Quiz council chief over car boot row (From Warrington Guardian)

Quiz council chief over car boot row

WINWICK residents can question the borough council's head of development control over its handling of the car boot sale site at the village's next parish council meeting.

In July, John Groves, the man who leads Warrington Borough Council's development control department, told councillors that, by its September meeting, a prosecution for failing to adhere to its enforcement notice against Simon Gleave, the car boot sale owner, would have taken place.

And he promised to be at the parish meeting on September 27 to give a personal update.

The enforcement referred to firstly hard standing being laid on green belt land and secondly to the holding of more than 14 car boot sales on the site each year.

Les Higgins, clerk to the parish council, said: "The parish council has been lobbying the borough council over this for four years. After hearing what Mr Groves had to say we are hopeful that at long last some action is being taken.

"The parish council is fighting to keep Winwick a village and having these car boot sales on green belt land was a development too far."

However, Simon Gleave has promised to fight on, regardless of the prosecution.

He said: "I will fight tooth and nail, with every last inch of my body to keep the car boot sales open.

"It is a service to the people of Warrington and, while they are wanted, I will do everything possible to keep them going whatever the odds.

"If it comes to it I will stand as a councillor at the next parish council elections, if that is what the people want."