Latest news with #CraigChapman
BBC News
28-04-2025
- BBC News
Bibury resident's foot run over as tourists flock to village
Residents of "England's prettiest village" had to endure "overtourism traffic chaos" over Easter it has been claimed, with a local man's foot run over in a parking popularity of Bibury in Gloucestershire has created an almost constant problem for residents who have to put up with parking chaos caused by the influx of village, home to only a few hundred people, is known for the picturesque Arlington Mark Honeyball said his foot was run over while Bibury Parish Council chairman Craig Chapman said the traffic was "one long queue" over Easter. Bibury was described by 19th Century writer William Morris as "the most beautiful village in England".And it is believed to be popular with Japanese tourists as Emperor Hirohito stayed there during the first half of the 20th Century when he was prince. However, while social media posts often portray the location as a tranquil village in the English countryside, the day-to-day reality includes regular traffic jams and illegal in the village is recognised by the local authorities and Cotswold District Council and Gloucestershire County Council actively avoid promoting it as a tourist destination. 'Very dangerous' Mr Honeyball said the situation has "got beyond a joke" as a driver who was parked on the pavement "ran over his foot"."People can't get through as well as emergency services," he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service."I had to call the police on the day and they couldn't get to me as a Range Rover had very nicely run over my foot in a dispute over where they shouldn't be parking and did a quite bit of damage. It's not broken, just badly bruised."He drove on the pavement. I had another one on Monday who I was asking to move off my drive and he just put his car into gear and drove along the pavement at me."Despite the village having two coach bays next to a bridge over the River Coln, up to six coaches arrive on any given say that if the existing bays are full then the coaches will unload at the nearest space that is big enough - raising safety concerns around the narrow pavements being village's roads are also often not wide enough for two coaches to pass each other. A working group has recommended stopping coaches from using parking bays and waiting on the this move is a short-term measure and further restrictions could be rolled out after a consultation taking place this Parish Council chairman Craig Chapman was among those to witness the traffic problems over Easter."I was out on Sunday and Monday with other people in the community trying to move the traffic along the B4425," he said."The traffic coming from Barnsley through Arlington into Bibury was one long queue."North Cotswold MP Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown sympathised with residents and says action is needed."Clearly this is what the residents of Bibury want. The trouble is coaches are getting larger and larger," the Conservative said.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Yahoo
Residents of ‘the most beautiful village in England' sound alarm over new car park plans
Residents in a picturesque Cotswolds village that has struggled with tourist behaviour fear that visitor numbers could go up by 800 every hour if a new car park plan is put in place. Bibury is famous for its row of residential 17th-century weavers' cottages and its water meadow – and was once described by William Morris as 'the most beautiful village in England'. Yet a huge surge in tourism in the post-Covid era has seen residents complain of tourists climbing over walls and scrambling over private garden fences to take pictures and admire the countryside cottages. Large coaches and swarms of cars have also left residents frustrated. In March, Gloucestershire County Council announced that action is starting to be taken to tackle congestion by changing the layout of coach parking bays to stop coaches from parking or waiting in the layby on the B4425 in the centre of the village. A working group has been set up in collaboration with the Cotswold District Council, Bibury Parish Council and Gloucestershire Constabulary to discuss ideas and proposals to manage the influx of visitor coaches. In the future, the group said it will explore recommendations, such as introducing restrictions on coach access in the centre of the village, installing traffic access signage and encouraging travel by minibus. Councillor Craig Chapman, the chairman of Bibury Parish Council, said: 'Whilst the residents of Bibury acknowledge that we live in a lovely village, the pressures put on us by the sheer volume of tourists visiting and coaches bringing tourists has become intolerable and unacceptable. 'As a consequence of the lack of infrastructure, road narrowness and the disruptive and unsafe location of the two existing coach bays, it is a fact that Bibury is not a suitable destination for larger coaches. 'Whilst this is the start of action it is very positive and I am confident will be appreciated by the community.'' It is not just coaches that cause congestion, with local business Bibury Trout Farm agreeing to use their car park, around the corner from the village, in the past for cars and small coaches to move some of the parking off the streets. The owner of the farm has now submitted a planning application for a new parking site with enough space for 100 cars, 12 coaches and a shuttle bus into the village. Yet villager Wendy Hazelwood told the BBC News she was not in agreement with the idea. "This [the proposed new parking site] is totally counter-productive to what we want to achieve in the village because it will bring approximately 800 tourists, maybe, every hour extra into the village. "We're trying to reduce the tourism, not increase it," she added. Meanwhile, Maxwell Thomas, owner of Bibury Trout Farm, argued that large amounts of tourism are inevitable whether there is additional parking or not. "People have been coming to this village for hundreds of years and businesses have been here for hundreds of years,' he told the BBC. "It's in the 10 prettiest villages in the world and you expect to have people visiting all the time, you can't help it," he said. The Independent has contacted Bibury Trout Farm for further comment.
