Planning committee set to decide on Trelystan wedding venue

Plans for a temporary marquee to hold wedding receptions at a picturesque church near Welshpool, have been backed by Powys planners.

At a meeting Powys County Council’s planning committee on Thursday, February 3, councillors will decide plans submitted by Janet Jones of Quaint Country Weddings.

On land that has been farmed by her family for 90 years, Mrs Jones wants  to host wedding receptions in spring and summer, near the Grade II listed St Mary’s the Virgin church in Trelystan.

Trelystan is a hamlet on the Long Mountain between Welshpool and the border with England.

This application received  11 letters of support while 10 objections were also lodged.

These objections raised concerns about the increase of traffic as well as litter.

The application is in front of the committee after being called in by the local county councillor, Linda Corfield.

Cllr Corfield said:  “Initially residents and the Forden with Leighton & Trelystan community council were tentatively supportive of this new venture, having been led to believe the application was for one marquee to hold a traditional wedding reception close to the unique Grade II listed Trelystan Church.

“However, it appears the venture is turning out to be somewhat
different to that suggested in the application.”

Cllr Corfield explained that it was a “bone of contention” that what has been applied for and what is being advertised as available on the Quaint Country Wedding website are not, “exactly in tune.”

Cllr Corfield said that residents and worshippers at the church feared that a campsite would become part of the development.

In an economic impact statement that accompanies the application Quaint Country Weddings believe that they could hold 28 events from April to October.

Basing their calculations that each event would have an average of 96 guests, they believe every wedding reception would generate just under £57,400 in revenue.

This would be through food, marquee hire, guest expenditure, flowers, and accommodation as well as taxis.

They claim that the proposal would also generate £21,640 in income for Trelystan Church.

In total the firm believe that £1,637,258. could be brought into the local economy if the proposal is given the green light.

The council’s principal planning officer Luke Jones pointed out that a similar  application from 2020 had been rejected.

Mr Jones said: “The proposed marquee has been relocated to a different location from the previous application which was refused to ensure the siting is acceptable

“The development will support the local economy and increase the sustainability of many local companies as well as the church.”

“It is worth noting that the financial information provided has already been trialled via a number of weddings, under permitted development rights.

“These events took place during 2019 and 2020.”

Mr Jones believes that the application should be approved with a number of conditions including a S106 agreement.

This would mean that only weddings at the church or at the marquee would be allowed and the number of guests would be restricted to a maximum of 150.