WEDDING venue bosses have voiced their frustrations that restaurants have been permitted to open while their doors have to remain firmly shut.

Amid the lifting of lockdown restrictions in July, some business sectors such as pubs and restaurants, which were previously closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, reopened.

According to Hitched, one of many websites listing wedding venues, there are around 16,000 wedding venues across England with around 1,778 in the North West. The government has permitted small wedding gatherings of up to 30 guests in bars, pubs and restaurants but the larger venues which rely on big events have been hit hard.

During a typical summer some of the most popular Asian venues in the region would host a series of lavish weddings in what is seen as a burgeoning industry.

The 3D Centre in Bolton is one of most popular venues in the region.

Manager Imran Patel said: “We have been shut ever since the lockdown. The rules state that weddings can take place for 30 people. Nobody is going to bother for 30 people. It has been really difficult for us. People are constantly calling and cancelling and there is not much advice out there and we are just hoping things get back to normal as soon as possible.

“We have to write 2020 off. This would have been the busiest time of the year with July, August and September we are normally booked.

“There is a whole number of smaller companies affected by this such as caterers, the cake companies and stage designers are all affected. Ninety per cent of people are not doing their weddings.”

A venue owner from neighbouring Blackburn said they had to cancel 96 bookings this year.

“It has been a nightmare," they said. "Many people in our industry will say it is farce that restaurants are open as they busier than wedding halls. At a wedding venue you could do track and trace much better than other places."

MPs from across the north have voiced their concerns.Yasmin Qureshi, MP for Bolton South East has been nominated the task of coordinating requests on behalf of MPs.

She said: “I was initially approached by some local wedding venues who were beginning to struggle like many other businesses. Many of the venues are much bigger than average wedding venues and can follow the social distancing guidelines. I wrote to the Ministry of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and explained that the job retention scheme needed to be longer to cover the summer wedding season, the rate rebate must be extended to next year and that those venues that were bigger must be allowed to open as they could easily follow the social distancing guidelines and support the track and trace as they knew their customers, but we have been told ‘no’.”