A GRADE II-listed wedding venue, originally built as a memorial to Charge of the Light Brigade general Lord Raglan, has been given permission to create a new car park on nearby fields. 

Monmouthshire County Council’s planning committee was asked to decide the application for the overflow car park to serve Cefn Tilla Court at Llandenny, between Raglan and Usk, as more than five objections had been received by the planning department. 

Home to the last Lord Raglan until 2010, a change of use application to a wedding venue was granted for the estate in 2020.

The new parking area will provide space for 20 cars as well as for three minibuses which would run as a shuttle service between the current agricultural fields and the venue. 

The venue was granted change of use planning permission in 2020 to host weddings as well as continue as a residence, while it also holds shooting days.

The first Lord Raglan served in the Peninsular War and lost an arm at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, where he was military secretary to the Duke of Wellington, famously demanding the return of the amputated limb so he could retrieve the ring that his wife had given him.

As overall commander in the Crimea, he oversaw the disastrous Charge of the Light Brigade in 1854 at the Battle of Balaclava - immortalised in verse by Tennyson - and died eight months later of dysentry with the war still in the balance.

More than 1,600 comrades and friends funded the building of Cefn Tilla in memory of the field marshall in 1858 and bequeathed it to his family with 238 acres of land.

The venue hosts 50 weddings a yea as well as clay pigeon shooting parties.

Planning officer Andrew Jones told the MCC committee the use of seven-metre minibuses, rather than coaches, is one of a number of amendments since the application was originally submitted in October last year.

An enhanced landscaping scheme is also among the changes with two trees, that have protection orders, to be integrated into the scheme with no trees or hedgerows lost. 

A large agricultural barn which is in the field, which is in the open countryside south of Llandenny, will also be retained. 

Mr Jones said no external lighting is proposed for the car park but a condidtion would remove the “permitted development” right for lighting meaning any future proposal could be controlled by the council. 

Wyesham independent councillor Emma Bryn asked if a permeable grass surface could be used rather than gravel for the car park, which was supported by a number of councillors. Mr Jones said that could be considered as part of the biodiversity enhancement scheme. 

Cantref Labour councillor Sara Burch asked if there should be signage to warn drivers on Cefn Tilla Road, which is a single track with no lighting, of pedestrians.

She said: “I wonder whether we need some signage or whether there should be a safe walking route? Minibuses may not be available at all times people want to leave.” 

Mr Jones said he wasn’t sure if that would be “appropriate” and the authority could only require applicant Robert Evans to make adaptations on land in his control or ownership, which the road isn’t. He added the highways department isn’t objecting with its concerns addressed by a transport statement that covered potential pedestrian access. 

Llangybi Fawr Conservative Fay Bromfield said the committee should accept the recommendation for approval and said: “We need to support our local businesses in the current climate.”