'World's most beautiful village' with only 627 people generated Rs 58 lakh in traffic fines in 2025

A village in England draws so many tourists that it earned £45,000, or nearly Rs 58 lakh, in traffic fines last year. Bibury in the Cotswolds, England, was named the "world's most beautiful village" by Forbes magazine in 2025. Since then, it has been overrun by tourists, leaving residents facing a mountain of trouble. Only about 627 people live in the village, which has earlier earned accolades from Japanese emperor Hirohito and poet and artist William Morris. The former described it as a "sacred place", while the latter termed Bibury “the most beautiful village in England” a century ago.

This has driven people to visit the village where 17th-century weavers' cottages and a water meadow create a distinct environment. However, a lack of car parking has aggravated the situation. The massive crowds, along with cars parked on double yellow lines outside villagers’ homes or on pavements, have become a headache for the residents, The Independent reported.

Parking fights in world's most beautiful village

Brawls are breaking out over parking spaces. Last year, a resident complained that a car ran over his foot over a parking dispute. Another resident got caught in a fight with a tourist after he asked him to remove the car from a pavement outside his home. This led the Gloucestershire County Council to start imposing fines. The number of notices shot up to 651 in 2025, compared to just 28 in 2019.

If the fines are paid within two weeks, they are 35 pounds, the amount is £70. This led to the council generating £45,570 in a year, or £3,797 a month. A resident told the outlet that they are facing a huge problem. People just "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."

However, enforcement of the rules is costing £ 4,000 a month, and the fines are not covering this money. So pay-and-display parking will now be introduced, with £7 for two hours between March and October, or £6 being considered. The Gloucestershire Council is expecting £218,880 a year from this, with profits rising to £360,680 after four years.