Final hurdle approaches (From The Oxford Times)

Final hurdle approaches

8:00am Thursday 8th December 2011 in Features By Reg Little

Horse-drawn drawn carriages are as much a part of Europe’s great historic cities as street cafes and tour guides. Now after decades of horse-free streets, the clatter of hooves could soon be heard in the centre of Oxford.

When The Oxford Times first revealed proposals from Kevin Merry Carriages to operate a horse carriage service in the city centre many local residents assumed it was a joke — about as likely as tram tracks being laid down the middle of Cornmarket.

The very idea of horses sharing space in the High with the hundreds of buses and coaches that travel up and down the historic street daily seemed simply unimaginable.

But in October, Oxford City Council’s general purposes licensing committee supported the idea in principle, agreeing that by-laws could be established to allow horse-drawn sightseeing carriages to operate through the city for the first time in 70 years.

The final hurdle could be cleared if approval is given at a meeting of the full council on December 19.

Kevin Merry, the man behind the idea, is the owner of the Forest Hill-based company Kevin Merry Carriages, which provides carriages for weddings, funerals and balls.

With over 30 years of experience working with horses, he said this week that he was pleased with the positive response from the public.

True, a petition was signed by 700 people opposing the introduction of horse-drawn carriages in Oxford, after the city council embarked on a public consultation.

But, as quickly became clear, the petition was organised by the animal rights group PETA (the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), which had alerted its supporters across the UK to the proposal.

But it has now emerged that another animal rights group, Animal Aid, is to make a last-ditch bid to make it a less than happy Christmas for Mr Merry.

This group effectively put the spoke in the wheel of a previous bid to introduce horse carriage rides in the city.

A decade ago, it successfully campaigned against a by-law that would have allowed Hook Norton-based Oxford Shires to run a shire horse-drawn carriage, mainly for tourists.

It is attempting to pull off the trick for a second time, with the group writing to city councillors urging them to delay the decision until after a meeting with Animal Aid representatives.

A detailed letter argues that horse-drawn carriages would be dangerous for both the animals and members of the public.

“Oxford City centre is extremely busy, with many pedestrians, and we are concerned that the driver of the carriage will not be able to spot anyone walking dangerously near the carriage or behind the carriage.

“We have not seen any risk assessment in the council’s documents regarding the proposed project especially in relation to parts of the route which are very narrow, such as Turl Street and the potential risk to pedestrians or passengers if a horse bolts or if a carriage overturns and crashes into any of the shops at the side of the road.”

The plan is for the carriage to travel around the colleges on a 30-minute trip starting and ending at Broad Street, with no pick-ups or drop-offs along the route, no greater than 1km.

With several streets with “restricted access” the company says it would seek advice from the council’s highways department.

But Animal Aid has wasted no time in investigating what it believes to be the likely route on a bicycle, travelling at the approximate speed of a horse and carriage.

A lengthy list of problems are set out: two-thirds of the route (including Merton Street and Radcliffe Square) is said to be cobbled which “will cause painful, bruised soles”; carriages would go the entire way around the busy Plain roundabout “posing a danger to horses”; and the horse carriage would enter Turl Street “the wrong way”, going against the flow of vehicles and cyclists.

Then there are the potholes and broken cobbles in Merton Street and the sharp narrow curve where St Cross becomes Longwall Street.

But Mr Merry said: “The final route has been not yet been finalised. But if the area was difficult for the horses, we wouldn’t do it.”

It is, however, likely to include the High, the Broad and Radcliffe Camera, which he maintains would hold no perils for his Friesians.

Before the licensing committee meeting, he told The Oxford Times: “These horses have been bred for over 300 years specifically to pull carriages, are very experienced with traffic and, as an extra safety precaution, disc brakes are fitted to the carriage.”

“Regarding congestion, we would be restricted by the council to one horse-drawn carriage, not many, as has been suggested.

“The route largely avoids main thoroughfares and where it does use main roads, our pace is only 8mph less than the maximum speed for other vehicles.

“These days one city looks very much like another. Even so, for the horse’s well-being, we always ensure plenty of rest time between rides.”

During his 10-year history of running his horse and carriage business, Mr Merry says he has never once experienced a horse getting out of control.

His plan is to initially offer the carriage service on Sundays from May through to September from 10am through to 5.30pm.

But should the rides prove popular, he would consider extending the service to Saturdays and throughout the week.

Horses would never work for more than about seven-and-a-half hours, he added.

But while Mr Merry points us to romantic and stylish cities, Animal Aid tells councillors of shocking episodes in New York with Central Park horses collapsing, spooked horses bolting into traffic and carriages crashing in 7th Avenue and 60th Street.

Another issue that he will be obliged to clear up is the prospect of the city facing a new pollution problem.

The company admits that it would be impractical to stop and start to clear up droppings but says there would be a collection at the end of the day to ensure Oxford streets were left clean.

Divinity Road resident Elizabeth Mills, following a holiday in Rome, believes an even simpler answer could be available.

“They have solved the problem of clearing up manure by adding a simple bucket to the rear of the horse.

“It means that horse droppings are no longer littering Rome’s streets and the horses seem completely unaware that they are carrying their own portaloo.”

Meanwhile, in advance of the council meeting, PETA has just posted an action alert on its website urging its supporters to tell city councillors that horses do not belong on the streets of Oxford.

A Merry decision before Christmas will be eagerly awaited, although this looks like a story that could run and run.