String of pony deaths raise issue of fencing in the New Forest

Images of hoards of ponies innocently standing by roadsides in the heart of the New Forest have been the main stay of holiday snaps and post cards for years.

But now after a string of pony deaths and near misses involving cars is it really time to think what would have been unthinkable throughout most of the ancient forest's history?

In a move which will anger many a New Forest traditionalist, it has been muted that the time may have come to actually fence the ponies in to protect both them and road users.

Pensioner Peter Jones will never forget the traumatic moment a routine journey across the New Forest ended in horror.

Mr Jones, 72, and his wife Carol, 70, were returning from a visit to their daughter when their car was rammed by one of the Forest's iconic ponies, which was being chased by a dog.

Rocketing out of gorse bushes beside the road the panic-stricken animal crashed into their leasehold Ford Kuga, causing about £15,000 of damage.

The badly-injured pony tried to get up but died before it could be humanely destroyed by one of the New Forest agisters.

As reported in the Daily Echo, dramatic dashcam footage of the collision on the B3054 near Lymington was released this week as a warning to other drivers.

The pony's head suddenly flashes into view but is visible for only a split second - a graphic illustration of how quickly disaster can strike.

More recently four ponies, including three owned by the same woman, were killed in a spate of collisions on the B3078 near Bramshaw.

Now there are calls from some corners of the forest and fence more of the roads, especially the high-risk routes.

The number of accidents involving ponies, cows and donkeys has dropped dramatically since the early 1960s, when more than 200 were killed every year. But 63 animals died last year and a further 35 were injured.

A recent spike in the number of collisions was raised at a meeting of the New Forest National Park Authority (NPA).

Cllr Ken Thornber, former leader of Hampshire County Council, said: "The need for a 30mph limit and - horror of horrors - a fencing-in of the animals draws ever nearer."

His comment was met with silence - an indication of the sensitivities surrounding the fencing issue.

The possibility of building barriers causes hackles to rise whenever the subject is mentioned. Critics claim that "partitioning" the Forest would destroy the character and appearance of the area, often dubbed the largest unenclosed tract of land in the south.

Many of the tourists who visit the area are attracted by the prospect of seeing thousands of ponies, donkeys and cows roaming at will.

They are owned by people known as commoners - villagers who buy and sell animals and have the right to let their stock graze the landscape.

Cllr Thornber's comments sparked claims that fencing the ponies in would damage the tourist industry as well as jeopardising the future of the commoning.

Those strongly in favour of keeping the area as it is include the NPA chairman, former Official Verderer Oliver Crosthwaite-Eyre.

He said: "The open landscape of the New Forest is one of the distinctive and much-loved features of the National Park.

"Whenever one of the animals is killed it's a loss to the Forest and very upsetting for its owner.

"However, fencing of roads would change forever the unique feel of the Forest and have negative consequences for the rare habitats that are shaped by the animals’ free grazing.

"Although fencing is not the right answer there are many other ways to reduce the number of accidents.

"This year the county council is planning to improve warning signage around Brockenhurst and Sway, where there are some particularly high-risk roads."

Mr Crosthwaite-Eyre also listed some of the other steps being taken to protect the animals, including educational campaigns, extensive use of a police speed camera van and a project that aims to help local employers encourage their staff to drive more carefully.

He said: "These measures have helped reduce the percentage of (animal) deaths to historically low levels but there is no room for complacency.

"We will continue to work tirelessly with commoners and local organisations to reduce the number of deaths still further."

A Forestry Commission spokesman added: "Currently there isn’t strong support to fence off large areas as the open nature of the landscape is part of its unique character.

"Fencing the roads would have an adverse effect on the unique heritage of the New Forest. It would also restrict the constant grazing and free movement of livestock, which is vital to the Forest and helps preserve many important species of plants that thrive here.”

Other organisations are also opposed to the idea, including those representing animal owners.

Graham Ferris, chairman of the Commoners’ Defence Association, said: “At the moment we have a free-ranging, semi-feral herd of ponies that keep the Forest looking the way it does. Fences would divide it into little blocks of land, creating small farm-like populations.”

Sue Westwood, clerk to the Verderers, added: “Fences would completely change the look of the Forest - and the financial cost would be phenomenal.

“You’d need underpasses to facilitate the free movement of stock, plus extra cattle grids on side roads - and they cost at least £60,000 each.”

Is it time to fence the New Forest?

YES, says Mike Cooper, a former chairman of the Commoners' Defence Association.

As a practising commoner of some 25 years I have been involved with several Forest organisations, most of which have discussed and acted upon the problem of reducing animal accidents on unfenced roads.

I have suffered the after effects of losing stock and the increased drama of hit-and-run accidents.

Many ideas have been adopted and the use of reflective collars has proved quite effective. However, seeing a reflective collar at night appears to send mixed messages to some drivers.

It is all too easy to focus on what you can see and not broaden your vision to what you can’t.

We have seen campaigns in the Press and on TV - plus extra signage along Forest roads - but none has really afforded any proactive protection for the animals.

Animal accident figures recorded during the various campaigns conclusively bear this out.

I was a serving police officer back in 1965 when the A35 was unfenced. Hardly a night went by without an officer being dispatched to an animal accident.

Being an A road, the speed of the vehicles intensified the impact. The drivers and passengers were also injured and in most cases the animals had to be destroyed.

With a heavy heart I have come to the conclusion that the only way to reduce the carnage occurring at the moment is to fence all routes that carry heavy traffic.

I agree this will alter the appearance of the Forest to some degree, but fencing may offer the benefit of calming certain areas to the ever-increasing risk of recreational disruption.

NO, says Cllr David Harrison, a member of the NPA.

It's right to consider anything that would help prevent animals being killed or injured but fencing all or most of the roads isn’t the answer.

The New Forest can only survive in its present state, with grasses and shrubbery grazed, if all the commoners' animals have the ability to wander where they please, keeping the vegetation in balance.

Without this, large areas would become densely covered in vegetation, completely changing the nature of the forest we have become accustomed to.

Fencing would also destroy the experience enjoyed by visitors to our much-loved national park. Looking at something through a fence is never the same experience as an unobstructed view of the landscape.

Another reason why fencing isn’t the answer is the cost.

I cannot estimate how much it would cost to install high quality fencing but it would surely run into millions of pounds and would need to be constantly maintained. I cannot imagine that Hampshire County Council would find the money to fund this.

Driver education will yield the best results.

There is a very good chance an animal will run into the road from behind a gorse bush. Most accidents involve locals so complacency has to be tackled with constant reminders.

I personally think that greater use of temporary road signs showing accident statistics for the area would work well.

As for visitors, the rumble they hear as the drive over a cattle grid should serve as notice that you drive differently when on Forest roads.

Motorists should always travel at a speed that would enable them to stop if an animal runs out in front of their vehicle.