A Lichfield hotel has been refused permission to retain the use of a marquee for functions.
Swinfen Hall Hotel had applied to Lichfield District Council to keep the 48 metre structure in place.
A heritage statement submitted with the application said the facility was required to meet demand for weddings.
“The justification for the marquee is on business viability grounds in order to be able to accommodate large weddings which are important for revenue.
“Ensuring the hotel business is viable is important to enable sufficient funds to be put into the restoration of the building, particularly the derelict kitchen wing, and into general fabric maintenance.”
Heritage statement
But objections to the planning application were made by local residents, while Swinfen and Packington Parish Council said it also had “concerns” about noise coming from the marquee.
A decision notice from Lichfield District Council’s planning department said the retention of the structure would not be permitted:
“The development would comprise inappropriate development within the Green Belt that would cause substantial harm by definition, moderate harm to openness and minor to moderate harm to visual amenity.
“No very special circumstances have been put forward which clearly outweigh the harm to the Green Belt.
“The proposal, by virtue of the noise generated and associated disturbance, would result in an unacceptable impact on the amenity of neighbouring residents.
“It would be an incongruous form of development that would cause harm to the Grade II* listed Swinfen Hall and Grade II listed walled garden by virtue of its design, scale and massing. There are no demonstrable public benefits of the proposal that would outweigh the harm to the setting of the listed building.”
Planning decision notice
Full details can be seen on Lichfield District Council’s planning website.
What a shame for Swinfen. Old school house weeford are allowed to have marquee and have done for many years.
is it disturbing the people housed in the big building next door do you think – the inmates at the young offenders prison! – shocking. yet another daft decision by our council
Suggest the business asks the local councillors to call the decision in to the main planning committee for delicate judgement. This is the sort of thing the council should be supporting in difficult economic times as opposed to been frustrated by officers who have never run a business in thier lives!
I could be more sympathetic to this company had it respected the paid for commitment of the previous owners postponed due to Covid.
They want to change to a more up market clientele.
Pity some of the ethos and generosity of the original owners of the property (the Swinfen Broun’s) has not rubbed of on them.
The old school house can accommodate 150 according to the website
The new marquee at Swinfen is 450! Big difference.
Also I don’t think the school house have drums playing for hours and fast cars outside revving engines and driving up and down the private roads
RFW. I might suggest that folk read the information on the LDC planning site and learn why the application was turned down, because as I see it, it is no one’s fault but Swinfen Halls.