Bid to get Wincheap boot fair back

A petition has been started to reinstate the Wincheap boot fair, three years after its departure.

The petition was started by Dane Buckman, a councillor for the Wincheap area in Canterbury.

Councillor Buckman said a sustainability course inspired him to look into bringing back the boot fair.

“If you’re selling stuff at a boot sale, it’s not going to a landfill. You haven’t got the drain on all the resources for stuff to be remade,” he said.

“Maybe there is an interest an no one has expressed it. The petition gauges the interest and then we can go from there, so I hope that people will actually sign the petition.

“You’re not in front of the computer screen worrying about delivery charges and free deliveries and stuff like that.”

Aside from the environmental reasons, the boot fair would be beneficial for the social aspect.

Counillor Buckman said: “I think everybody’s getting used to buying online all the time. It can be more of a social event.

“You get to talk to different people; you get to chat.”

So far, the petition has gained 42 signatures, but still has over a month left before it closes.

A new market manager for the city is in the process of being appointed, and the boot fair could be arranged by them.

Canterbury’s new local plan allows the manager to outline potential sites in Wincheap for a boot fair.

Iceland car park is one of the potential sites that could be considered for the event.

Wincheap’s boot fair was removed to make changes to Canterbury’s park and ride service.

Some of the hurdles of getting it up and running again include security costs and cleanup, which is why the petition is necessary.

From an economic point of view, the fair could help the city achieve a circular economy, which helps minimise waste from reusing products.