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Councils Tighten Traffic Controls as RAF Fairford Plane Spotters Overrun Nearby Village

Officials cite limited powers without formal parking restrictions, with temporary controls and police patrols continuing under review.

Overview

  • RAF Fairford’s hosting of US bombers linked to the Iran conflict has drawn large numbers of national and foreign plane spotters to nearby Marston Meysey.
  • Residents report hundreds of visitors daily, with congestion, blocked driveways and access routes, and antisocial behaviour including urination, defecation and littering.
  • The RAF has installed screening to limit views of the airfield, yet some visitors are using ladders and climbing trees to look over the barriers.
  • Gloucestershire County Council has deployed traffic cones on Whelford Road and closed Dunfield Road to through traffic, while Wiltshire enforcement officers issue PCNs where restrictions apply.
  • Police forces say regular patrols are underway and most visitors are behaving, but they are monitoring conditions and coordinating with councils and the MOD on further options.