Gavin Williamson, MP for South Staffordshire, has called on Brandon Lewis, Minister for Housing and Planning, to meet to discuss the issue of car boot sales in and around South Staffordshire.
Gavin repeatedly asked for a debate on car boot sales during the last Parliament after a considerable number of complaints from constituents after mismanagement of car boot sales heavily impacted a number of villages in South Staffordshire, including Shareshill, Featherstone, Himley and Wombourne.
Due to the nature of South Staffordshire located so close to the West Midlands conurbation, the car boot sales which occur often cause a massive amount of disruption to local residents, causing an extreme amount of disruption to many local villages. These problems include congestion around the entrances and exits of the sites, and a shortage of parking, as visitors eschewing costly onsite spaces in favour of parking their cars on the surrounding streets.
Speaking on the issue Gavin said: “Residents in the villages of Henley, Shareshill, Featherstone and Wombourne are often blighted by industrial-scale car boot sales. I have urged the Minister responsible for Housing and Planning to meet with me so we can discuss the irresponsibility of the operators and the impact they are having on our villages.
“The majority of car boot sales cause no problems for anyone, but sadly some of the operators of these car boots sales are utterly reckless, showing no consideration for local residents and other motorists. Their operations often cause massive congestion and disruption in the local area, sometimes down to the simple fact of mismanagement of sites.
“I want the government to look at what action can be taken so that these sites can be properly regulated and rogue operators held to account. I have previously told that local authorities can manage car boot sales under existing planning laws and this has not been the case. I am sick of my constituents having to cope with the disruption and chaos that some of these sites cause, while some irresponsible operators make a fortune on the misfortune of others.”