Reddish Vale Country Park in Stockport is being 'overwhelmed' by people 'making it a mess' by lighting barbecues and littering during recent heatwaves, according to local residents and councillors.
Park under pressure
The park spans 161 hectares along the River Tame and provides a green corridor linking Stockport town centre with Denton and Woodley. Part of the site is a designated local nature reserve and is managed by Stockport Council.
One resident said police have been called due to fires and barbecues during hot weather, wasting police time amid safety concerns. There have also been calls for tighter regulation following devastating fires in the moorlands above Manchester.
Public concerns raised
Angela Dennerley raised a public question during a Stockport Council Reddish area committee on July 27, asking what the council was doing to address issues at the park. She said the park had 'attracted a lot of fires, barbecues, rubbish, and antisocial behaviour' during recent heatwaves.
In her question, she argued more bins and better bins were 'desperately needed' as 'the sheer volume due to the hot weather has totally overwhelmed the Vale'. She added: 'The use of barbecues and fires is totally unacceptable and unsafe. The number of barbecues is totally overwhelming down there with the fire risk and rubbish left behind.'
Council response
Coun Rachel Wise said it was important to make sure the council was doing all it could to protect the vital public space, but managing parking and potentially adding more bins was complicated. She said new signs had gone up to deter people from lighting barbecues.
The councillor also criticised littering, adding: 'If you brought it into the park, you know you can carry it. It probably weighs less now you've eaten your sandwiches, just take the plastic bit home with you.'
Coun James Frizzell said he often got contacted over concerns about fires and barbecues and people 'basically making it a mess and it is a place for everybody'. He said people should leave nothing behind but footprints, arguing it was 'not somewhere to be abused'.
He added: 'There are volunteers who do a great deal of work picking up litter and picking up after other people but those other people shouldn't be dropping it in the first place.'
The councillor said he had even seen the fire brigade 'pouring water on people' and 'getting water on the fire', arguing this should show people it is not allowed.
