Dairy farmer gets green light to host weddings, despite objections from his own sister

The owner of a Wigan farm has been granted a licence to host function events such as weddings and parties - despite objections from his sister. Wigan’s licensing sub-committee heard the application for Haigh Barn at Willoughby Farm in Haigh was at the centre of a ‘family feud’.

Owner David Marsden applied for a licence for Jorden Turner, to run the venue as ‘designed premises supervisor’. But Mr Marsden’s sister Elaine Marsden and her partner Darren Lannon - whose home is 25 metres away from the venue - told the hearing the noise from events held so far at Haigh Barn was ‘unbearable’.

Samantha Faud, a solicitor acting for Mr Marsden, said he had given up operating as a fully fledged farm in 2021 in order to diversify. “The business has taken time energy and money to become an events space alongside a working farm,” she said.

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Ms Faud said Haigh Barn was now at a ‘crossroads’ and work was planned to make it into more of an events venue. A planning application to Wigan council was in the offing, she said. However, she said: “There is an ongoing family dispute which I do not propose to go into.”

Ms Faud added “The farm has been operating [as an events venue] on for occasional events for more than 15 months and has had huge support from the local area, which is rural with very properties nearby. The objections of the his sister are largely based on a family feud.”

Mr Lannan said there had been issues in the last 18 months with people swearing and ‘smoking substances’, as well as noise problems. In his written submission to the sub-committee, he said the venue does not have an internal toilet which results in more noise with people leaving doors open and ‘urinating anywhere they please’.

He also referenced one incident when there was a ‘lad screaming in the yard’ after had slept in his car one Sunday morning. He had been unable to exit the venue because the gate was locked. Ms Marsden said: “My main concern is that the venue is 25 metres from my door and the noise level is unbearable, especially when there’s an event on. I’ve lived there all my life.

“None of the applicants live on the farm. In the summer I can be in my garden trying to relax and enjoy me weekend, but with all the noise going on, it’s not happening.”

Chair of the panel Coun Kevin Anderson said that the premises licence would be granted after Mr Marsden agreed to a stringent conditions relating to staff training, CCTV, risk assessments to determine whether door supervisors are required, and notices posted in prominent positions requesting customer to leave the area quietly.

A ‘challenge 25’ policy would also be in place to prevent anyone under 18 buying alcohol.