Coaches could be banned from an idyllic village in the Cotswolds because of chaos caused by over-tourism.
Residents of Bibury, Gloucestershire, a village once praised by 19th-century writer William Morris as the ‘most beautiful village in England,’ are voicing concerns about the rising number of visitors it has been receiving.
For much of the year they claim it becomes like the Wild West, with cars and coaches bringing thousands of people into the tiny community.
Pedestrians are endangered, while the picture-perfect village turns chaotic, they add.
Bibury is just one of the numerous charming villages in Britain facing an influx of tourists throughout the year, especially during Bank Holidays and summer vacation periods, causing inconvenience to the locals as coachloads of sightseers descend upon the village.
This surge in visitors can be attributed in part to influencers showcasing these picturesque villages as idyllic day trip destinations from major cities like London on various social media platforms.
Now after Bibury villagers called for action and formed a working group that included councillors and the police, Gloucestershire County Council has announced plans to tackle the problem.
Coaches could, in the long term, be banned from stopping and parking in the village although less drastic measures will be adopted initially.
People living in Bibury, Gloucestershire, say that for much of the year it becomes like the Wild West, with cars and coaches bringing thousands of people into the tiny community
Plans are now afoot to ban coaches from the idyllic Cotswolds village amid chaos caused by over-tourism
Residents say pedestrians are endangered by the volume of coaches that turn up, while the picture-perfect village turns chaotic
The first stage, in the next two months, will involve changing the layout of parking bays to stop coaches from parking or waiting in the layby on the B4425, next to the Swan Bridge in the centre of the village.
The second stage will see further exploration of the introduction of restrictions on coach access to the centre of the village.
This would be dependent on the outcome of a legal consultation process that will start early in the summer.
Longer-term recommendations from the working group include looking into prohibiting coaches from stopping and parking in Bibury completely and improving signs to direct them away from its narrow lanes.
The group wants to see if there might be areas outside of the village where coaches could park.
It also wants to encourage tourists to use other ways of visiting Bibury, such as walking, cycling, using public transport or minibuses.
Councillor Stephen Davies, leader of Gloucestershire County Council, said: ‘We are committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of Bibury residents and visitors.
‘The proposed measures will help manage traffic more effectively and enhance the overall experience for everyone.
‘We appreciate the community’s support and cooperation as we implement these changes.
For much of the year, residents claim Bibury becomes like the Wild West, with cars and coaches bringing thousands of people into the tiny community
Bibury, Gloucestershire, was once described by 19th Century writer William Morris as the ‘most beautiful village in England’ (file pic)
Locals say the sheer volume of tourists turning up has become ‘intolerable and unacceptable’
A couple pose for a shot in the picture perfect Cotswolds village – but locals are less than impressed by the thousands that come to visit
‘We also understand that these proposals may not be popular with coach operators, however we are determined to work to find a solution for coach tourists to be able to visit Bibury but this will take time.
‘Therefore, we have attempted to find compromise solutions that offer outcomes which continue to welcome visitors in a managed way, whilst also addressing safety and congestion concerns of the village.’
Parish council chairman Craig Chapman said: ‘Whilst the residents of Bibury acknowledge that we live in a lovely village, the pressures put on us by the sheer volume of tourists visiting and coaches bringing tourists has become intolerable and unacceptable.’
He added: ‘Whilst this is the start of action, it is very positive and I am confident it will be appreciated by the community.’
Coaches have already been banned from going into the centre of nearby Bourton-on-the-Water, dubbed the ‘Venice of the Cotswolds’, because of similar issues to those in Bibury.
The plans sparked a war between locals amid fears that banning coaches could make Bourton-on-the-Water a ‘ghost town’.
Serious parking and congestion issues led to enraged locals calling for the ban as they say Bourton-on-the-Water ‘cannot cope’ with the huge influx of visitors.
The beautiful village, which is 15 miles east of Cheltenham and has a population of 3,000, was given the ‘Venice’ label because of the number ornate stone bridges over the River Windrush.
A coach makes its way over one of the narrow bridges in Bibury, Gloucestershire
Tourists flock to the quaint Cotswolds town, leaving locals frustrated by the congestion
Tourists line up to take photos of the beautiful Cotswolds village
A huge coach tries to manouvre itself around the tiny village
Two tourists take selfies outside someone’s home in Bibury, Gloucestershire
Parish council chairman Craig Chapman (pictured) said: ‘Whilst the residents of Bibury acknowledge that we live in a lovely village, the pressures put on us by the sheer volume of tourists visiting and coaches bringing tourists has become intolerable and unacceptable.’
