THE owner of Roswell Pits in Ely was served with a summons by East Cambridgeshire District Council this week for failing to comply with an enforcement notice issued last year. The district council issued the notice to businessman Jeremy Tyrrell in April 2

THE owner of Roswell Pits in Ely was served with a summons by East Cambridgeshire District Council this week for failing to comply with an enforcement notice issued last year.

The district council issued the notice to businessman Jeremy Tyrrell in April 2008 in respect of unauthorised works involving cabling, pipe work and concrete slabs, carried out without planning permission at the pits, located east of the city on Prickwillow Road.

The council demanded that Mr Tyrrell remove all items brought on to the site, a designated Sight of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), that hadn't been granted planning permission.

A subsequent appeal against the notice by Mr Tyrrell, owner of Jalsea Marine Services based on Cathedral Marina in Ely, was dismissed by a council planning inspector and a deadline of October 1 was set for the remedial work to be completed.

The council had been considering its formal options since the deadline passed almost a month ago and opted to issue a summons for failure to comply with the enforcement notice this week.

If the case is dealt with at a Magistrate's court the maximum fine possible stands at �20,000.

Giles Hughes, head of Planning and Economic Development at ECDC, said: "It is with great regret that we have had to take such action but we believe we have a strong case to take to court.

"We would like to stress how seriously we take unauthorised development in our countryside and we will continue to take action on any landowner who develops land without planning permission."

Councillor for Ely West, Sue Austen, said: "Mr Tyrrell has been given every opportunity to address this issue and has failed to do so. The council must act now to protect Roswell Pits and enforce planning law.

"Roswell Pits was designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest to give it protection and the council has its part to play. There should be no more talking; the time has come to let the court decide."

The Ely Standard attempted to contact Mr Tyrrell, but he was unavailable for comment.