COURT proceedings could be taken against a developer on the Crossings business park, off the Kildwick roundabout.

On Monday, Craven District Council's planning committee will be asked to authorise officers to pursue an injunction against Skipton Properties over a tree planting scheme agreed in 1991.

And members will also hear how the company has demolished a former abattoir neighbouring the site and raised the height of the land by 1.5 metres to join it to the head of the Crossings Business Park spine road without permission.

In 1991, the then owners of the Crossings business park, Maritana Ltd, signed a legal agreement to plant trees to the western, northern and eastern boundaries of the site, members will hear.

Although planting has been undertaken to the west and the north, no planting has been undertaken to the east and the new owner Skipton Properties is thus in breach of planning conditions.

To the east lies the former abattoir site, and in February this year the company informed Craven District Council that it was pursuing alternative proposals to planting along that boundary.

Planning permission for two industrial units on this site had been turned down by the district council.

The officers' report states: "It is clear that the site owner has no intention of implementing a planting scheme for the eastern boundary of the site voluntarily. Therefore it would appear that if the council wishes to see the eastern boundary landscaped in line with the original legal agreement formal enforcement action will need to be pursued."

The recommended action is a court injunction, imposing specific requirements on the site owner, and any other relevant parties. Failure to comply with such an order is a criminal offence.

In the second report to the committee, members will be told that Skipton Properties has not contacted the Minerals and Waste Planning Unit at North Yorkshire County Council for permission to demolish the abattoir and raise the level of the land.

An enforcement officer from North Yorkshire County Council and an officer from the Environment Agency were due to visit the site this week and will report to the committee.

Brain Verity, managing director of Skipton Properties, told the Herald: "We understand that there are a number of items before the council next week relating to various aspects of our business and welcome the opportunity to move matters forward.

"In respect of the Crossings Industrial Park site, over £100, 000 has already been spent on a tree planting scheme which is without doubt the most stringent we have ever come across.

"There is indeed further work still to do but we don't regard the threat of an injunction as particularly helpful at this time.

"At the same site, we demolished the former abattoir in order to remove the nuisance smell, but accept that we did this in error. We are working with environmental and other bodies on a plan for the future of the site."

* At the same meeting members will be recommended to approve the amended plans submitted by Skipton Properties for the former Walter Briggs site in Cowling, subject to agreeing to provide affordable houses and recreation and amenity spaces.