New Bradford wedding venue approved - despite being taller than planned

The man behind the 800 capacity function hall on a vacant plot of land off Dick Lane in Tyersal told councillors it was down to bad advice from architects and contractors that the project got off to the wrong start.

Members of Bradford Council's Regulatory and Appeal Committee were told that the partially-built new venue which initially received approval in 2018, was built with a steeper pitched roof and with fewer windows.

But officers explained that the large building was sited in the same spot as the original plans so the relationship to neighbouring homes and businesses was the same.

In addition the point of access and car parking in the retrospective plans are all the same as before, the meeting was told.

Applicant Mr Hussain and his family set up the Sweet Centre in Bradford in the 1960s, one of the city's first Asian restaurants.

His son Hashim Hussain told the meeting: "We are now working with new contractors and are managing the project ourselves. I can only apologise for the difficulties at the start."

The site at Dick Lane before work started. Picture: Google Streetview

One councillor asked whether any penalties could be meted out as a number of pre-commencement conditions had also not been met.

But planning office Malcolm Joy told the virtual panel that all these conditions had now been discharged and the submission of a retrospective planning application was intended to regularise the situation.

Another asked about sanctions for not following the approved plans. But the meeting heard that Councils could not charge extra for retrospective applications due to national legislation on the issue.

Councillor Mohammed Amran (Lab, Heaton) asked whether a previous pledge by the applicant to ban fireworks from being set off at the venue still stood.

They were told that while a condition on the planning consent was not possible, the applicant still intended to include a ban on fireworks on any contracts drawn up with customers.

Anyone caught setting of fireworks despite the warning would lose their deposit, the applicant added.

Councillor Geoff Reid (Lib Dem and Ind, Eccleshill) added: "In the grand scheme of things this is very much a benign sort of retrospective application.

"I think the applicant has been very honest about his difficulties. I have to say that a pitched roof for a building of this size is an improvement."