A pensioner has lamented the parking woes on his own street due to rising tourist numbers. Andrew says that when he arrived in Bruton, Somerset, about 60 years ago, the town had a “rather depressing” atmosphere but has seen significant changes over time.
Now, with the town’s transformation, largely driven by tourism, new challenges have emerged, notably parking difficulties caused by “large vehicles cluttering up the street” every day. Despite its picturesque countryside which now proves essential for Bruton’s economy, Andrew struggles to find parking space along his road.
“There are large vehicles cluttering up the street – parking is a problem. Sometimes I have difficulty parking my car – everyone seems to have a car now,” he explained, remembering how even six decades back, the high street was lacklustre. Alongside his gripes with parking, Andrew also expressed concern about the property market shifts in the area, approximately 30 miles south of Bristol.
The rise in second home ownership and properties being turned into Airbnbs for tourists has, according to him, driven local housing prices up, making it harder for residents to afford homes. He told MailOnline: “Local people like me would find it difficult to buy a house. A lot of people use their houses as Airbnbs rather than selling them.”
The report highlights the influx of affluent Londoners to Bruton seeking a calmer lifestyle, a trend that escalated following the COVID-19 pandemic, reports the Mirror.
The community has felt the impact of newfound popularity, with parking turning into a major issue. Stripy Duck café’s manager Angeliki, aged 57, spoke about the rapid rise in residents: “I noticed in 2021 there was a big influx of people actually moving here. We all woke up one morning, went up to the street and went ‘Oh, where did all these people come from? ‘ – so it has been very quick.”
She also added, “Somerset itself has become more expensive and a lot busier. It prices people out of being able to stay here and I think that is true of anywhere.”
On the flip side, Bethany Taylor, 33, who relocated to the town from London and is currently training to be a counsellor, said: “There is a Londoney vibe to it – people that I have met, the restaurants and it is not your classic Somerset town. It is quite trendy here. It is an up and coming place with very nice restaurants.”
Notably, Bethany does not drive, which has presented her with certain challenges in getting around.