The Cotwolds villages facing tourism dilemma
OVER-TOURISM is causing “free-for-all chaos” in the Cotswolds as villagers constantly have to put up with clogged roads, abusive drivers and a lack of parking for coaches.
The picturesque countryside, towns and villages have long attracted visitors from far and wide.
But villagers in Bourton-on-theWater and Bibury are having to endure increasing problems and lack of parking, particularly for coaches.
Bourton has been without coach spaces in the village centre since the Bourton Vale car park stopped taking such vehicles at the end of last year.
This means that coaches are parking on double yellow lines in Station Road, among other areas, to drop off and pick up visitors.
The parish council has been calling for a traffic regulation order to effectively ban the vehicles from the village centre while a long-term solution for coach parking is sought.
But that particular proposal has caused division between residents and some businesses who say they rely on trade from coach visitors.
Cotswold district councillor Jon Wareing (Bourton Village), who is also on Bourton Parish Council, is among those concerned about the current situation.
He tabled a motion earlier this month to get the parish council to accept there is a problem with overtourism in the village but this was rejected by six votes to four with one abstention.
“As the tourism season ramps up, the inconsiderate behaviour of coach drivers continues to be reported by residents and business owners,” he said.
“The free-for-all chaos that many of us anticipated on the issue of coaches arriving in a rural location with no managed facilities for coach parking provision and a village infrastructure ill-suited to this otherwise excellent mode of transport seems to be unfolding.
“If the parish council doesn’t accept that it has a problem in the parish, how can we expect to engage the attention of Cotswold District Council and Gloucestershire County Council in solutions that would make the experience of being a resident of Bourton, and of visiting Bourton, a better one?”
Meanwhile, residents in Bibury are also facing similar challenges in the village which is home to “the prettiest street in England”.
Dozens of residents attended a public meeting organised by Cotswold MP Sir Geoffrey CliftonBrown earlier this month.
Villagers have to wait until around 5.30pm to “get their village back” as that is when the tourists are gone.
One resident told the meeting he faced a tirade of abuse by coach drivers after asking them to “please move because you’re blocking the road”.
“Bibury is not built in any way for these large coaches,” he said. “It’s just not the right place.
“Some time there is going to be a serious accident. It’s a real issue. We are a real victim of over-tourism and we are becoming the collateral damage and that is not right.
Sir Geoffrey said he is well aware of the problems Bibury is facing as it is a unique village and a magnet for people around the globe.
“People want to come here and of course there’s only limited space for parking,” he said.
“The problems are quite difficult but we will do our very best to see what solutions we can come up with.”
Mark Honeyball, a resident, told the meeting that he was physically assaulted by a visitor.
The problems with parking and tourism in the village have quadrupled over the last five years, he said.
He said it has become a very emotive issue in the village and that people are parking on double yellows all over the village.
Philippa Curtis, another villager, said it is impossible now to walk along the pavement along The Street.
She said: “I feel very strongly about the coaches as they bring loads of people.
“The parking availability in the village was a natural containment which restricted the number of people who could come at any one time.
“If we are to preserve the rural nature of the village and for it to be a pleasant environment for both residents and visitors, we need to stop these very large volumes of people arriving at one time.
“We really should not be allowing any coaches to stop, and discourage people in the village.”