Thousands of holidaymakers heading to minibreak destinations across the country for the bank holiday have triggered traffic bottlenecks and bursting car parks in some of the nation’s favourite natural beauty and coastal spots, prompting a backlash from locals.
Around 14,400,000 cars are expected to hit the roads between Saturday and Monday, according to the RAC and INRIX. Many families are heading to locations including Bibury and Bourton-on-the-Water in the Cotswolds and Salcombe in Devon.
However, residents of these picturesque locations say they are unable to enjoy their villages after they have become swamped with coach parties.
Residents unable to enjoy their villages
Kris Watts, who has lived in Bibury, Gloucestershire, for 10 years, said the place has become steadily busier each year since the pandemic. He said he has seen nearly a dozen large coaches arrive in the village, home to just 600 people, for the bank holiday.
While the local county council has attempted to alleviate congestion by trialling coach drop-off points, residents say drivers are continuing to deposit tourists at other locations.
Ms Watts, 71, said: ‘I don’t go into the village at weekends now, it’s that bad.
‘We knew it was a touristy village when we moved here, but since covid it’s just got worse and worse.
‘There are sometimes up to 10 big coaches arriving in one day.’
He added that visitors were attracted to the village by social media influencers, but spent on average just 40 minutes in the area.
Private property and heritage concerns
Kris, a retired private school office manager, filmed the traffic problems after becoming frustrated by the congestion. She added: ‘I used to be able to drive down into the village to get a newspaper and a cup of coffee, but I can’t do that anymore.’
Another bugbear for locals are tourists who venture into private property. Kris says she heard from one woman who had five cars parked by visitors on her driveway who were having a picnic in a nearby field. Some residents have now resorted to multi-language signs warning visitors to stay off private land.
The Cotswolds village also has issues with people paddling in the river, a site protected in order to preserve wildlife. Other residents worry about the impact tourism is having on the area’s heritage, including the historic Swan bridge, which regularly carries large coaches full of tourists.
Bibury Parish Council chairman Craig Chapman has called for a 17-tonne weight restriction on the bridge, with an exemption for public buses, in order to protect the stone structure. The parish council is awaiting further information from Gloucestershire County Council about the condition of the bridge.
Wider impact across the Cotswolds and Devon
Other settlements in the Cotswolds are also bearing the brunt. Pictures of Bourton-on-the-Water show swathes of tourists piling onto the town’s historic arched stone bridges crossing the River Windrush, while families pack the riverbank for picnics.
Similar pictures show similar issues in Salcombe in south Devon, with car parks overflowing with vehicles and usually quiet streets overwhelmed with visitors.
Gloucestershire County Council said its experimental coach drop-off points were introduced after discussions with residents, businesses and coach operators, with safety the priority. Metro has contacted the local authority for comment.
