Town Council mulls alternative to ‘Tesco’ car boot

After supermarket giant Tesco decided to end its popular community car boot sales this summer due to the cost of insurance and safety concerns, Welshpool Town Council wants to step in and find an alternative.

Despite post-tax profits of £1.79 billion last financial year, the supermarket felt the cost of insurance to host the monthly car boot was too high, much to the disappointment of many. There were also increased safety concerns for third parties.

Town councillors at the latest Events & Planning Committee meeting said they had spoken to disgruntled residents and it was agreed collectively that they would actively seek a replacement.

Cllr Kelly Meredith led the discussion by suggesting it may be worth speaking to Powis Estates about using the showground as a location, but concerns were raised whether Welshpool Town Council has the legal standing to organise such an event.

The Livestock Market and Maesydre were also banded about as potential venues, while Cllr Phil Owen suggested it may be something the high school would want to lead on as a fundraiser.

Cllr Jackson Quarréll declared an interest as a Tesco employee but said there was certainly high demand for it and added: “I am sure Tesco would be happy to forward enquiries on to whoever organises it."

The issue was deferred to the next meeting so that information and ideas can be collated.

In July, Tesco confirmed to MyWelshpool that they “apologise for the inconvenience caused” after making their UK-wide decision to end their car boots.

In information shared with us, they said that all third parties using their sites are required to have the appropriate insurance, risk assessments and safety measures in place to ensure the safety of everyone at the event.

They also explained that car parking space was a factor in their decision and after carrying out a review and listening to customer feedback, they decided to cancel future car boots.