The surge in number of parking tickets issued in Bibury has been welcomed by the parish council chairman who says villagers face a ‘nightmare’ over the number of tourists
Parking wardens issued fines worth up to £45,000 last year in a major crackdown in the ‘world’s most beautiful village’, as a community leader claimed overtourism had left residents facing a daily “nightmare”.
Bibury, known for its row of 17th-century weavers’ cottages and water meadow, has become an ever-increasing popular stop-off for tourists in the Cotswolds after being given the prestigious title by Forbes magazine last year.
Praise for the community of 627 people followed a similar accolade a century ago from poet and artist William Morris, who described it as the “most beautiful village in England”, and Japanese emperor Hirohito, who called it a “sacred place”.
But the huge influx of visitors, combined with a lack of car parks, has led some motorists to park inconsiderately on double yellow lines, outside villagers’ homes or on pavements, locals have claimed.
It has resulted in a rise in tensions, with one resident complaining last year of having his foot run over during a parking dispute. At the weekend, a resident was left shaken when a motorist became abusive after being asked to move from a pavement outside their home.
In response to the concerns, Gloucestershire County Council launched a crackdown, with the latest figures showing 651 penalty charge notices were issued in 2025, up from just 28 in 2019.
The fines, which are £70 unless paid within two weeks when they are reduced to £35, mean the council generated up to £45,570 across the 12 months, the equivalent of £3,797 a month or £876 a week.
Mr Chapman told The Independent he was pleased with the county council’s response. He said: “The reality is alot of the visitors have very little regard for the villagers. It is the simple fact that we as a village face the problem where people, after taking the trouble to get to Bibury, will then find anywhere they can park. And if they can’t find somewhere legally, we see them leaving cars on the pavements or on double yellow lines.
“For that reason, the village needs enforcement to ensure the roads are open for emergency vehicles and safe for pedestrians.”
However, the money raised through fines still does not cover the £4,000-a-month cost of enforcement – and so pay and display parking is to be introduced for 24 on-street spaces on The Street in the village, with two options being considered; £7 for two hours between March and October, or £6.
The charges, benchmarked against other “high-visitor locations”, would bring in up to £218,880 a year, said Gloucestershire County Council, and result in a profit of up to £360,680 after four years. A pedestrian area at the centre of the village once used for coach parking is also to be made permanent, with temporary highway barriers to be replaced with structures more suitable for the historic setting.
Meanwhile, a focus group is looking at options for out-of-village parking to ease vehicle pressure on the village.
Mr Chapman, who called the volume of visitors at the weekend a “nightmare”, said: “We have had a high level of enforcement paid for by the county council. If they want to recoup a bit of the money for enforcement elsewhere, I have no problem with that.”
When the council’s plan for pay-and-display parking was first unveiled in November, Lisa Spivey, leader of Gloucestershire County Council, said: “Bibury is one of the Cotswolds’ most iconic destinations, but its popularity has created real challenges for residents and visitors alike. These proposals aim to make the village safer, reduce congestion, and protect its unique character, while supporting a sustainable visitor economy.”
North Cotswolds Tory MP Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown also welcomed the investment. He said: “This is a great step in the right direction and I am interested to see what else can be done to manage the visitor numbers while protecting Bibury’s landscape and community.”
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