Furious villagers say community is being ruined by tourists: ‘It was great during lockdown’

Furious residents of one of many UK’s most gorgeous villages have stated their privateness is being “invaded” by vacationers’ drones and the community ruined by Airbnbs.

Fortress Combe within the Cotswolds, Wiltshire, has been dubbed one of the stunning areas within the UK in numerous lists and polls.

The picturesque village is fashionable with vacationers and has been used as a filming location for blockbusters akin to Stephen Spielberg’s Warfare Horse.

Yearly, vacationers flock to the favored location of their hundreds, leaving residents telling many to get off their land.

In response to residents, the quantity of people that reside within the village full-time has fallen lately – with homes that go up on the market being snapped up and used as second properties or Airbnbs.

Georgina Kingshott, 44, a post-doctoral scientist, has lived within the village since 2016 after escaping London for a quieter life.

She stated that vacationers invade her privateness by flying drones over her dwelling and pitch up prefer it is a day on the seaside.

Georgina stated: “Within the hotter months folks pitch up prefer it is the seaside which generally is a bit annoying.

“Individuals will pitch up at one of many benches and be right here all day, prefer it is the seaside.

“It is horrible as a result of during lockdown it was great. The opposite dangerous factor is that individuals will fly their drones throughout the village.

“It feels very intrusive. They aren’t supposed to do this and there are indicators up and down.

“You’ll wander into the backyard and listen to the sound of a drone and suppose ‘what is occurring?’.

“There are coaches that come and do guided excursions of the Cotswolds so we can have these pitch up just a few instances a day.

“It’s good for us as we’ve got the gate stopping folks from coming in, however typically folks will fake to not see it and sit on this aspect of the fence which they aren’t meant to.

“I all the time really feel a bit like ‘get off my land’. It may be intrusive with folks working up and down.”

Anna Roberts, 60, has lived within the village for 20 years and runs a pop up tearoom.

She welcomes the vacationers as they increase commerce however stated through the years the community really feel has gone from the village.

When she first moved right here she stated round 95 per cent of the village was full of residents and now she claims it is round 50 per cent. One resident stated solely 43 folks really reside within the village.

Anna stated: “There was plenty of adjustments within the village through the years.

“Once we first moved right here 20 years in the past, I’d say that the village was 95 per cent occupied by residents.

“As time has gone on, we at the moment are below 50 per cent occupied by residents.

“This is as a result of as homes go up on the market we’re discovering only a few individuals who need to transfer in and reside right here.

“Now we have individuals who purchase from overseas – they purchase them as vacation properties, second properties and Airbnbs.

“That has been one of many saddest issues because it has utterly modified the community for these of us who nonetheless reside right here.

“At one time, we knew everybody who lived in each home. It was an excellent community, an in depth community, and there was an actual household really feel.

“Now, sadly, these individuals who reside right here part-time or have it as a vacation dwelling, they don’t actually get entangled in issues.

“It has change into very totally different. Having the enterprise is what retains us right here.

“It is a wonderful village and it’s a beautiful home however on the finish of the day, it is a really vacationer village.

“If I didn’t run a enterprise from right here we wouldn’t need to keep right here.”