Plans to expand the offerings at a popular wedding chapel that has been operating in the Sunshine Coast hinterland for more than 16 years have opened to public feedback.
The owners of Prideaux Estate at 264 Wilson Road, Ilkley, lodged an application with Sunshine Coast Council last March seeking to add two open-air marquees, as well as a barn-style function building at a later stage.
The applicants have since revised their plans, scrapping one of the proposed marquees as well as reducing the maximum number of guests allowed.
The existing chapel is a popular wedding venue but there are currently no facilities to hold reception parties, which is why the expansion plan has been submitted.
Under the site’s current approval the chapel can host up to two ceremonies per day, seven days a week, with up to 60 people in attendance at each ceremony.
The initial proposal would have increased guest capacity to 100 people per wedding, with the number of events per day reduced from two to one, but that has since been capped at 80 guests.
“It is proposed to utilise the existing chapel and amenities block onsite for functions, with the only new building proposed being the function building,” a planning report by Adams and Sparkes submitted with the application stated.
“The marquees … are temporary and will be erected and dismantled at each function.”
An information request issued by the council in April 2025 sought a revised noise impact report, raised concerns about driveway access and questioned the proposed use of temporary “port-a-loos” for functions, stating they were not appropriate for a permanent land use.
In response, the applicants – through their town planners – advised on February 17 of the amendments to the proposal.
“The proposal has been amended to reduce the maximum guest numbers from the originally submitted 100 guests to a maximum of 80 guests. The average event size is expected to be approximately 60 guests,” it said.
“The original supporting effluent report confirms that the existing amenities, subject to the recommended upgrades, are sufficient to meet the needs of the proposed use within the revised function area.
“Further, the proposal has been amended to remove Function Area A at the rear of the site, resulting in a single function area comprising a 10m x 16m marquee with a surrounding 3m buffer. The reduced scale of the proposal proportionally reduces the overall demand on permanent amenities.
“The applicant acknowledges that upgrades to permanent amenities will likely proceed in the future. These upgrades may be delivered once the feasibility of the operation is fully established. However, at this stage the combination of the existing amenities block and high-quality temporary amenities is an appropriate and industry-standard approach for a rural function venue of this scale.”
An environmental noise assessment by TTM also recommended installing an acoustic barrier more than 2m high, applying limits to amplified music and implementing noise management strategies including a ban on DJs or live bands, and restricting event activities to between 7am and 10pm.
Public notification runs until March 16.
