Gloucester car boot to reopen in Ross-on-Wye

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Tuesday, 2 June 2020 08:02

By Carmelo Garcia - Local Democracy Reporter

A Gloucestershire car boot sale is temporarily relocating to Herefordshire this week.

Gloucester Car Boot and Flea Market which traded at Hempsted Meadows before the coronavirus lockdown will instead reopen at the Cattle Market in Ross-on-Wye on June 3.

Organiser Bob Newby said he received an email from Gloucester City Council saying they have plans for the site and will not be able to extend the car boot’s licence beyond May 31, 2020.

He said: “This was as much a surprise for us, as it will be for you. The reasons behind this decision are unknown.

“We have tried to find out, of course, it seems the site is now closed and will not reopen this year.

“Accordingly, from Wednesday June 3, Gloucester Car boot will relocate to The Cattle Market, Netherton Road, Ross-on-Wye until we can return to Gloucester.

“The Cattle Market is a good site, all hardstanding and large enough to take our usual crowd of buyers and sellers.

“This solution is the best we can do in view of the few days’ short notice given to us by the council and it is only half an hour’s drive from Gloucester at most.”

Mr Newby also said the car boot has a Covid-19 protection policy which buyers and sellers must abide by.

“It’s also vital that you comply with it. Not to do so would be self-defeating because if the protections are not followed our boot will become a virus hotspot and will be closed.”

Ross-on-Wye Car Boot organisers, who trade at the Cattle Market, say they are expecting to reopen with their first trading day on June 7.

Their safety measures include limiting the attendance to 100 people, a queued entry with two metres between people and digital thermal temperature guns to test everyone on entry.

Anyone with a fever will be barred from entering the site.

UPDATE: Gloucestershire County Council has confirmed a coronavirus testing centre will open at Hempsted Meadow from Friday.