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Search the Public Notice PortalA new countryside wedding venue, which proved highly controversial, has had its refusal overturned on appeal and can now go ahead.
Plans to convert a luxury six-bedroom farmhouse with an indoor pool into a 248-guest destination venue in Hapton had been on hold for years, after concerns were raised about the scale, access, and potential noise pollution from fireworks.
The site, known as Manley House, is situated in Burnley Road and is nestled in the 'gently undulating low-lying hills’ of the Calder Valley, with great views over the surrounding soft pastoral landscape.
Applicants Proimage Ltd had their plan rejected by Burnley Council, but appealed the decision to the Planning Inspectorate and hired planning firm PWA to fight their corner.
The scheme had included a large mechanical canopy to allow for the venue to be used year-round in all weather.
It attracted scores of objections from nearby residents concerned about the disruption it would bring, with weddings likely held on at least a weekly basis.
The firm picked apart many of the objections that had been presented by Burnley Council before the Planning Inspectorate.
These included issues over site access, with the 60mph speed limit in Burnley Road raising concerns about traffic and road safety.
However, the planning inspector who reviewed the case found this proximity to a main road would boost Proimage Ltd’s business case, rather than damage it.
This is because motorists would be driving too fast to see the venue, but guests would spot the widened access road to Manley House, which is currently a tight turn into a single lane.
“Burnley Road is of relatively low sensitivity,” the inspector wrote in their report.
“The widened access would be clearly visible, but the remaining development would only be glimpsed at most, due to the existing and proposed landscaping features of the site.”
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Part of these visual shielding measures that were approved by the inspector were the erection of a two-metre boundary fence, which will also work to reduce some of the noise pollution from events and fireworks.
While they agreed that the landscape would ‘generally obscure’ views of the venue from surrounding routes, they did admit that this fencing would be visible to some neighbours to its east and west.
They also argued against Burnley Council’s assertion that this section of the countryside needed to be protected, stating that ‘the site is not a sensitive or valued landscape’.
They argued its proximity to an A road meant it was a ‘transitional landscape’.
Many of the council’s initial arguments that had led to Manley House’s rejection in the first place were disproved or thrown out as part of the appeals process, including over ecology, flood risk, coal mining, and its impact on the local highway.
Burnley Council's planning team's argument that a wedding venue was a "town centre business unsuited for the countryside" was strongly rebuffed.
The planning inspector wrote: “Just because a wedding can take place in a town hall, for example, does not make it a town centre use.”
Lydia Gallagher, planner at PWA, who represented the applicant to the inspector, said: “This was a fiercely contested application, and we are happy with the outcome for our client.
"Overcoming several reasons for refusal and navigating intense local opposition required a detailed, evidence-led strategy.
“The Inspector’s decision not only provides incredibly useful clarity on the planning treatment of wedding venues in countryside locations, but it proves that well-designed rural diversification projects can absolutely succeed when backed by the right evidence.”
In granting planning approval, the planning inspector attached several strict conditions to ensure that the construction of the venue’s 126-space car park and other features did not begin until the details were approved by Burnley Council.
Manley House can also only operate from the hours of 9am to midnight, with all music stopping at 11pm. They also limited the venue to 200 guests, down from the originally mooted 248..
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