Overtourism sparks beautiful UK village to call for ban on coaches | UK | Travel
Bourton-on-the-Water (Image: Carmelo Garcia)
The “Venice of the Cotswolds” is demanding a ban on coaches in the village centre amidst worries about worry regarding the “Disneyfication” o fBourton-on-the-Water.
Approximately 100 residents in expressed their anxieties about overtourism at a gathering before Shire Hall and District officials in November.
And this week, the Parish Council voted to request an experimental traffic regulation order (ETRO) to restrict coach access into Station Road from the Fosseway, Rissington Road and the Steeps. The motion represents a major development in Bourton’s continuing efforts to tackle longstanding resident worries about the effect of substantial volumes of coach traffic on principal routes through the village.
District Councillor Jon Wareing (LD, Bourton Village), who has championed the issue in recent years, urged parish councillors to back the proposal to ask Gloucestershire County Council for the ETRO.
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“This is not a new position,” he said, as reports Gloucestershire Live. “The Parish Council previously supported similar measures in 2024, reflecting sustained public concern about congestion, safety and quality of life impacts linked to unrestricted coach access through the village centre.”
He added that the circumstances have now shifted, with greater clarity that enforcement is deliverable, including through Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology.
This is viewed as eliminating one of the historic obstacles to advancing traffic restrictions. Cllr Wareing stated all parties must begin collaborating to identify a viable long-term solution akin to those implemented in locations including Clovelly, St Ives, York, Bath, Oxford and Cambridge.
Councillor Jon Wareing represents Bourton Village at Cotswold District Council (Image: Unidentified)
He emphasised the decision ought to be viewed as an initial step towards addressing the broader systemic issue of the substantial number of visitors arriving by vehicle in Bourton annually.
“It’s not just coaches – it’s cars as well,” he said. “People often refer to Bourton as the Venice of the Cotswolds.
“Venice is widely seen as unsustainable because visitor numbers overwhelm a small, fragile historic city – pushing out residents, damaging heritage and infrastructure, and putting pressure on the environment, retail and public services.
“The same risks exist here. We could become Venice in the Cotswolds in terms of the impact on our heritage village.
“We need to reverse the ‘Disneyfication’ of Bourton and develop a regenerative approach, where tourism is managed deliberately to support local life rather than displace it.”
County Councillor Paul Hodgkinson (LD, Bourton-on-the-Water and Northleach) indicated he understood residents’ exasperation with certain coaches failing to utilise the designated drop-off and collection point in Meadow Way.
Bourton-on-the-Water is popular with tourists (Image: Carmelo Garcia)
He revealed Shire Hall is currently assessing the effectiveness of the interim measure, which was established to divert coach traffic away from the village centre.
“We are reviewing the effectiveness of that this week and will do so again in May. It’s really important that all coaches use the point legally,” he said.
“I am committed to making sure residents are safe and that coaches cause the minimum disruption, whilst helping local businesses to be successful.
“At the County Council we will definitely take this request seriously and I’ll be talking to council officers about how it could work.”
