Villages across the Cotswolds have long been admired for their picture-postcard lanes , stone cottages and famous residents. To preserve their character, they have some of the country's tightest planning regulations - but many locals say they wouldn’t have it any other way.

The rules, known as Article 4 directions, remove homeowners’ usual permitted development rights and mean that even the smallest alteration requires planning permission. Bibury is one of the Cotswolds’ most photographed villages and tourists flock to it for its beautiful old charm . But this is not achieved by accident. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

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