COUNTRYSIDE campaigners want controls on car boot sales, motorsport meets and clay pigeon shoots to preserve rural peace at weekends.

The Council for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE), says that organisers should have to obtain planning permission from local authorities to hold such events.

It claims that often noisy events can also lead to traffic congestion and hazards and damage the rural and suburban environment.

Experts commissioned by the Government to investigate the issue have recommended that planning rules should be changed.

But the CPRE fears the Government, which has been consulting on the issue, could be poised to reject their views.

Planning campaigner Julie Stainton said: "We want these events to be brought under local democratic control, just like most other kinds of development which affect local people and their surroundings.

"Some of these events might boost the local economy and are popular with the people to go to them.

"Fair enough - but let the local council decide, on behalf of the whole community, whether the overall benefit can justify the losses because we know these can be considerable."

Temporary use, meant to last for only 14 or 28 days of the year - was difficult for local councils to police and open to abuse.

A car boot sale could take place in one field for 14 separate days and move to an adjacent field for another 14 days in the same year and still not require planning permission.

And since such events usually took place at the weekend when only emergency council staff were on duty, it was difficult or expensive to monitor what was happening.

The CPRE is urging ministers to accept their consultants' advice that landowners should have to obtain planning permission before those temporary uses take place.

It admits the change in planning rules might need to be phased in gradually to avoid authorities being swamped with applications.

There might also be a need to reduce or waive fees for charities and be special arrangements to minimise the effect on events such as school or village fetes which take place only once a year.

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