A 3,000-STRONG angling association is facing possible legal action after allegedly ignoring environmental rules set by the council at a popular beauty spot stretch of water.

St Helens Angling Association, which has 2,000 senior members and 1,000 juniors, is accused by council officers of destroying part of Carr Mill Dam by expanding its lake without adhering to council rules. A report by planning bosses at the Town Hall claimed that the group excavated, filled and stocked an extension to the half-hectare lake at the northern end of Carr Mill Dam without the required planning permission and against council advice. And this flooding of the original lake caused the diversion of Black Brook.

The report says: "Inspections of the area by both the case officer and the council's Woodland and Open Spaces Officer indicate that the work has not been carried out satisfactorily.

"The body of water that has been created has an unnatural appearance and has resulted in the destruction of a valuable wetland habitat.

"As these are uncommon in St Helens, its loss is therefore particularly significant. The application also raises broader issues, such as the effect of increased patronage of the area on the existing footpath network, local wildlife and car parking along Carr Mill Road.

In November 1994 the association submitted a retrospective application for the expansion, but did not carry out the required botanical and amphibian survey.

Since then, the council claims the association has contacted them only once, in August last year to inform the council that more work, to provide fencing, had been carried out at the lake.

On Tuesday, councillors gave planning chiefs the go ahead to serve an enforcement notice on the Association to make it carry out the necessary environmental survey and draw up and implement a management plan to limit the damage caused by the unauthorised development.

A spokesman for the council said: "The association have a right to appeal against Tuesday's decision. But if they don't appeal and don't respond to the notice the council could consider prosecution."

A spokesman for St Helens Angling Association, which has been established for more than a century, said: "We have not heard from the council as yet, but as soon as we do we will take appropriate action."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.