Ahead of the Easter break, the Dove Stone partnership is reminding visitors to the reservoir about a car park closure and the need to be respectful to the local community and environment.

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, however space is limited, so people are being 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 barbecues around the site. The area is covered by a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) and barbecues, 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.

Last summer, the rangers dealt with around 100 barbecue and campfire incidents.

Miriam Biran, visitor experience manager at Dove Stone, said: “As we gear up for the Easter break 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.”

More information can be found at: https://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/reserves-a-z/dove-stone/  and  https://www.unitedutilities.com/about-us/acres-of-nature/Dove-Stone/