Country house CAN continue to host weddings

A COUNTRY house just outside Macclesfield has been given the go-ahead to continue hosting weddings.

Cheshire East Council this week granted a premises licence for Hilltop Country House, on Flash Lane.

The decision was published on Friday - a week after the council’s licensing sub-committee met to discuss the application.

At the meeting the committee heard that Hilltop had been hosting weddings under the previous owner for 11 years.

The licence had lapsed in 2020 so was not transferable to the new owners, who had since been operating under a temporary licence.

But several nearby residents had expressed their concerns about some aspects of the new licence application - although they stressed they did not want to affect the trading of Hilltop.

Applicant Jim Curtis told the committee: “My understanding is, over the 11 years, there have been no complaints of noise or any unruly behaviour.”

He said whereas the previous licence did not permit weddings at the beginning of the week, this new application was asking permission for seven days a week.

He added: “However, we’re not capable of running weddings seven days a week and currently the maximum we ever run is three weddings a week and we would like to be able to do that.

“We’re not permitted currently to have weddings at the beginning of the week, Monday and Tuesday, but we would like to be able to do that.”

Mr Curtis said outdoor music was acoustic and could be played in the garden until 7pm.

He said any loud music would be indoors in a former barn and measures had been taken to make it more soundproof.

Resident Beverley Dooley suggested the venue use noise mitigating speakers which were now available, which reduced sound travelling outside a specified area.

The neighbours were adamant they did not wish to restrict the trading of Hilltop.

Nigel Naden said: “What we want to try to do is secure the fact that, if the premises is sold again or have a change of business strategy or focus, we just want to make sure that the community in which we all enjoy and live isn’t disturbed by noise and other nuisances.”

Resident Sarah Turner said: “I’m not trying to restrict their ability to trade as a wedding venue at all but I think there needs to be a reasonable time-cap on that [music], taking into account the younger end of the spectrum and the older people.”

The applicant said he would be happy to have a decibel restriction placed on the licence.

The meeting took place at Westfields, Cheshire

East’s Sandbach headquarters, with the three committee members present in the building and local residents attending virtually.

The licence was granted this week with conditions which included that CCTV should be in operation at all times when licensable activities are taking place and that amplified live and recorded music is restricted to within the ‘barn’ building.