Bourton-on-the-Water, often dubbed the ‘Venice of the Cotswolds,’ faces mounting challenges as the village grapples with worsening traffic congestion linked to recent changes in coach parking arrangements. The designated coach parking area at Bourton Vale car park on Station Road was closed on December 31, 2023, ending a subsidy from Cotswold District Council and leaving coach drivers scrambling for alternatives.
Since then, residents report frequent issues with coaches parking illegally on pavements, obstructing driveways, and maneuvering through narrow residential streets to turn around, compounding local frustration.
In response, Gloucestershire Highways proposed a temporary coach drop-off and pick-up zone on Meadow Way, intended to launch by Easter. However, the initiative has hit an unexpected snag: underground electricity cables have prevented the installation of critical street signs, rendering parking restrictions unenforceable and delaying the trial.
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Concerns intensified during an extraordinary parish council meeting, where both residents and councillors voiced strong opposition to the Meadow Way plan. Despite a motion to withdraw support for the experimental traffic order failing, the meeting revealed deep unease about the impact of coach traffic on village life.
District Councillor Jon Wareing highlighted safety and practicality issues, emphasizing the narrowness of Meadow Way’s pavement and lack of shelter or toilet facilities for the large number of passengers coaches bring. He described the current situation at key junctions during school pick-up times as “carnage” and criticized the proposal as impractical and unsupported by the community.
Councillor Len Wilkins echoed residents’ worries about congestion, privacy, and pedestrian safety, lamenting the difficulty in balancing the needs of residents, businesses, and visitors. Many attendees recounted recent incidents of gridlock and hazardous conditions for children, parents with buggies, elderly pedestrians, and wheelchair users.
While some voiced frustration over what they see as inadequate enforcement and dismissive planning, others acknowledged that ignoring the problem could lead to even worse disruptions across the village, with coaches continuing to use unsuitable residential roads for drop-offs and turnarounds.
At the meeting, Gloucestershire County Council highways officer Dan Tiffany acknowledged the imperfections of the Meadow Way scheme but stressed it remains the only viable option currently available. He explained that the trial’s start has been delayed by the discovery of shallow electrical cables, requiring cooperation with SSE to relocate or modify the infrastructure before signage can be installed. Without the necessary sign, parking restrictions cannot be legally enforced.
The parish council recognizes that the Meadow Way proposal is not an ideal long-term fix but considers it a practical stopgap that could alleviate the problems of recent years by keeping coaches out of the village center and off critical roads. They plan to monitor the six-month trial closely and reassess in light of feedback and any safety issues.
As summer approaches, Bourton-on-the-Water braces for another potential season of traffic turmoil unless a sustainable solution can be found to manage the influx of tourists and their coaches.