A top level community meeting tonight (thurs) will highlight issues over raising funds for security marshals to safeguard one of Saddleworth’s prime beauty spots.

Visitors numbers have rocketed at Dovestones Reservoir, Greenfield, since the first May Bank holiday and the advent of good weather.

But the upturn brought an increase in illegal parking, rubbish dumped by careless visitors, illegal use of BBQs, dogs of leads worrying livestock and residents marooned in their homes by visiting vehicles.

Saddleworth neighbourhood policing team moved in and after meetings with stakeholders and partners, a professional team of Dovestone Marshals were appointed to supervise parking and give visitors information on the countryside.

Initially, the marshals were to be on duty at Bank holidays but an increase in visitors numbers means they have now been deployed on other weekends.

But cutbacks and limited budgets means funding the operation has caused headaches for officials trying to manage ongoing problems at the site.

Last weekend because of major concerns over congestion police erected “car park full” signs on roads converging on the reservoir in a bid to stem traffic.

A police spokesman said: “The car park has been full to capacity since around 10am both days. There are 145 bays for the site with around 600 plus vehicles trying to access the site on the weekends.

“There is only so much capacity at the site and we are working with partners to find solutions.

“This has been a very problematic location with multiple issues. The cost has had to come locally from partners at Dovestones and has been a difficult process to pull together.”

And community champion Oldham councillor Adrian Alexander, chair of the Saddleworth and Lees District Executive, will tonight discuss plans with councillors and officials to find a formula to fund the marshals for the remained of the year at weekends.

“This is a very delicate situation,” he said. “But we must explore how these marshall’s can be kept at the site in the short term.

“However, we will have to find a long term solution if we are to protect a great community asset.

“And visitors should be encouraged to respect the country code and certainly take their rubbish home.”

Newly appointed Oldham councillor Jamie Curley, who lives in Greenfield, said: “I find it incredible people do not have the sense of responsibility to respect the countryside and the environment and leave the place as beautiful as they found it.

“Instead they seem to think it's ok to leave all the detritus of their day out scattered around and it’s then someone else's problem.

“ The objective is to secure funding for the marshals for the rest of the summer.

“We need to have a multi agency response, our community Policing team have been fantastic, but they are stretched and have other priorities.

“We need other stakeholders to step up and become more visible in the response.”

Ends //

Note ... there maybe a separate slab from UU RSPB Peak District on this abd other issues I’ve pressed thrum on.