Tens of thousands of tourists flock to the village every year – which is great for traders – but residents were growing increasingly frustrated with the congestion.
Parish and district councillor Jon Wareing last year said Bourton was buckling under the weight of an ever increasing number of daytrippers.
‘People can spend an hour in their car, driving around. Some of the ”difficult” behaviour that follows is because they get frustrated.
‘One of my neighbours asked this person not to park on his property and got threatened with violence. He said he knew where they lived if they did anything to his car and threatened to throw a brick through their window.’
MailOnline visited the UK’s picture postcard villages last summer to speak to residents and businesses about the mass influx of tourists.
In Bourton, Bernie Roberts, who lives just yards from High Street, said: ‘It has spoiled it. I’ve been here for the best part of 30 years. When I first started living here, there were proper shops. Now there aren’t.’
He complained about people breaking the 20mph speed limit outside his home, saying some drove down it ‘like lunatics’, adding that youngsters were having to leave the village because houses were being bought by outsiders wanting to rent them out.
He said: ‘It’s a b****y disaster. It has definitely spoiled the village.’
But local business owner Sarita Tapper, who runs the Chestnuts Fashion Fix shop, disagreed.
She said banning coaches from the centre would force her business to fold because so many people visit Bourton via organised coach trips. She said that while some days were very busy, others were very quiet.
She added: ‘On the really busy days, people get the wrong impression. Come during the winter, it’s a ghost town.’
We also spoke to those in Whitby, North Yorkshire and Salcombe, Devon, where residents complained of overcrowding and business owners said high housing costs driven by tourism make it difficult to find staff.
Whitby runs an annual goth convention and has been made famous by classic novels such as Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
Last May, Danny Wilson, 55, who runs a Goth-themed fashion shop and lives locally, said he was being forced out of his own town. He said: ‘I live in a rented flat and all the other flats in the building are holiday lets now.
‘They make a lot of noise. I cannot leave my bike outside my door. The fire alarm is going off all the time.
‘I am going to have to move. Most locals probably feel the same – it is not their town anymore – because it is busy in the winter now as well.
‘There used to be a few months a year that the locals would say ”We have got our town back” but they cannot say that any more.
‘Locals are sick of having nowhere to park and not having any local pubs. They feel pushed out, like in any tourism destination. Most town centres are closing down for business and make way for expensive houses for rich people to move in.
‘At least Whitby town centre is still a hub for people to go to – so that is a positive from tourism.’
Barry Snedden, 67, has been running pleasure boat trips around Whitby Harbour for 42 years, but is also feeling the downside of the tourism boom.
He said on busy days so many people visit Whitby many are forced to walk on the roads, and congestion is made worse by the need to raise and lower a local bridge to allow boats to pass.
He added: ‘Nobody gives a monkey about the parking. The police do not bother and the traffic wardens cannot be everywhere. Some people park all day on disabled badges and the disabled person is not even in the car.’
In Salcombe, similar complaints were made by frustrated locals last summer.
Retired builder Phil Martin, 78, said: ‘It’s a big problem. Holiday homes often have families or groups of friends arriving with two or three cars and nowhere to park them.
‘So they just dump them all over the place outside the homes of us locals. It’s the same with day trippers who are too mean to pay for park-and-ride.
‘I’ve challenged drivers in the past and get responses like ‘we’re going sailing’ as though that makes it ok.
‘Not all visitors are the same, I know. But this is one of the biggest causes of upset locally during the season.
‘Then there’s the habit of certain holiday home owners to register as businesses to avoid paying council tax.
‘Many full-time residents hold down two or three jobs to make ends meet so you can imagine how they feel. It doesn’t seem fair.’
The parking issue isn’t lost on Salcombe’s shop owners and traders. Sally Hannaford, 54, who manages The Pasty Shack on the waterfront, says it leads to increased traffic on streets already thronging with visitors.
‘People just keep driving round and round looking for parking,’ she said. ‘Then they’ll get frustrated, pull up anywhere and take the risk.
‘In high season we see loads of cars with parking tickets at the end of the day.’
Mother-of-two Sally, who was born and bred in Salcombe, says high housing costs driven by tourism make it difficult to find staff.
‘I’m lucky because I have two children who help me in summer,’ she said. ‘But there are shop owners who sell up because they can’t find any staff. And that’s because ordinary workers can’t afford to buy or even rent here.
‘In winter our resident population has now fallen below 2,000. I understand why so many people love Salcombe. It’s a beautiful place and it’s great that visitors come and enjoy it. But this brings pressures on the town.’