The Independent
15-04-2025
- The Independent
Residents of ‘the most beautiful village in England' sound alarm over new car park plans
Residents in a picturesque Cotswolds village that has struggled with tourist behaviour fear that visitor numbers could go up by 800 every hour if a new car park plan is put in place. Bibury is famous for its row of residential 17th-century weavers' cottages and its water meadow – and was once described by William Morris as 'the most beautiful village in England'. Yet a huge surge in tourism in the post-Covid era has seen residents complain of tourists climbing over walls and scrambling over private garden fences to take pictures and admire the countryside cottages. Large coaches and swarms of cars have also left residents frustrated. In March, Gloucestershire County Council announced that action is starting to be taken to tackle congestion by changing the layout of coach parking bays to stop coaches from parking or waiting in the layby on the B4425 in the centre of the village. A working group has been set up in collaboration with the Cotswold District Council, Bibury Parish Council and Gloucestershire Constabulary to discuss ideas and proposals to manage the influx of visitor coaches. In the future, the group said it will explore recommendations, such as introducing restrictions on coach access in the centre of the village, installing traffic access signage and encouraging travel by minibus. Councillor Craig Chapman, the chairman of Bibury Parish Council, said: 'Whilst the residents of Bibury acknowledge that we live in a lovely village, the pressures put on us by the sheer volume of tourists visiting and coaches bringing tourists has become intolerable and unacceptable. 'As a consequence of the lack of infrastructure, road narrowness and the disruptive and unsafe location of the two existing coach bays, it is a fact that Bibury is not a suitable destination for larger coaches. 'Whilst this is the start of action it is very positive and I am confident will be appreciated by the community.'' It is not just coaches that cause congestion, with local business Bibury Trout Farm agreeing to use their car park, around the corner from the village, in the past for cars and small coaches to move some of the parking off the streets. The owner of the farm has now submitted a planning application for a new parking site with enough space for 100 cars, 12 coaches and a shuttle bus into the village. Yet villager Wendy Hazelwood told the BBC News she was not in agreement with the idea. "This [the proposed new parking site] is totally counter-productive to what we want to achieve in the village because it will bring approximately 800 tourists, maybe, every hour extra into the village. "We're trying to reduce the tourism, not increase it," she added. Meanwhile, Maxwell Thomas, owner of Bibury Trout Farm, argued that large amounts of tourism are inevitable whether there is additional parking or not. "People have been coming to this village for hundreds of years and businesses have been here for hundreds of years,' he told the BBC. "It's in the 10 prettiest villages in the world and you expect to have people visiting all the time, you can't help it," he said.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Yahoo
‘England's most beautiful village' strikes back after TikTok tourist invasion
A Cotswold village, famed as 'England's most beautiful', will restrict coach access following an invasion of TikTok tourists. Councillors say that an influx of sightseers to Bibury, Gloucestershire, has become 'intolerable' and poses safety risks to both residents and visitors. Longer-term options for resolving the issue could include banning coaches from stopping and parking in the village. The village on the River Coln has a trout farm, a Saxon church and a row of 17th-century weavers' cottages. Its aesthetic appeal was remarked upon by designer William Morris, who described it as the 'most beautiful village in England'. The recent surge in visitors to Bibury – which has a population of 581, according to the 2021 census – has been prompted by various social media accounts, promoting its picturesque appearance. Action is now being taken against the so-called 'TikTok tourists', with the council confirming measures to restrict coach access. Plans include changing the layout of coach parking bays to stop tour buses waiting in the lay-by on the B4425, next to the Swan Bridge in the centre of the village. This measure is set to be brought in over the next two months. The plans have been put together by a working group, which included parish and county councillors, police and Gloucestershire county council, which announced the measures. The group also aims to explore whether coaches should be able to access the centre of the village at all. However, this will depend on the outcome of a legal consultation process that will start in early summer. Cllr Craig Chapman, the chairman of Bibury parish council, said: 'Whilst the residents of Bibury acknowledge that we live in a lovely village, the pressures put on us by the sheer volume of tourists visiting and coaches bringing tourists has become intolerable and unacceptable. 