One of Huddersfield’s biggest employers has laid bare the reasons behind demolition plans for the landmark Dalton Grange wedding venue.

Chemical giant Syngenta, which owns the impressive but rundown building, says it is effectively paying tens of thousands of pounds a year to subsidise a private business.

Syngenta claims the couple who run the hospitality business, Mike and Kim Dean, have no contract with them.

Yet the firm is footing the bills for business rates, power, heating, water, insurance and costly repairs and maintenance.

Syngenta wants to flatten the site off Bradley Mills Road, Rawthorpe, but residents and heritage group the Victorian Society have expressed outrage.

Mr and Mrs Dean, who claim to have an agreement with the now-defunct Syngenta Social Club which previously controlled the building, fear the potential extinction of their business.

They have appointed a firm of solicitors and say the uncertainty is hitting bookings.

But Syngenta say that without its permission, the former social club, which was wound up in 2012 due to lack of members, allowed the Deans in 2011 to “use the premises for private trading solely to their own account, which included renting out rooms and running a private hospitality and wedding venue.

“As freehold owner of the building, no contractual arrangement was agreed with Syngenta at that time.”

A company spokesman added: “The building requires significant ongoing capital investment, does not contribute towards Syngenta’s manufacturing activity and has no forseeable use to Syngenta.

“The company continues to meet costs associated with the provision of utilities, services and maintenance to the building, which includes heat and water, council tax, rates and building insurance.

“These costs run into tens of thousands of pounds each year and Syngenta receives no income from activities at Dalton Grange.

“This position is unsustainable and is far beyond reasonable goodwill in subsidising what is now a private business, not a social club.”

Mr Dean has vowed to fight on and said: “We are being destroyed. They might be able to bulldoze the building but they can’t bulldoze our rights.

“We have every reason to be here in law. They are just trying to put a bad slant on us. It is dirty tricks.”

Dalton Grange, Bradley Mills Road, Huddersfield.

In a statement the couple’s legal representative Paul Booth added: “The facts are that in 2004, with the full knowledge of Syngenta, Michael and Kim Dean took over the management of the club.

“They had a written agreement dated November 1, 2004, which I have in my possession, with the club. Under this they received a fixed fee, in addition to a share of the income from the premises.

“In 2011 the club unilaterally stopped paying Michael and Kim the fixed fee, but said that they should continue to operate the business as before. All that happened was that the fixed fee went.

“It is quite wrong to say that there was no permission for this. Syngenta knew and permitted Mike and Kim to carry on, and to continue to spend money on Dalton Grange and their business.

“In short Syngenta’s statement suggests that Mike and Kim have not continued to carry on their business with the knowledge or permission of Syngenta.

“That is wrong. Mike and Kim never had an agreement direct with Syngenta, as they did not need one. They had an agreement with the club.

“Rather than take legal action which they could have done before now if they thought they had good grounds, Syngenta seem to have resorted to making statements which are designed to cause people to believe they cannot continue to use Dalton Grange.”