A SECOND attempt to convert an empty mill and former clothing store into an Asian wedding venue has been submitted to Bradford Council.

The Council has already refused the plans for Westfield House, the former Grattan catalogue shop on Ingleby Road, saying the site did not have enough parking for the proposed use as a banqueting suite to be used for weddings.

This week applicant Mohammed Tayyab submitted a second planning application for the change of use of the building, and argues the amount of parking provided falls in line with Council standards.

As with the first application, the latest proposals say the demand for Asian wedding venues has “grown significantly” in recent years, leading to a number of new venues opening.

Explaining why more venues were needed, the application says: “Different halls meet different customer needs. Having a variety of halls in the same area allows customers to choose the best suitable option for themselves.”

It says the building is the only location the applicant could find that was suitable for the venue – close to Bradford’s Asian community, and with a large car park.

The only other suitable venues would have been the former Royal Mail sorting office site or the former Britannia Mills site.

When the first application was refused, highways officers said the proposed parking allocation for 69 cars was “unrealistic” for the proposed wedding venue. They also questioned claims that at least 25 per cent of guests at the wedding would walk, cycle or use public transport to get to the hall.

Planning officers had also said the change of use would lead to “indiscriminate parking in and around the application site leading to highway safety concerns” and also be “detrimental to the amenities of neighbouring residents by reason of noise, vehicular activity and general disturbance.”

The initial plans were for a banqueting suite and separate restaurant, although the restaurant plan was later dropped.

The restaurant has been left out of the latest application.

The new application refers to Bradford Council’s policies for parking at “assembly and leisure” venues, which requires one parking space for every 22 square metres.

The proposed business would be 1,375sqm. The report says: “The 68 car parking spaces proposed is slightly higher than the Council’s requirement of 63 spaces, and is considered adequate in this instance.”

It goes on to say that the building is in a sustainable location – easy to access by car, public transport and by walking.

The application says the other reasons for refusal have been addressed in this new plan – with a noise report, parking spaces being moved further away from neighbouring houses and more detail about what the first floor would be used for – storage space, booking offices and a photographic studio.

The mill dates back to the 1930s, and was converted to a clothes shop with warehouse space in the early 1990s. It has been vacant for a number of years.

A decision on the application is expected before the end of the year.