Is this the end of car boot sales in Calderdale?
CALDERDALE COUNCIL will not run any more car boot sales – but is open to franchising or licensing them out to other operators.
Councillors heard closing the boot sales which ran at Halifax and Brighouse up to the COVID-19 pandemic will make “significant savings” for Calderdale Council in 2022-23, contributing to an overall £200,000 target.
Not all councillors are supportive of the closures, but a way forward which would see other operators licensed by the council to run the sales could open up.
Alan Lee, the council’s lead officer for asset management, said it had been a difficult decision to end the sales at Halifax and Brighouse, made with a “heavy heart”.
But in recent years the council had made less money out of car boot sales with people using different methods to recycle second hand goods – the council’s costs, for example staffing, were fixed but income was reduced.
“In this case, we felt we had
no option but to draw a line under the operation as it was, but that doesn’t mean we can’t reimagine things in a slightly different way,” he said.
Some of the Brighouse car boot trade had moved to the town’s open market, so all was not lost, said Mr Lee.
This might be leasing out
hosting car boot sales to others and there was an inquiry in at the moment from an established operator, he said.
Coun Megan Swift (Lab, Town), said the decision to cease running the sales was disappointing.
Coun Swift said she wanted further discussion on the issue
and options deserved to be explored – it might be a case of licensing somebody to run it and they would also have to clean up afterwards.
Coun Howard Blagbrough (Con, Brighouse) agreed: “I think it does justify revisiting, but somebody else running it on our behalf.
“Certainly, in this period people have had the opportunity to have clear-outs and realise they have got potential.
“The potential is something in the future, but not run by Calderdale, in my view,” he said.