A MUCH-loved car boot sale will return this weekend.

West Bay’s popular event at the West Bay Road car park will start on Sunday.

The start date was made later than usual to ensure the car park was available to visitors over the Easter period.

Stallholder Dawn Newberry says the event has been missed.

“All the feedback has been really interesting and we can see how much the car boot has been missed and people are desperate for it to return,” said Dawn. “I’m looking forward to seeing everybody on Sunday.”

Stallholders should arrive from 7am to set up and vacate by 1pm.

Bridport Town Council clerk, Will Austin, explained the later date was agreed in response to concerns from local businesses about parking spaces available during the Easter period, especially with part of the East Beach car park unavailable during the coastal defence works. He said: “The start date has only been agreed for this year, and councillors will be mindful of the disappointment this has caused when deciding what to do from 2020.”

The town council stepped in to save the car boot sale last year when West Dorset District Council (WDDC) no longer wanted to run it. It was cancelled mid-season in 2018 when landowner WDDC closed the car park for resurfacing work and launched a consultation into whether or not the event should return and continue at the same location once it was complete. There was an outcry over this decision, which prevented the event from taking place for 13 weeks during season, and the consultation saw overwhelming support of the car boot sale, which raises thousands of pounds every year for local charities and good causes.

Bridport Town Council stepped in and took over the running of the event on a trial basis, and later committed itself to taking over the management permanently. In 2018, community groups across Bridport received a share of £25,000 generated by the car boot in West Bay combined with one in Dorchester.

The fund, distributed annually, goes to organisations in and around West Bay and Bridport to benefit projects operating or supporting residents living in these areas.