Hilton Hall's grounds are set to open for weddings

An historic Grade I-listed hall in South Staffordshire is to open up its grounds for wedding ceremonies in a bid to secure £400,000 of vital funding for urgent repair works.

English Heritage has awarded a grant of £300,000 to Hilton Hall in Essington to carry out work on the dilapidated building used to cultivate plants in the grounds – but the owners need to find the rest. Plans for a marquee to be set up in the picturesque gardens of the hall, which dates back to 1720, will go before South Staffordshire Council tomorrow.

Agent John Sharpe, who has drawn up the plans for on behalf of owners Hengam Investments, said the marquee would be in place from April until September and has the potential to bring in around £20,000 a year to help fund repairs to the forcing house.

"The forcing house is in exceptionally poor condition with very little prospect of repair other than the grant aid," he said. "However, it is listed as Grade I in its own right in recognition of its importance nationally.

"There is a balance of £100,000 left to be found and we have proposed that the means of securing this balance is through a wedding events business venture."

The plans have been recommended for approval.

The hall – which has been used as the headquarters of Tarmac in the past – is currently used as offices as well as a conference suite which hosts weddings.

If the plans are given the go ahead, the marquee will be situated on a former helicopter landing pad used by Staffordshire Police, which previously rented office space in the grounds of the hall.

"It is my opinion that the importance of the restoration of the historic forcing house should be given very significant weight in making this decision," Mr Sharpe added.

"The loss of the historic forcing house would be far more detrimental to the value and setting of the listed buildings of Hilton Hall than the introduction of a relatively well-screened marquee."