A beloved car boot sale which has been running for over half a century has been cancelled after motorists complained of parking issues and heavy traffic.
The popular event in Rollesby, a small Norwich village, was run by Bernard and Lesley Barron and made an annual turnover of more than £20,000.
However, disgruntled residents thought the event was bringing too much traffic to the village.
They also stated it was causing too much damage to the field, resulting in football and rugby games being cancelled. Some even contacted Sport England and the Charity Commission to complain.
Some residents in Rollesby complained that the car boot sale was causing traffic pileups
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When the Barrons decided to concede and called off the 50-year-old car boot sale, further problems arose.
The absence of the prosperous event left a gaping hole in local finances which resulted in the parish council upping the tax by 158 per cent, resulting in a tax precept of £4.63 extra a month.
Those who supported the sale then complained that not only had they been forced to pay more money in its absence, but they had also been deprived of a fun occasion in their community.
One critic of the event told The Daily Mail: “No one wants it here. Cars would park on both sides and emergency vehicles couldn't get through.”
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Bernard and Lesley Barron started running the car boot sale in 2006
Others who opposed it said that whilst non-locals could enjoy the car boot sale and then leave when they pleased, people in the village were getting blocked in by inconvenient parking.
However, others in the village were mourning the loss of the event, which had been running since the 1970s.
Darren Smith, who has lived in Rollesby for over 25 years, said: “It's sad for it to end and it is strange the way it has been handled.”
Jenny, who moved to the area a year ago, was fond of the sale. She said: “'It's a real shame it's ended - we never had any problems with traffic. Now the playing field is really underused.”
The popular car boot sale began in the mid-70s
The Barrons, who took over as organisers in 2006, applied to increase the number of sales each year from 14 to 28.
After this was approved, disgruntled residents began to threat that it would soon become a weekly affair.
As part of their application, they had to provide details about the business, including disclosing their £20,000 yearly turnover.
The couple later withdrew their request, but as the complaints from residents continued, they ultimately ended up cancelling the car boot sales all together in September 2023.
Rollesby Parish Council has been contacted for comment.
