Residents and visitors clash in Cotswold village

A Cotswold village is struggling with a "huge increase in tourism" post Covid.

Bibury has fewer than 1,000 thousand residents but can see up to 20,000 visitors in a weekend, with up to 50 coaches coming into the village a day.

The lack of parking for large coaches has frustrated some drivers and residents who have clashed over the issue.

Mark Honeyball, Chair of the Bibury Parking Working Group, said he was kicked in the stomach and punched in the face during one incident.

Gloucestershire Police says it is investigating the incident.

"I've been assaulted four times now," Mr Honeyball said, adding that, "They can get quite aggressive, the residents can get quite aggressive as well and it's all just created a very unpleasant atmosphere."

The small village has two coach parking bays next to a bridge over the River Coln, which has a weight limit of 7.5 tonnes - but many coaches are exempt.

County Councillor for the area, Lisa Spivey said it is difficult to enforce.

"It's a bit tricky because a weight limit can't be enforced by an ANPR camera." Ms Spivey said.

"You'd have to basically have a police officer on one side of the bridge, pulling every coach over and checking the weight.

"It's going to have to up be to [Gloucestershire] County Council as the local highway authority to really grasp the the nettle and make some bold moves on this so I'm trying to get everybody around the table."

Craig Chapman, Chair of the Parish Council in Bibury believes they have come up with a number of solutions to sort the issue out.

The trout farm has agreed to use their car park, round the corner of the village, for cars and small coaches to move some of the parking off the streets.

The coach parking in the centre would then be scrapped and pedestrianised.

"They're unsafe and in completely the wrong place." Craig Chapman said.

Gloucestershire County Council have said they inspect the bridge regularly and produce reports about their condition.

Jason Humm, Director of Transport and Highways said, "The bridge at Bibury is historical and carries the B4425, so busy traffic and any heavy vehicles will inevitably contribute to its maintenance needs.

"We are aware of the parish council’s aspiration to ban coaches from Bibury. However, the coaches do not cause damage to the bridge over what would be expected to be dealt with by regular maintenance."