'Bollywood' wedding venue locked in nine year feud with neighbours:
By MATT STRUDWICK,
Locals living near a 'Bollywood' wedding venue say their lives are being ruined by guests revving the engines of their supercars and banging ceremonial drums.
Lamborghinis, Ferraris, and Rolls-Royces have been seen showing off outside The Grand Banqueting Suite, in Ravensthorpe, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire.
Residents say the expensive motors roar past their homes and cause them to shake, while this week a fireworks display that caused their pets to cower in fear ended up with police being called.
They say sleepless nights for the last nine years because of the rowdy behaviour and the glare from building's football pitched-sized floodlights is taking a toll on their mental health, with some seeking treatment for anxiety.
Others have since moved out of the area because of the noise.
A video, exclusively obtained by the Daily Mail, shows hordes of guests standing outside the venue at night as fireworks are let off from the pavement into the sky in a continuous burst of noise.
Police confirmed it had been called to the venue on Monday at 11.20pm and said it had recorded a crime of assault after a staff member was allegedly punched. No arrests were made.
Now, fed-up people living near the venue have started a petition calling on the local council and police to take action and 'restore peace and quiet in our community'.
Locals living near 'Bollywood' wedding venue The Grand Banqueting Suite, in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, say their lives are being ruined by guests revving the engines of their supercars and banging ceremonial drums
A fireworks display set off outside the venue this week caused locals' pets to cower in fear and ended up with police being called
Police confirmed it had been called to the venue on Monday at 11.20pm and said it had recorded a crime of assault after a staff member was allegedly punched
The opulent 'Bollywood bling' venue hosts extravagant wedding ceremonies where guests show off their wealth arriving in rented supercars amongst hundreds of people at their lavish receptions.
During summer periods the venue holds two ceremonies a day yet angry neighbours say they have to put up with the 'non stop' racket which 'often' goes over its allowed 11pm curfew, with their pets living in terror.
It comes as locals claim a huge firework display was set off at 11.30pm earlier this week by wedding guests just outside the walls of the venue on a nearby residential street which lasted for more than 20 minutes.
Neighbours say they have also had to put up with the loud engine revving of rented supercars, banging ceremonial drums, and large gatherings lingering outside the venue up until midnight for a number of years.
They also claim wedding goers throw litter over the walls and into their back gardens.
The venue which opened in 2015 was only legally allowed to hold ceremonies and receptions up until 4pm until 2021, when a controversial decision was made by Kirklees Council's Heavy Woollen planning sub-committee to extend the trade licence to 11pm.
Though during that time, neighbours claim they regularly flouted the rules.
One neighbour, who didn't want to be named, has a newborn child and told the Daily Mail: 'They are a nuisance and show no consideration to families who live in the houses around the venue.
The aftermath of the fireworks display outside The Grand Banqueting Suite in Dewsbury
One nearby resident described this week's fireworks display (pictured) as 'horrendous'
West Yorkshire Police said
Should venues be held accountable for the behaviour of their guests?
Yes
No
'I've lived here for over 20 years and since 2015 they have been constantly disturbing, pets, disabled people, and children.
'We've had supercars showing off and revving really loud past our house for a number of years now.
'Also wedding guests parking outside my house on a number of occasions meaning I have nowhere to park.
'I know people who have moved out because of the noise. A couple a few doors down complained and complained but nothing was done.
'If I could pack up and leave I would do too. The fireworks were horrendous. I mean, the police were called.
'I have a newborn child and she was screaming in fear. They kept my other children awake.
'The people on the other side of the fence in the venue were shouting and cheering showing no consideration to the families they are disrupting.
'Then when we complain to the council it just falls on deaf ears and nothing happens.'
A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police said it had been called to a disturbance outside the events venue at 11.20pm on Monday where it was reported that a large group of people were setting off fireworks.
'Officers attended and found that people had begun to disperse,' they said.
'A crime of assault was recorded in relation to a staff member working at the venue who reported being punched.'
Debris from the fireworks display can be seen on the pavement outside the venue in the above picture
Supercars pictured outside the venue that locals say are roaring past their street and causing their homes to shake
Supercars pictured outside the venue that locals say are roaring past their street and causing their homes to shake
Neighbours say they have also had to put up with the loud engine revving of rented supercars, banging ceremonial drums, and large gatherings lingering outside the venue
Another neighbour, Shanam Ahmed, 37, said: 'I've been living at this property for a few months.
'I knew there was a wedding venue there when I moved in, but I didn't think they would be doing them until late, as it is inconsiderate.
'You know people will be working the next day, people have children.
'My cat was quite scared by the fireworks - she was hiding, you know, behind furniture.'
A 67-year-old woman, who also didn't want to be named, has lived in her house all of her life and says the noise is something she has just had to get 'used to'.
The pensioner said: 'It was frustrating at first, but then I just had to get used to it, there was nothing else I could do.
'When the expensive cars come down the street revving their engines, my house shakes sometimes.
