A wedding venue still has at least one of its marquees standing - days after the council ordered their removal.
Footage seen by the ECHO has shown the large Walled Garden marquee at the Thornton Manor Wedding estate still standing days after Wirral Council's enforcement order had passed. The footage, taken on Monday, July 25, comes days after the removal date of Thursday, July 21.
A 10-year dispute between Wirral Council and the venue's owners, Thornton Holdings, regarding the building of the marquees on the estate's green space ended in January this year. On January 20, the government's Planning Inspectorate dismissed a new appeal from Thornton Holdings and said the marquees must be removed within six months of the decision date.
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On its website, Thornton Manor, in Thornton Hough, offers wedding events at its luxury Lakeside Marquee, its Walled Garden Marquee and another at its waterside Dell Pavilion.
The ECHO understands both the Lakeside Marquee and the waterside Dell Pavilion had been removed by Monday, July 25. But footage received on Monday afternoon showed the much larger Walled Garden marquee still standing. A source told the ECHO the last wedding at Thornton Manor was on Saturday, July 16.
Following an ECHO investigation published June 26 this year, Wirral Council said: "If Thornton Manor does not act in line with the decision by HM Planning Inspectorate, the council has a duty to enforce it."
Wirral Council has now said they are in regular contact with Thornton Manor who confirmed they are in the process of removing the marquees. But a spokesperson added the wedding venue had not been given an extension of time to remove the marquees and "the council has a duty to enforce the decision for the marquees to be removed".
A full statement from the council said: “The council is in regular contact with Thornton Manor, who have confirmed that they are in the process of removing all three unauthorised marquees to comply with the direction that they must be taken down by July 21. No extension of time has been afforded and the council has a duty to enforce the decision for the marquees to be removed.
"An officer of the council visited the site on July 22 and at that time the Dell marquee was largely dismantled. A representative of Thornton Manor confirmed that the marquees at the Lakeside and in the Walled Garden will be removed. Further monitoring site visits will be carried out until the removals are completed.”
The wedding venue was devastated by a fire on February 5. Since the fire the wedding venue has come under heavy criticism from couples hoping to be married there.
Thornton Manor told couples the business could not afford to refund people and encouraged them to contact their insurance. Couples also told the ECHO the wedding venue continued to book weddings in the marquees past the date for their removal.
In terms of affected customers, Wirral Council previously confirmed there is an ongoing Trading Standards investigation ongoing regarding Thornton Manor. There is also an ongoing investigation by Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service into the causes of the fire in February.
The ECHO has approached Thornton Manor for comment but received no response.
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