Wedding venue issues

NikkiCulv

Hi all, 
I am a first time poster so hope this is in the right section as all our wedding issues have occurred due to Covid and lockdown. 

I am due to get married on August 7th, the venue and I have been back and forth looking at alternative dates for 2021 and none are suitable as my fiancé is a teacher and the dates offered were mid week term time. Our contract with the venue states in its force majeure that “if any matter beyond reasonable control we (venue) are hindered from fulfilling the substance of our obligations both parties shall be entitled to withdraw from this contract in writing”.  We have been emailing back and forth for weeks and have asked to withdraw as the wedding is highly unlikely to go ahead and alternate dates are not suitable. They have lied to us regarding “advice sought by the local council” about us having a “reasonable and fair” 4-week wait to find out if our wedding can be cancelled under this clause or not as they could still hold the wedding of 6-30 people (our wedding was originally 150 guests) and it gives us “plenty of time” to organise suppliers. From this statement we then spoke to said council whom 3 members of the marriage department have heard nothing of the sought. 

The venue have said they are happy to pay us back £5,500, of our already fully paid £7,500, but are unwilling to refund the £2,000 “non refundable deposit” due to admin costs. In the 2.5 years of booking the venue, they have not been put out in anyway other than answering 30 emails (25 of which in present climate). 

Are they allowed to keep the non refundable deposit or not as it is now void? 

Jeremy535897

See if this helps:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/wedding-and-event-venue-providers-letter-from-the-cma-on-contract-terms