A pretty village nestled in the Cotswolds that has suffered with crowds of tourists in recent months, could soon ban coaches from visiting as locals become infuriated
Coaches could soon be banned from visiting a picturesque village in the Cotswolds due to recent chaos caused by large crowds of tourists.
Bibury is known as one of the prettiest villages in the Cotswolds region. However, it has suffered from tourists flocking to the area in recent years, with some tourists even being spotted get up close to residents’ houses in a bid to snap the ideal picture.
As a result, the people living in the Gloucestershire village once described by 19th Century writer William Morris as the ‘most beautiful village in England’ are now calling for action. Residents have formed a working group that includes councillors and police, while Gloucestershire County Council has announced plans to tackle overtourism in the village.
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In the long term, coaches could be banned from stopping and parking in the village. However, less drastic measures will be implemented sooner. Over the next two months, the layout of parking bays will be changed to prevent coaches from parking or waiting in the layby on the B4425, next to the Swan Bridge in the centre of the village.
The second phase of plans will see further exploration of the introduction of restrictions on coach access to the centre of the village. In order to move forward with this, a legal consultation process would be needed.. Thjis is due to start in early 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 the village’s narrow lanes. In addition, the group wants to see if there could be areas outside the village where the coaches could park.
The group also wants to encourage tourists to use other modes of transport to visit the village, including walking, cycling or using public transport.
According to Mail Online, 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. 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 added that whilst the current residents of the village acknowledge that Bibury is pretty to visit, a lot of pressure is created by the volume of tourists visiting and the coaches bringing the tourists has become “intolerable and unacceptable”.
He continued that whilst the proposed plans are the start of action, they are positive and he is confident the plans will be appreciated by the community of Bibury. Located on the River Coln in Gloucestershire, Bibury is littered with a row of 14th century cottages called Arlington Row. The cottages have even been featured on British passports and are believed to be one of the most photographed sights in the Cotswolds.