'As a consequence of the lack of infrastructure, road narrowness and the disruptive and unsafe location of the two existing coach bays, it is a fact that Bibury is not a suitable destination for larger coaches.' Cllr Chapman added: 'We are therefore thankful that the issues we face have been recognised and positive actions are being taken.' Meanwhile, Cllr Lisa Spivey, division member for South Cerney, said the new measures would 'help restore some calm' so that 'everyone can enjoy' the 'beautiful historic village'. She added: 'I have been working closely with the residents of Bibury since they first highlighted it to me 18 months ago. 'Bibury welcomes tourists but the influx of large coaches really poses a danger to residents and visitors and makes the village chaotic almost all year round.' A Gloucestershire county council spokesman confirmed that longer-term recommendations included 'exploring opportunities to prohibit coach stopping and parking' and reviewing existing weight restrictions on [Swan Bridge]'. Stephen Davies, leader of the council, said: 'We are committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of Bibury residents and visitors. The proposed measures will help manage traffic more effectively and enhance the overall experience for everyone.'
Telegraph
24-03-2025
- Telegraph
Crackdown on coaches in ‘England's most beautiful village' after TikTok invasion
A Cotswold village, famed as 'England's most beautiful', will restrict coach access following an invasion of TikTok tourists. Councillors say that an influx of sightseers to Bibury, Gloucestershire has become 'intolerable' and poses safety issues to both residents and visitors. And longer term options for resolving the issue could include banning coaches from stopping and parking in idyllic village. The village on the River Coln has a trout farm, a Saxon church and a row of 17th-century weavers' cottages. The aesthetic appeal of the village was remarked upon by designer William Morris, who described it as the 'most beautiful village in England'. The recent surge in visitors to Bibury – which has a population of 581, according to the 2021 census – has been prompted by various social media accounts, promoting its picturesque appearance. Action is now being taken against the so-called 'TikTok tourists', with the council confirming measures to restrict coach access to the village. Plans include changing the layout of coach parking bays to stop tour buses waiting in the lay-by, on the B4425, next to the Swan Bridge in the centre of the village. This measure is set to be brought in over the next two months. The plans have been put together by a working group, which included parish and county councillors, the police and Gloucestershire county council, which announced the measures. The group also aims to explore whether coaches should be able to access the centre of the village at all. However, this would be dependent on the outcome of a legal consultation process that will start in early summer. Cllr Craig Chapman, the chairman of Bibury parish council, said: 'Whilst the residents of Bibury acknowledge that we live in a lovely village the pressures put on us by the sheer volume of tourists visiting and coaches bringing tourists has become intolerable and unacceptable. 'As a consequence of the lack of infrastructure, road narrowness and the disruptive and unsafe location of the two existing coach bays, it is a fact that Bibury is not a suitable destination for larger coaches.' Cllr Chapman added: 'We are therefore thankful that the issues we face have been recognised and positive actions are being taken.' Meanwhile, Cllr Lisa Spivey, division member for South Cerney, said the new measures would 'help restore some calm' so that 'everyone can enjoy' the 'beautiful historic village'. She added: 'I have been working closely with the residents of Bibury since they first highlighted it to me 18 months ago. 'Bibury welcomes tourists but the influx of large coaches really poses a danger to residents and visitors and makes the village chaotic almost all year round.' A Gloucestershire county council spokesman confirmed that longer term recommendations include 'exploring opportunities to prohibit coach stopping and parking' and reviewing existing weight restrictions on [Swan Bridge]'. Stephen Davies, leader of the council, said: 'We are committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of Bibury residents and visitors. The proposed measures will help manage traffic more effectively and enhance the overall experience for everyone.'
