A popular hotel and restaurant in Brighouse faces a battle to secure planning permission for improvement plans.

Bosses at the Casa Hotel and Restaurant will go back to Calderdale Council’s planning committee on Tuesday where councillors will rule on revised plans.

They already have consent for a new-build extension but now want a bigger extension than the one agreed.

As well as that they need retrospective permission for unauthorised work already carried out which planners say encroaches on the Green Belt.

Click below for pictures of the venue

The council’s planning officers have recommended refusal – but councillors will have the final say.

Improvements at the busy weddings and functions venue in Elland Road have been subject to a long-running planning battle, with the permanent extension wanted to replace a temporary marquee.

Casa say their plans “will lead to additional employment, economic growth and would be beneficial to the area as a whole”.

But they have faced a battle. Calderdale Council is currently taking enforcement action against Casa after rejecting permission for the marquee. Last year they were fined £15,000 by magistrates for ignoring council orders.

The planning report says: “A complaint about the siting of a marquee was first received in 2006. Investigations took place and it was determined that planning permission was required.”

The Casa Hotel in Brighouse
The Casa Hotel in Brighouse

In 2008 Casa secured planning consent for an extension but fell foul of planning officers by erecting a temporary marquee for functions.

Since then a number of enforcement notices have been issued, the first in February 2008 which required the removal of the marquee.

Five retrospective applications were submitted to retain the marquee – four refused with one allowed on appeal for six months.

Casa’s owner Jack McDaid was taken to court in July last year for failure to comply an the enforcement notice requiring the removal of the marquee. It was removed in February.

Brighouse Tory councillor Clr Howard Blagbrough spoke of his frustration and said: “Whilst I would be the first person to welcome investment and employment opportunities to the area, I cannot support any such development where the developer has clearly chosen to continue with the many schemes without the appropriate consent and has continued to operate knowing that they are in breach of various planning regulations.”

Just one letter of objection and one in support have been submitted for the latest application.

The objector believes the extension is bigger than previously agreed, while the supporter wrote of the benefit Casa brings to the borough.

Councillors will have to decide if the plans impact on the Green Belt and balance it against the economic benefit.

They will meet at 6pm on Tuesday at Halifax Town Hall.