BMW’s refusal to replace an ancient bridleway has resulted in a double blow for horse riders: a lost bridleway and a bill of £30,000 for their charity, The British Horse Society.
Judge Brian Loosley yesterday (Monday, 15 October) allowed BMW to stop up a bridleway and short section of unclassified highway that stands in the way of a proposed redevelopment of their Cowley plant in Oxford. He ordered the BHS, the horse charity which had strenuously fought the closure, to pay costs of £30,000.
The Roman way had provided access to Shotover Country Park and Brasenose Woods for people who live in the south-east of Oxford, and also provided an off-road link between another bridleway to the south and a restricted byway to the north.
While BMW will provide an alternative route for pedestrians and cyclists, no route will be provided for horse riders to replace the historic route which is being closed.
BMW had undertaken to pay all of the County Council’s costs arising out of the application but is apparently happy to see costs being awarded against two charities, The British Horse Society and the Ramblers Association.
The British Horse Society regards BMW's action as an attack on horse riders.
The BHS's Chief Executive Graham Cory said: "It is surprising that a company of the size and reputation of BMW is prepared, not just to dismiss the interests of riders by extinguishing a bridleway which was commercially inconvenient to the company’s shareholders, but also to see the BHS, which had sought to protect the interests of horse riders, being heavily penalised for so doing."
Mark Weston, the Society’s Director of Access, Safety and Welfare, said: “If The British Horse Society does not stand up and fight for equestrian rights of way, who will? We will be using the decision in this case to highlight the costs involved in fighting to preserve access opportunities for the future generations of riders and to launch a fund to enable the Society to fight future cases.”
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