Luxury wedding venue’s huge marquee in row over concerns it’s scarring landscape

A luxury wedding venue in the countryside is facing a council order to dismantle a large marquee on its grounds amid concerns it’s marring the natural beauty of the area.

Dyffryn Springs in Wenvoe, outside Cardiff, could soon be served with an enforcement notice by the Vale of Glamorgan council, which believes the structure lacks the necessary planning permission.

Previously, the venue had been granted permission for a temporary marquee, but it later erected a permanent one. Following a complaint lodged with the council in January 2023, the venue sought retrospective planning permission to maintain the structure.

However, the council rejected the application in March 2024, citing “harmful design” and “unacceptable visual impact”. A council planning report highlighted: “It is evident from the images that in particular the white (generally glossy) material for the marquee roof and walls results in a white building that sits in stark contrast within the rolling green landscape and its position within a valley ensures that it is highly visible from both close and distant views as evidenced above.”

The council also expressed concerns about the light pollution caused by the marquee at night.

Dyffryn Springs, which was given permission back in 2009 to erect a temporary marquee for up to four months annually over three years, is now under the council’s scrutiny. Aerial photos featured in an official report reveal that while this marquee was used in 2019, a sizable permanent structure has been on-site since at least March 2022, reports WalesOnline.

The council says: “Whilst it is acknowledged that the site benefits from historic planning approval for the erection of a temporary marquee this consent was primarily granted on the basis that it would be in place no more than four months per year over a 36-month period to mitigate and control its visual impact.

“Therefore, the installation of a larger permanent marquee of a similar design results in an unacceptable, incongruous structure in the countryside causing a detrimental impact.”

Should the enforcement notice get the green light at an upcoming Vale of Glamorgan Council planning committee meeting on September 26, Dyffryn Springs will have to dismantle the marquee and erase all traces of the installation. Dyffryn Springs were approached for comment.