Parking changes for Cotswold tourist hotspots

Free morning parking for residents and a new tourism levy are among changes set to be introduced at two tourist hotspots in the Cotswolds.

Parking will be free before 10:00 GMT at Rissington Road car park in Bourton-on-the-Water, with charges then applying until 20:00. This replaces the previous 08:00-18:00 schedule.

A tourism levy has been in place in Bourton-on-the Water since 2021 with a portion of parking fees going towards local projects. Cotswold District Council now plans to introduce a similar scheme at Maugersbury Road car park in Stow-on-the-Wold.

The council said the aim was to make parking more sustainable, support local businesses and help meet its net-zero commitments.

The council said the changes in Bourton-on-the-Water would give residents easier access to village services in the morning and "accommodate the growing trend" of visitors staying later into the evening.

Paul Hodgkinson, cabinet member for health, culture and visitor experience, said: "I know first-hand the challenges the village faces during the tourist season. This new approach is designed to give something back to residents and boost the money going back into the village."

He said allowing earlier access without restrictions would support local shops and services, while extending fees would generate more income, with part of the money able to be reinvested in the community.

The council said the tourism levy had helped fund extra parking enforcement and a village warden.

A similar levy will now be introduced in nearby Stow-on-the-Wold with Hodgkinson saying that it would be expected to bring "similar benefits for residents".

The new plans also include upgraded payment systems and more electric vehicle charging facilities.

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