Originally Posted by
Gustosomerset
IMHO, I don't think you should get distracted into a debate about the definition of 'curtilage'. As Espada III suggests, that's a whole murky area of planning law that almost no-one has enough time to get involved in. And I suspect it's completely irrelevant in any case, as is any suggestion that the hotel is not a 'private site'.
On the other hand I think it could be all about the back story: "... the venue has had its own issues with the council on unrelated issues and this is why they are hesitant. The issues they have had are within the public domain and in fact resulted in the Council being condemned by a Judge."
From what I can tell, the back story goes like this: Wedding Venue A (where you want to land) has just won a major legal dispute at appeal with the local council over an erroneous planning permission awarded to Wedding Venue B (about a mile or so away) over 5 years ago. This decision will dramatically effect the business of WVB (presumably to the benefit of WVA). Meanwhile Wedding Venue C (between the two, really!) applied for and obtained temporary permission for a helipad in 2010, extended ultimately until 2016 but not, as far as I can tell, renewed subsequently. This allowed for '1 or 2 movements per week' (hence the clear need for PP). At the time of the original application, there was vociferous local opposition on the basis that: "...if one club was allowed a helicopter pad, nearby venues like (WVA) and (WVB) would soon follow suit."
So, in short, I think this is nothing at all to do with legislation and all to do with local politics in an area where the locals are already highly sensitive to helicopters and weddings, three adjacent wedding venues are in very fierce competition, each liable to resort to legal action at the slightest excuse, and the local council has just been made to look incompetent. All in all, although there's no legal reason why you shouldn't, I think landing a helicopter in the middle of that sh**storm is unlikely to go well....
I think you've hit the nail on the head !!