Nottingham City Council has confirmed that the long-running Colwick Car Boot Market will permanently close from 1 April 2026 following a delegated officer decision citing ongoing financial losses and operational challenges.
The market, located at Colwick Racecourse, has operated since 1995 and historically attracted more than 2,000 shoppers and around 250 traders at each event. However, a report published by the council on 12 March 2026 states that the market has experienced a sustained decline in income in recent years and is no longer considered financially viable to run.
In recent years the service generated around £10,000 a year in net income for the council, significantly below the historic budget expectation of £88,000. With the market currently paused, the council says this shortfall has created an ongoing annual budget pressure of £88,000, which has previously been absorbed within the service.
Operations at the site were temporarily suspended on 20 June 2025 to allow the installation of new barrier gates intended to prevent unauthorised access to the racecourse. During that pause, traders and customers were informed and no major issues were reported. However, officers concluded that reopening the market would worsen the financial position. When staffing costs are included, the council estimates the annual budget pressure would increase to around £110,000.
The report identifies several factors behind the market’s decline, including closures during the Covid-19 pandemic, increased use of the racecourse for other commercial events which limited market dates, and wider changes in consumer behaviour such as the growth of online second-hand selling platforms. It also notes that traders and customers have increasingly moved to alternative car boot markets in the region while Colwick has been paused. Weather disruption and unauthorised traveller incursions onto the site have also affected operations.
Additional costs linked to site security have also been highlighted. Following the installation of an Automatic Number Plate Recognition system and entrance barriers, the council says an extra member of staff would be required during market operations to manage security and site access, adding around £7,000 per year to running costs.
Legal issues also contributed to the decision. The agreements that previously allowed the council to operate the car boot market at Colwick Racecourse have now expired, meaning a new licence or lease would have to be negotiated with the landowner before the market could reopen. Operating without a valid agreement would expose the authority to risks including potential trespass and uninsured liabilities.
Council officers considered continuing the market with increased promotion and staffing, but forecast this would create a budget pressure of between £330,000 and £360,000 over three years. The possibility of an external operator managing the market was also explored but ruled out because the existing contractual arrangements did not permit sub-letting to a private operator.
The council notes that other car boot markets operate in the wider area, including one at Calverton, which remains available to traders and members of the public.
The closure will bring an end to more than three decades of car boot sales at the Colwick Racecourse site, which has been a regular weekend destination for traders and bargain hunters since the mid-1990s. Council officers say the decision will allow the authority to reduce costs associated with the service and address an existing budget pressure as part of a wider review of community services within the directorate.
