Village parking trial 'won't work' - coach firms

Some coach operators say they will no longer visit a village in the Cotswolds due to new "ill-thought-through" drop-off and parking zones.

A coach ban was considered in Bourton-on-the-Water after it became "choked" with vehicles when a private car park stopped accepting coaches in December 2023.

Businesses argued an outright ban would cost them money, and now a trial will see a drop-off point created. However, some operators fear the Meadow Way location is "not safe" and is too far to walk to the village centre.

Gloucestershire County Council insists the walk is "short", saying feedback will be "welcome" during the trial as it will be able to "make changes".

The six-month trial is set to begin around Easter and will allow coaches to stop at Meadow Way for 10 minutes to drop off and pick up passengers. Parking will then be available at the Pulhams Coaches site between 09:00 and 16:00 each day.

A long-term plan is in the works, which would involve coaches parking in Cotswold School, although it has yet to be confirmed.

Area director at Pulhams, Alex Chutter, said he is optimistic about the trial.

"It's welcome relief really," he said.

"I think there was a level of uncertainty in previous seasons and at least operators now know what the plans are and what options they have available.

"Hopefully that can entice them back to the area."

The council has shared Mr Chutter's hopes the scheme will encourage coach companies who stopped offering trips to Bourton-on-the-Water to return.

However, multiple firms told the BBC they are not convinced by the plans.

Jason Edwards is the deputy chair of the Coach Tourism Association, a trade body representing coach tour operators.

He said: "In a sort of way, it's a positive step because they have realised how important tourism is. But do we think they have got it right, no we don't."

He said the biggest sticking point is the 0.7 mile (1.1km) distance between the proposed drop-off point and the village's shops and attractions, particularly for older customers.

"We've got a higher-end age demographic, certainly when it comes to UK domestic coach passengers," he said.

"And for them to have a 15 to 20-minute walk, laden with shopping bags, with the British weather as unpredictable as it is, it just wouldn't work."

"They vote with their feet," he added. "If there is any problems with walking distance or not having weatherproof facilities, they won't book that trip."

Mr Edwards, from South Wales, also runs his own coach tour business which offers tours to the Cotswolds.

"We dropped Bourton-on-the-Water completely," he said. "We went to Stow-on-the-Wold and other areas around the Cotswolds.

"We wouldn't want to expose our customers to areas that aren't coach-friendly or welcoming. It has a detrimental effect to our business."

He said many operators represented by the Coach Travel Association also made the decision to avoid Bourton-on-the-Water or reduce the frequency of trips there.

Among the operators who continued to visit the village regularly last year was Middleton Tours.

But the firm said it had been forced to rethink its plans due to concerns over the trial and a recent incident where a resident shouted at one of its tour guides and passengers.

Tour manager Richard Smith said: "The site that they have chosen is right at the junction so it's not safe.

"There is no shelter and no signage. There is apparently the provision for three coaches. Anybody that knows Bourton-on-the-Water, particularly during the main season, knows how busy it can get.

"It's ill-thought-through and could be prone to operational disasters. Until there is a solution that works for the customer and coach operators, we have made the decision not to return to Bourton-on-the-Water."

In a statement, a spokesperson for Gloucestershire County Council said the trial will give coaches a "dedicated area" to drop off and pick up customers which is a "short walk" from the centre of the village.

"The parish council would welcome feedback on the scheme from residents, visitors and coach operators," they added.

"The county council will be able to make changes to the scheme during the trial to ensure the best possible results."

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