Wedding venue cancels bookings as firm pulls out
Redcar and Cleveland CouncilFuture bookings at a listed walled garden and wedding venue have been cancelled after its operator used an early break clause in its contract to vacate the facility.
Kirkleatham Walled Garden in Redcar reopened in 2021 after 30 years following a £10m investment from Redcar and Cleveland Council, the Tees Valley Combined Authority and other bodies.
Contractor Elior, which has been operating the site since, has announced it is handing back the licence to Redcar and Cleveland Council from 1 September, with all events after this date cancelled.
A council spokesman said its registrars had retained bookings with couples to deliver wedding ceremonies and it was working to support those affected.
The Labour-led authority, which is looking for a new operator for the site, said it understood Elior would be offering refunds to customers who had their booking cancelled.
A council spokesman said: "We appreciate that Elior's decision to withdraw as operator has caused significant problems and great upset for those who had booked events at the walled garden.
"This is the last thing we would wish to happen and we will now look to appoint a quality operator for the walled garden as soon as possible."
Redcar and Cleveland CouncilElior did not address questions on the reasons for pulling out of the contract or the impact on its staff, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
A company spokesman said they had contacted customers with bookings after 31 August.
They added: "We would like to thank visitors and the local community for their continued support during this period."
The walled garden was the subject of political clashes during its development with a report in 2020 revealing the project had gone over budget by £1.6m.
There were also delays in its construction and planned opening caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
LDRSThe garden at Kirkleatham is Grade II-listed and is part of an estate built in the 17th century.
It is made up of formal gardens, a science garden, a glasshouse, cafe, shop and 350-seat pavilion.
At the time it reopened, the council said it would create 37 jobs and train dozens of apprentices through a catering and horticultural academy.
