Oxford riders to mount protest at County Hall over lost
bridleway
Oxford horse riders will today (Tuesday, 6 November) mount
their steeds and ride on County Hall to protest at the loss
of an ancient bridleway at a cost of £30,000 to a horse
charity.
The British Horse Society (the BHS) lost a recent court battle
to car giant BMW and Oxfordshire County Council over the route
and had £30,000 of the council's legal costs awarded
against it.
Riders from the BHS and Oxford Area Bridleways Association
(OABA) are to meet with campaigners at Oxfordshire County
Council's headquarters from 9.15am today (Tuesday) to protest
at the decision.
Campaigner Troth Wells said: "We think that the way Oxfordshire
County Council has acted is very unfair, bordering on vindictive."
Fellow campaigner Glynis Coxeter said: "Horse riders
feel the County Council should have done more to defend their
rights of way. For instance, they could have insisted that
the new alternative route could be useable by horses."
The closed bridleway is the BR75/Roman Way at the BMW Works
at Cowley, Oxford.
Today, Ms Wells is to ask a question of the full County Council
meeting about the way in which Oxfordshire County Council
has behaved on this issue.
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