Wedding venue open ‘after hours’

A WEDDING venue that has been told to kick out the bride, groom and guests before teatime is ignoring the ruling, the Examiner has learned.

A government planning inspector recently ruled Asian wedding venue, the Grand Banqueting Suite at Ravensthorpe, could not extend its opening hours from 4pm until 11pm.

But sources have said the lavish “Bollywood bling” venue, a former working men’s club, has continued to stay open in the evenings.

It has now emerged that a weakness in planning law means the owners can continue to trade after 4pm despite officials telling them not to.

Owner Ashiq Hussain, of Bradley, is only in breach of planning law if Kirklees Council takes enforcement action.

The council has declined to do so because Mr Ashiq has submitted a new application to open late that could be approved.

His latest bid seeks to massively increase the amount of car parking at the site – one of the issues that caused the previous application to be rejected.

Mr Hussain has acquired land close by that can hold more than 350 cars.

His latest application, which will be considered by the council’s Heavy Woollen planning sub-committee in May, also bids to build a conservatory extension on the main building and convert adjacent housing into prayer rooms.

Mr Hussain did not wish to comment but his spokesman said they were now confident of getting the green light. A council spokesman said: “The council is aware of a number of occasions when the premises have been open outside the hours stipulated within the planning conditions. One reason that the initial application for extended hours was refused by the council and the planning inspector was due to potential disruption caused by vehicle parking and movements into the existing car park. “The more recent application is seeking to address the reasons for

The council is aware of a number of occasions when the premises have been open outside of hours stipulated.

the refusal including the provision of additional parking.

“This new application will be considered at the next available Heavy Woollen planning committee. As there is an active application for this business, common practice is to allow the application to be determined before formal action is considered. We will review the matter once a decision is made.”

Kirklees Council has also confirmed that it did once find an unauthorised “underground kitchen” at the site, as alleged by an Examiner source.

A council spokesman said: “Food officers from the council have been to the premises twice.

“There was, at one point, a kitchen in the basement (2014).

“However, when the inspection was done in 2016, there was no kitchen in the basement – just a walk-in chiller.”