New owners must remove mountain’

The new owners of Tattersett Business Park should make a firm commitment to removing the thousands of tyres on the site - or face enforcement action, councillors agreed yesterday.

At a meeting of North Norfolk District Council's development control committee, members said they were encouraged by efforts being made by North Norfolk MP Norman Lamb to resolve the situation but would have no hesitation in taking further action if no progress was made.

The mountain of tyres, now thought to number around 600,000, was created between 1998 and 2000 by a tenant at the business park near Fakenham and for the past five years, various landowners have failed to remove them.

Since new owners Highstar Properties took over the site last September the council, Mr Lamb and the Environment Agency have renewed efforts to get the tyres removed.

At the end of last year, Mr Lamb received a letter from Highstar's solicitors confirming the firm's intention to deal with the tyres by hiring shredding machines from Ireland in the spring.

Andy Mitchell, planning officer for North Norfolk District Council, said: "In light of that letter, members agreed that contact be made to invite a further application from Highstar without prejudice for a temporary period to regularise the situation.

"If no progress is made, the head of planning and building control will be authorised to serve an enforcement notice seeking to secure the removal of the tyres."

Mr Mitchell said that if Mr Lamb was able to set up a meeting of all interested parties then council officers and a local member should attend.

A spokesman for the Environment Agency said they had also made contact with the owners, who had agreed to meet officers this month.

She said: "We will be discussing their proposals for the removal of the tyres. We are very supportive of the stand the district council is taking and we are working closely with them."

Mr Lamb said he was very pleased with the attitude of the council.

"They have demonstrated a firm hand and appear to be willing to make it clear to the owners what needs to be done," he said.