Staffordshire MP tackling problem car boot sales
Car boot sales which an MP says are blighting villages in South Staffordshire have been raised with a government minister.
Gavin Williamson has met with housing and planning minister Brandon Lewis to discuss the issue following years of complaints of disruption caused by the events.
Over the past year the South Staffordshire MP has repeatedly raised the issue in Parliament after receiving a 'considerable' number of complaints from constituents.
Mr Williamson has said that many of the issues revolve around the mismanagement of car boot sales, which have led to congestion around the event sites.
He said the villages of Shareshill, Featherstone, Himley and Wombourne have been particularly affected.
Mr Williamson said: "I had a very positive meeting with the Minister regarding the issue of car boot sales in South Staffordshire. Residents in the villages of Himley, Shareshill, Featherstone and Wombourne are often blighted by industrial-scale car boot sales and it's time we did something about it.
"The majority of car boot sales cause no problems for anyone, but sadly some of the operators of these car boots sales show 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."
Mr Williamson said he also discussed the idea of awarding a market charter to the district so rogue operators can be properly punished.
He added: "I want the government to look at what action can be taken so that these sites can be properly regulated. I have raised the idea of awarding a market charter so rogue operators can be properly punished and rogue operators can be held to account."
The MP has previously said that a shortage of on site parking has caused problems at car boot sales, while some visitors preferred to leave their vehicles on the streets so they didn't have to pay a fee to park.
Car boot sales have been causing concern to residents in South Staffordshire for a number of years.
In 2012 police officers shut an event down in Wombourne after hundreds of cars blocked a main road on the approach to the site.