Bid to ban coaches from 'Venice of the Cotswolds'

Residents of Bourton-on-the-Water say the numbers of tourists can be overwhelming

Councillors in a village dubbed the "Venice of the Cotswolds" have made a fresh call for a ban on coaches in its centre amid concerns about overtourism.

The parish council in Bourton-on-the-Water has 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 parish now needs to apply to Gloucestershire County Council for permission to put the order in place.

One councillor said that tourism needed to be "managed deliberately to support local life rather than displace it".

The motion is part of ongoing efforts to address long-standing resident concerns about the impact of high volumes of coach traffic on key routes through the village, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Liberal Democrat councillor Jon Wareing, who has campaigned over the issue in recent years, encouraged parish councillors to support the proposal to ask Gloucestershire County Council for the ETRO.

"This is not a new position," he said.

"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."

Fears of 'Disneyfication'

Wareing said Bourton had a similar problem to other cities suffering from overtourism.

"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," he added.

"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."

Fellow Lib Dem councillor Paul Hodgkinson (Bourton-on-the-Water and Northleach) said he shared residents' frustration with some of the coaches not using the drop-off and pick-up point in Meadow Way.

He said Shire Hall is reviewing the effectiveness of the temporary solution which was designed to take coach traffic away from the village.

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