'The engines also make loud bangs. I just feel for the kids and the pets.'
The Grand Banqueting Suite opened in 2015 after the building - which used to be a working men's club - was bought by current owner, Ashiq Hussain in 2010.
Ashiq then spent the following years transforming it into a luxury 'Bollywood bling' Asian wedding venue.
The location boasts an extravagant dining hall with some chandeliers being delivered from Dubai.
It also has separate areas for men and women, a bridal room, and prayer rooms.
Locals say guests arrive in Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Rolls-Royces, and rev their engines inside the premises before the ceremony begins.
To book the lavish location there is a minimum guest number of 300 people - though it can cater for up to 1,400 - and costs around £20 per head.
Rows between residents and the venue began in late 2016 when Ashiq applied to Kirklees Council Planning Inspectorate to extend opening hours to 11 pm seven days a week
The opulent 'Bollywood bling' venue hosts extravagant wedding ceremonies where guests show off their wealth arriving in rented supercars
Yet rows between residents and the venue began in late 2016 when Ashiq applied to Kirklees Council Planning Inspectorate to extend opening hours to 11 pm seven days a week.
The permission, which was originally approved, only allowed it to hold weddings up until 4pm.
His application was denied yet locals say he flouted the rules and continued to hold weddings past the 4pm curfew.
But then in 2017 it emerged a weakness in planning law meant he was able to continue trading past the time despite officials telling them not to.
It was revealed that Ashiq was only in breach of planning law if Kirklees Council took enforcement action against him - which they had not.
Then in 2021, Kirklees Council made the controversial decision to allow Ashiq to trade until 11pm despite complaints from locals.
The venue was reprimanded in 2020 when it breached Covid-19 regulations by holding wedding receptions for 50 to 150 people. Government restrictions at the time restricted ceremonies to no more than 15 guests.
Locals say the summer period is the 'worst' with ceremonies happening daily, yet they say the disruption is all year round.
Resident M s Mughal, 48, has lived in his house for 23 years says he is 'sick' of the noise.
He said: 'My 23 year old who is an electrical engineer, was late to work because of the fireworks - they kept him up all night, and I bet he isn't the only one.
'We are lucky that my bedroom as well as my other son's bedroom faces the front of house, but his bedroom faces the back directly on top of the venue.
'We bought him blackout blinds to deal with the light from the big lights they have on the car park.'
Mr Mughal has told he isn't too 'bothered' by the noise during the day but says he gets frustrated by it in the evenings.
The venue was reprimanded in 2020 when it breached Covid-19 regulations by holding wedding receptions for 50 to 150 people
The venue is situated in touching distance of people's back gardens. Locals say the summer period is the 'worst' with ceremonies happening daily
The Grand Banqueting Suite opened in 2015 after the building - which used to be a working men's club - was bought by current owner, Ashiq Hussain in 2010
The father of two said: 'It has been happening since it opened in 2015.
'It is worst during the summer season, we have to keep our windows closed and the fans constantly running.
'There is always some noise going on. When the cars come past our house it literally shakes - its just young lads showing off.
'Then in the evening at 11 pm, they rev them again as they probably have only rented them for a day and want to make the most of them.
'When I moved here, I felt very lucky because there was a bowling green and a working man's club behind us - it was very quiet.
'We were very happy then but now it's totally opposite.'
Another neighbour, who didn't want to be named, said: 'Sometimes at big weddings they play the drums for up to 45 minutes.
'When they are going, you can't hear anything else.'
A spokesperson for The Grand Banqueting Suite said: 'There is only one instance of fireworks, which took place two days ago, which has prompted complaints.
'The fireworks took place outside the boundary of our Venue, we made every effort to stop them, and one member of our management team was even assaulted in the process.
'We’ve met with the council this morning and they have confirmed that no complaints of any nature have been made against the venue in the past four years.
'We’ve reviewed our management procedures with the council and they are happy for us to continue implementing them as we already have been.
'Had we or the council have received any complaints, of course we would have taken them seriously.
'We’re working closely with the police and Kirklees council regarding the above isolated incident, and providing any evidence they require to prosecute the individuals that set off the fireworks on this isolated occasion.
'The venue has been around for over 10 years, and has built a fantastic reputation without any previous issues.
'Regarding the question about our planning permission - we’ve always operated within the guidelines of our planning permission, any allegations that say otherwise are false.
'We’re looking forward to continuing to work closely with Kirklees council, and our neighbours to mitigate any future disruption.'
A council spokesperson said: 'We know that noise disturbances can have an impact on residents’ quality of life and it’s something that we take very seriously.
'We have received three noise complaints in August which colleagues from our Pollution and Noise Control team are currently investigating.
'As with all noise complaint cases the team will work with both residents and businesses, to try and resolve any issues informally, if a solution can’t be reached this way, the council must gather independent evidence to determine whether the noise is a statutory nuisance, in law, before taking formal action.'
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