by Hayley Robinson

Plans to extend a giant marquee at a wedding venue have been granted.

It means bosses at The Barnyard at Gore Farm, Upchurch, can now provide a room for wedding ceremonies.

Ceremonies are held at the nearby Breezehouse restaurant, but this has to be closed to regular customers while weddings take place. As a result wedding parties are charged a higher hire fee to cover lost income.

The owners argued this made their rates uncompetitive in comparison with other venues.

The marquee is an approved ceremony area but is also used for wedding receptions.

Its additional space, which also includes a new toilet block, will allow ceremonies to be held while preparations for the receptions continue.

The marquee, with decking and parking, was created at the site in 2008 at the cost of £250,000 so the farm could host weddings and conferences.

But it did not have planning permission from Swale council and officers ordered it to be dismantled after retrospective permission was refused.

An appeal was lodged and the decision was overturned by the Planning Inspectorate after a public inquiry last June, safeguarding 30 jobs.