ court. This is an outmoded and costly procedure that intimidates ordinary members of the public from making their objections heard.
Eight out of ten path diversions go uncontested by the RA or any other organisations. We fight, as in this case, where there is a real threat to heritage or the public’s right to safe travel. We will continue to do so.
Troth Wells, of Tree Lane, Iffley, a member of the British Horse Society, and the Oxford Area Bridleways Association had this to say on the court’s decision
We are very disappointed with this decision which means riders will no longer be able to use this route to Shotover Park. I was riding my horse Copper there this morning.”
The judge ordered the British Horse Society and Ramblers’ Association to pay £27,700 legal costs and £19,800 costs respectively, to the county council.
Rebecca Baxter, a spokesman for BMW, said the decision would mean the company could “better utilise” its existing site, adding
We are grateful that we can now proceed with planning for the future. We have made a commitment to providing an alternative route and will be starting work on that within the next 16 weeks.
The project will take six months from start to finish. In the meantime, cyclists and pedestrians will still be able to use the existing route until the new path and cycleway is completed and signed off by Oxfordshire County Council.
Sources: The Ramblers Association and Oxford Mail
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