Car boot sale in Leighton Buzzard victim of its own success as town councillors voice traffic and parking concerns

The event held on land east of the corner of Stoke Road and Old Linslade Road in the town has grown steadily, leading to an objection from Leighton-Linslade Town Council’s planning and transport committee.

Organisers have submitted an application to Central Bedfordshire Council for the continued use of the field for weekly car boot sales from April 1 to September 30 every Sunday from 10am to 4pm.

But town councillors are opposed to the plans around specific concerns, which they want addressed if the proposals are approved.

The town council is asking for a condition to prevent substandard access to the land, if planning permission is granted. Councillors referred to examples of indiscriminate parking on highway verges.

They agreed a site plan needs to be provided because they consider the development is unrepresentative of the location. And the car boot sale paraphernalia should be removed between car boot sales, as the town council is keen to avoid it resembling a business on non-event days.

It was also noted that the marketing material for these events is inaccurate, potentially sending cars to the adjoining Manor Court development. Town councillors want that to be amended as well.

The committee requested that rather than be granted continually, the permission is reviewed annually because of some of the concerns of local residents. It considered the car boot sales to be a victim of their own success, with a need to provide more parking on site now than in previous years

A town council spokesman said: “These things evolve over time. This event has mushroomed over the years.”

CBC’s development management committee is due to have the final say on the renewal application for these events.