Ramblers' Association takes on BMW over planned Roman Road closure
[9 October 2007]
The Ramblers’ Association (RA) this week
(8th – 12th October) begins a ‘David and Goliath’ style legal
battle against BMW in Oxford, who are attempting to block public
access to a 2000 yr old footpath
that over 400 people use every day.
The case, being fought in Witney magistrates court throughout
this week, is the culmination of an 18-month campaign by the RA
to prevent BMW from extinguishing a bridleway that runs through
the grounds of its’ plant in Oxford.
The bridleway – a Roman Road - links the population of the
Blackbird Leys estate with surrounding countryside and the
village of Horspath. BMW’s own research suggests that it is used
by up to 400 BMW workers, walkers and cyclists a day, to access
the BMW plant and the green spaces in the North East of the
city.
BMW first applied to the County Council to extinguish the path
in May 2006, claiming that the path is unnecessary as they are
willing to fund an alternative path. The planned alternative
path will run for 1 mile along the heavily congested Oxford ring
road. The RA has opposed the plans on the grounds that the path
endangers the health, safety and wellbeing of pedestrians.
Adrian Morris, head of the RA’s footpath team comments: “BMW’s
plans will deny hundreds of people per day a safe and quiet
means of accessing work and the countryside beyond, endangering
their health and safety as they are forced to trek along a busy
B road.”
He adds: “This is a real David and Goliath scenario; BMW have
assigned two barristers to the case and have even offered not to
pursue costs if we drop it. However, we will continue to fight
them in court this week because we believe that safe pathways
are a basic right which cannot be undermined by huge
corporations like BMW.”
The case goes to court today and a verdict is expected next
week.