A CONTROVERSIAL market could be switched from Spennymoor to Bishop Auckland.

The company behind a weekly tabletop sale has had its appeal for permission to hold the events at Rothman's Business Centre, on Green Lane Industrial Estate, in Spennymoor, thrown out by the borough council.

Spennymoor Town Council, neighbouring businesses and Durham County Council's highways engineers had all objected to the proposal because of parking and traffic.

An inspector from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister upheld the council's decision, believing the events would conflict with the rest of the industrial estate and be detrimental to road safety - and also because of marshalling concerns.

Now, Noble Promotions wants to hold the sales on a Bishop Auckland car park.

When the Peterlee-based company was told to stop holding sales in Spennymoor, it started a similar event on North Bondgate, in Bishop Auckland, instead.

It is now facing a fight to be granted full planning permission by Wear Valley District Council for the events, which run on Sundays, between February and December, at its new site.

Residents in Bishop Auckland town centre are objecting to the proposal because they feel the events lower the area's image and block access to their homes.

A housing developer planning to build apartments facing the car park believes if they become a permanent fixture, the homes would not sell.

It is understood that provisional approval for 14 car boot sales, which have attracted large crowds every week, has expired.

A Wear Valley District Council spokesman said the application for full permission was still being processed and no recommendation had yet been made to councillors.

A date for the development control committee to discuss the application has yet to be determined.

Boss John Noble was unavailable to comment at the time of going to press.