Tourism charge will help manage the impact of tourism in Bourton
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A 'tourism charge' has been introduced in Bourton-on-the-Water to fund various projects and initiatives including additional recycling units, large capacity litter bins and community support officers.
Local residents have had their say on how to spend the funds raised from a new tourism charge at the Rissington Road car park in Bourton-on-the-Water.
Public consultation asked residents for opinions on how to spend the funds
Cotswold District Council introduced the tourism charge on 8 March 2021 to spend on projects and activities in the village to manage the volume of visitors who come to enjoy what Bourton-on-the-Water has to offer.
A public consultation was held from 15 February to 14 March 2021 asking residents to give their opinions on how to spend the funds raised from the charge and suggest their own ideas.
The consultation received 261 responses with 160 respondents putting forward their own ideas of how the tourism charge could be spent.
Comments from the consultation highlighted that residents would like to see improvements to the infrastructure of the village to help manage the impact of mass tourism.
Additional Spending
Based on feedback received from residents, the Council has agreed on the following areas for additional spending:
- An increase in large capacity litter bins and additional recycling units.
- Installation of bollards on the verge side opposite Rissington Road car park to stop illegal parking of vehicles and protect the green area to enhance the local area.
- Increasing Officer presence to promote good behaviour and signpost tourists and visitors to car parks and facilities during the peak visitor season. These officers will provide community support, rather than community enforcement.
Jon Dearing, Group Manager for Resident Services at Cotswold District Council, said; "We would like to thank all residents for engaging with our consultation. The tourism charge will help to raise funds to spend on projects and activities in the village to manage the volume of visitors who come to enjoy what Bourton-on-the-Water has to offer.
"To ensure that local needs are listened to and the best value is obtained from the funding available, The Council will hold an annual consultation to seek feedback on changes and identify other investment ideas for consideration."
Up to £25,000 could be raised
For every stay at the Rissington Road car park, 50p will be charged and the Council expects this to raise £25,000 a year. Any additional money generated will be spent in the village with unspent funds carried over for use in future years.
Last updated: 23 August 2023 - Please note: This blog was first written over a year old and things may have changed since the blog was written.
