Local right of way survives two world wars but is closed to the public with New Labour councillors’ help
In the previous issue of the Leys Independent we reported that IWCA councillor Stuart Craft had just appeared for the second time at Witney Magistrate’s Court to give evidence against BMW in its application to close Bridleway 75, an ancient footpath which runs through the car plant, between Garsington Road and Horspath Road.
Unfortunately, as predicted, the German car giant got its way and the court granted its application.
Bridleway 75 has served local workers for generations as a short cut into the car factory and onto the Horspath Road Industrial Estate. It has also been a much-used, safe and convenient route to Shotover, Brasenose Woods and the Horspath Road sports fields for families from Blackbird Leys and the surrounding area.
BMW has been trying to close Bridleway 75 for a number of years while the IWCA has done all it can to keep it open. We first persuaded the South East Area Committee to vote against the closure in February 2003. In August 2006, although Labour councillors used their majority on the area committee to push through a planning application for an alternative route—against the wishes of the IWCA councillors—it was agreed, despite pro-BMW lobbying from Cllr Val Smith, to vote against any future application to close the bridleway.
Conveniently for Cllr Smith however, the application never returned to the South East Area Committee. Instead it was bypassed. Could this have been a deliberate ploy? It certainly worked to the advantage of BMW and its New Labour supporters.
In court, BMW’s legal team claimed—in the face of protests from the IWCA and Green councillors present—that the Labour-controlled Cowley Area Committee’s approval of the bridleway closure could be taken to represent support for BMW’s plans from the city council as a whole.
Approval from the Conservative County Council was also guaranteed by the unashamed assistance of New Labour—local county councillors Val Smith and Barbara Gatehouse having blatantly lobbied on behalf of the German car giant.
It is no wonder that those who gave the best years of their lives to build the Oxford East Labour Party, in the belief that it would serve the interests of local working class families, now feel helpless and utterly betrayed as they see Labour councillors and MPs sell us out to suit the interests of big business.
Leys Independent, issue 38, February 2008
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