Nigel Warin, of The Smoke House Inn Ltd, has put forward an application to hold sales on a field adjacent to the A11, from April to October every year.

If granted permission by Forest Heath District Council's planning committee on Wednesday, sales will be able to be held on non-consecutive Sundays and every Bank Holiday Monday within this period – approximately 20 days a year.

Despite objections, including fears over highway safety and the effect on other nearby car boot sales, planning officer David Beighton has concluded, in a report to the committee, that permission should be granted.

Car boot sales have taken place at the Barton Mills' site since 2006, but they hit controversy in October the following year when Forest Heath District Council forced the fortnightly events to stop over claims Mr Warin had broken regulations by exceeding the maximum number of sales he could hold at the location each year.

Following concerns from the Highways Agency, the district council served an Article Four Direction in July last year, which meant no further sales could take place at the site until planning permission was granted.

The Highways Agency feared hundreds of cars which could be attracted to the field would have a detrimental effect on traffic on the A11.

During consultation over the planning application, Barton Mills Parish Council objected on the grounds of highway safety.

The Highways Agency has since accepted Mr Warin's claims that no more than 350 vehicles have ever arrived at a particular sale, although the field can hold more than 2,000 cars. The report states that as long as the number of pitches is limited to 140, the Highways Agency has no objections.

Mr Beighton also added that any potential harm to the countryside location or the visual amenity to nearby residents would only be 'temporary in nature' and not significant enough to justify refusal.

The sales' possible effect on the viability of other events in the village was not a 'material consideration', he said.

Mr Warin did not want to comment before the planning committee meeting.


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