Boot sale man wants to open every week (From Echo)

Boot sale man wants to open every week

3:00pm Friday 19th March 2010 in

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THE man behind a weekly car boot sale at Leigh station is hoping to run the event all year round.

Lloyd Dowell has run the sale on the last 12 Sundays at a car park off Belton Way West, Leigh.

He can only run 14 events a year without planning permission at the site, which is owned by rail company c2c. But the sale has proved so popular he has now applied to Southend Council to run it all year.

He said: “It’s obviously popular because it is well attended.

“There are plenty of car boot sales in the area, but local people would rather stay local.

“The good thing about Leigh is that it is busy and in summer more and more people will be using Old Leigh as their day out.

“Bringing in more trade will be good for the whole area.

“We are allowed 48 per year on that site by c2c so we have now had to apply to Southend Council for the extra days.”

Last week Leigh Town Council’s planning committee voted to oppose the plans on grounds including traffic congestion over the railway bridge, increased congestion in Leigh Marshes car park, and increased danger to pedestrians walking up to the station from the Old Town.

Councillors also requested the condition that if the application was passed, the boot sale would not be allowed on key dates including Leigh Regatta and the folk festival.

However Mr Dowell said these fears are unfounded, because his agreement with c2c already prohibits him from holding the sale on certain dates.

He said: “We can’t use the airshow, fishing festival, folk festival or Leigh Regatta dates because c2c has already marked those as key dates they need to keep the car park free for.”

The boot sale, which takes up a third of the car park will be running this Sunday, March 21, and is open to sellers from 8.30am and buyers from 9am.

Final decision on the planning application rests with Southend Council.