THE owner of Winwick Car Boot Sales has hit back at traffic “chaos” claims and enforcement action by Warrington Borough Council, saying new planning applications will help improve the situation.
Simon Gleave has been running the hugely popular Winwick Car Boots for nearly 25 years but now faces Enforcement action from the council after recent highway issues.
But with a lengthy period of road works in the area and unrestricted parking on Delph Lane, he says the car boots are not the sole cause of recent highway issues and the proposed new planning applications will help the car boots run more efficiently over both sites.
In response to the recent article titled ‘Council takes Enforcement action against Winick Car Boot Sale,’ Mr Gleave said he wanted to address the issue of people parking on Delph Lane instead of using our available car park.
Mr Gleave said: “We have taken several measures to tackle this concern, including posting a message on Facebook to all our followers, distributing leaflets, working with the local PCSO and personally talking to those parking on Delph Lane. Unfortunately, as there are no double yellow lines on Delph Lane many say to us that their parking is not inconsiderate nor illegal. We are more than willing to pay for yellow lines to be installed on Delph Lane if the council felt this would benefit the residences being impacted.
“We would like to clarify that we have never encouraged illegal parking on the roundabout or surrounding areas. We provide ample parking for our event; this has even been acknowledged by the local PCSO on their Facebook page several times. https://www.facebook.com/BwoodWinwickPol (June 11th 2023, 2nd April)
He added: “Regarding the traffic “chaos” reported during the car boot events, we acknowledge that there was a problem when the roundabout of the A49 had lane closures between November 2022 and May 2023. This issue was covered in the local press. During these months we ensured that we had extra staffing to monitor parking and to keep the traffic flowing to the best of our ability and as reported at the time “Reducing the dual carriageway to one lane has also caused severe delays of up to an hour during the mornings and at around 5pm.” So, we would argue that we were not the sole reason for the “chaos” as so described.
“The Sunday car boot operates from 5:30 am to 1:00 pm, with the busiest hours being from 5:30 am to 8:30 am. It is essential to note that this time slot precedes the opening hours of many local trading shops on Sundays (which generally open at 10:00 am). Therefore, the car boot traffic is usually subduing before these shops even open.
“Regarding litter generated by the car boot activity, we have taken measures to address this concern. At the end of each day, we employ staff to litter-pick the entire site, including the car park and Townfield Lane.
“On Wednesdays, the car boot operates from 7:00 am to 12 noon, and it is generally quieter compared to the Sunday car boot. As a result, there has never been a queue from the A49 onto Townfield Lane during this event, as it attracts fewer sellers and buyers due to being on a working day.
“The social club has official permission to operate car boot sales on Saturdays, Sundays, and auctions on Wednesdays. Currently, the two sites can host up to 184 events per year. However, we have submitted new applications that will reduce the total number of events to 108 per year, cutting usage by 40% and restricting events to Wednesdays, Sundays, and Bank Holiday Mondays. The purpose of these applications is to run the car boots more efficiently across both sites and address the increased demand during this cost-of-living crisis while cooperating with the council to manage traffic effectively.
“We are grateful for the overwhelming support from local people who want us to continue operating the car boot sales. These events provide a much-needed lifeline to the community, both socially and financially. Additionally, our efforts have contributed to recycling and reusing items that might have otherwise ended up in landfills, therefore car boots are a primary aid to the net zero goal. As the saying goes, ‘One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.’
Council takes enforcement action against Winwick car boot sales
