Traffic safety concerns remain around popular car boot site at Linslade

A petition to save the popular Sunday boot sales on land towards the corner of Stoke Road and Old Linslade Road previously received more than 1,000 signatures.

The latest attempt to secure permission for the temporary change of use of land has been submitted to Central Bedfordshire Council, allowing for 24 car boot sales to be held between April and October for a five-year period.

But two local residents raised objections about “the ever-increasing traffic congestion affecting Stoke Road, Old Linslade Road and the Linslade to Stoke Hammond bypass”, according to the minutes of a town council planning and transport committee meeting.

“The application failed to positively address the concerns of CBC highways officers, with cars continually being parked on roadside verges,” noted the minutes.

“Despite temporary signage to dissuade visitors from unauthorised access to neighbouring residential properties, the car boot promoters persist in using the wrong postcode to advertise the activity.

“The proposal represents inappropriate development within the greenbelt, while paraphernalia associated with its on-going use blights the open landscape when these events aren’t taking place,” added the minutes.

“Although concerted efforts have been made to overcome those issues, it was felt that little to nothing has materially changed with this sixth application that’s considered to be no different to applications submitted previously.”

Applicants Mr and Mrs Paul Sheath are seeking a change of use of the eight-acre site to mixed proposals of car boot sales and agriculture.

Town councillors opposed earlier plan because of “the restrictive highway access” as well as “indiscriminate parking along the nearby verge”.

The applicants were advised by CBC of the need to apply separately for the access track (retrospectively), according to a planning statement from Brian Barrow, of Acorus Rural Property Services Limited.

The site at Field Corner benefits from a good access and is located within an agricultural field, where car boot sales have been operating successfully since August 2017, said the statement.

“This change of use proposal would apply from April 1 to September 30 annually. Once the car boot season ends, the site is returned to its original state and the land used agriculturally from November to March.

“The land is light sandy soil, which is ideal for the boot sales. There’s employment for six people from April to September, each Sunday.

“It was considered that, given the temporary and intermittent nature of the use throughout the calendar year, the proposed use wouldn’t have an impact on the openness of the greenbelt.

“It’s proposed to grant permission on a temporary basis, ideally for five years, allowing the local authority to monitor progress.”

Car boot sales are considered to be a form of market, added the statement. “There’s also a clear economic benefit for the operators and for people selling unwanted items, as well as customers buying goods at a reasonable price.”

CBC’s development management committee is expected to decide consider the application in due course, with town council opposition remaining.