A WEDDING and events business has been given planning permission at the second attempt after satisfying Carmarthenshire Council it could manage noise at its rural venue.

Ten parents of young adults cared for at a residential centre 260m away had objected to the retrospective application by Green Grove Farm, saying their children had been disturbed by noise from events which took place at a barn under so-called temporary event notices. But there have been no complaints since noise mitigation measures were carried out at the converted barn.

The council’s planning committee heard arguments from planning agent Richard Banks, representing the residential centre – Glasallt Fawr – and from applicant Carwyn Rees, of Green Grove Farm, near Llangadog.

Mr Banks said Glasallt Fawr looked after 28 “highly sensitised” young adults with conditions such as acute autism and Down’s syndrome, and that their parents had chosen this site because of its rural location. He claimed that “you could have sung along” at Glasallt Fawr with music played from the barn at a ball held in summer last year and hear an auction beforehand. This, he said, had formed evidence which led to the council turning down the first planning application by Green Grove Farm in December 2023.

Mr Banks questioned whether live music would stop at 10pm, as the applicants have pledged, and claimed no noise insulation had been carried out on the venue’s roof. He said the management of noise required the barn’s windows and doors to be closed. “Really?” he said.

Applicant Mr Rees said sound-proofing work had been carried out at the barn, that the noise management plan had been refined, and that the venue had received no complaints about 20-plus events that had taken place under temporary notices. He added that more than 100 trees had been planted to help screen noise.

Mr Rees conceded that the original planning application had under-estimated noise, but he also said the events potentially benefited local caterers and other businesses more than expected. He said guests were made aware of the noise constraints when they booked the barn, and added: “We are able to manage windows and doors from the premises.”

Councillors asked about the impact of wind direction on noise levels, when live and recorded music had to cease in the evenings, and whether complaints had been made about events which had taken place. They were advised that live music stopped at 10pm, that recorded music – played at a level at least 10 decibels lower than live music – ceased at midnight, and that no amplified music was allowed outside after 8pm. They were also told that only one complaint had been received, early in 2023, which pre-dated the current planning application.

A senior council environmental health officer, Aled Morgan, said he could hear a “faint amount of music” emanating from the barn before 10pm on an evening in April this year while he was at Glasallt Fawr – this was after sound improvements had been carried out. He said “we struggled to identify” whether recorded music was being played after 10pm. He added that wind direction did play a part inregards to how noise travelled.

Planning officers recommended the retrospective application to convert the barn into a wedding and events venue and add two small extensions at the rear for approval. The was subject to conditions including strict adherence to the noise management plan and the use of a noise-limiting device on amplifiers. A majority of the committee approved the recommendation, with one voting against and two abstentions. Green Grove Farm, which also has holiday let accommodation and lies to the south-west of Glasallt Fawr, gained a premises licence for the wedding and events business from the council last month.

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Rees said: “After 18 months of negotiations with our planning department we are delighted to have acquired full planning and events licensing for our beautiful wedding venue at Green Grove Farm. The venue will provide local employment opportunities, and based on the trial events held over 2024 clients have loved this spectacular location.

“There is a demand for sourcing local Welsh food from local caterers and celebrating local artists as part of their event experience. We can’t wait to welcome new couples to Green Grove Barns.”