People hoping to visit Dove Stone over the Easter holidays have been issued a warning ahead of possible car parking chaos and fires being started by disposal BBQs and campfires.
The Dove Stone partnership is reminding visitors to the reservoir about one of the usually busy car parks being closed and a section of the the main circular trail being closed for major construction works to be carried out.
The Manchester Evening News has previously reported chaotic scenes at the popular beauty spot, including last April when security marshals were called in to close off the road after the car park became completely full.
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The warning also reminded visitors to be respectful of the local community and environment, with fire rangers and local volunteers called in again to patrol the area in a bid to prevent fires. Last summer the rangers dealt with around 100 BBQ and campfire incidents.
Police and the fire service were probing 'deliberate' fires at Dove Stone last summer, that caused huge areas of woodland to become completely scorched in July. In August, a group of five men faced huge fines after lighting a BBQ in the sun just weeks after another devastating blaze ripped through the landscape.
The latest update ahead of the Easter holiday notified visitors that the Binn Green car park will remain closed until October, as United Utilities carries out essential works on the crest at Yeoman Hey reservoir. The works also mean that visitors will not be able to complete the circular walk around Dove Stone reservoir.
The main car park will remain open, but there are limited spaces, with people urged to follow the local parking regulations that are in place around Greenfield and on the A635.
The partnership is also warning of the dangers of lighting fires and BBQs around the site. The area is covered by a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) and BBQs, camp fires, lanterns or any other form of fire are strictly prohibited. As well as putting the environment at risk, anyone lighting a fire could face a fine or prison sentence.
After a successful first year, fire rangers and local volunteers will once again be patrolling the site to help keep visitors and the landscape safe.
Miriam Biran, Visitor Experience Manager at Dove Stone, said: “As we gear up for the Easter holidays we’d like to take the opportunity to remind visitors to respect the local environment and take all their litter home with them when they visit Dove Stone.”
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