Portreath in Cornwall has suffered from a number of issues related to over-tourism in recent years, including a sewage system that has been overloaded and a lack of affordable housing
Human waste has ended up running down the street of a picturesque Cornish village that has been overwhelmed by visitors, according to locals.
Over the past few years the seaside village of Portreath has encountered many of the issues troubling the whole of Cornwall, specifically those linked to over-tourism. Like many other pretty destinations on the coast, high levels of tourism has put pressure on local facilities and pushed house prices up.
Many in the north Cornwall village are concerned about over-development, lack of affordable housing and even sewage facilities. Scott Treloar, who gave himself the nickname of “El Prezidente of Cornwall” and has lived in his van on the opposite hillside from Gwan an Mor for three decades, spoke about a recent council decision to stop new holiday lodges being built.
“People up there don’t spend their money in the village. We haven’t got the infrastructure here for more building and second homes – the sewage treatment plant gets overloaded. There’s been a number of times when poo has been running down the street,” he told Cornwall Live.