Gateway to park beauty

Dovestone Reservoir . . . popular with visitors

AMBITIOUS plans to make moorland above Dovestone Reservoir the northern gateway to the Peak District National Park have been revealed.

United Utilities (UU) and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds are in advanced discussions over joint land management of moorland controlled by the utility firm at the famous reservoir and visitor facilities at the site.

The moors are internationally important for birds such as golden plover and merlin, as well as collecting millions of tonnes of carbon in the peat, helping adapt to and mitigate climate change.

Dovestone itself is one of the most visited sites in the Peak District National Park, with a wide range of activities from cycling, rambling, dog walking to climbing and sailing.

Now, Roy Taylor, the RSPB’s conservation programme manager for northern England, says: “We want to enhance the visitor experience for people from Oldham and Greater Manchester.”

UU and RSPB will build upon the successful SCaMP — Sustainable Catchment Management Programme — partnership, which has invested over one million pounds in restoring the vast areas of bare peat above the reservoir.

In a report to Saddl-eworth and Lees Area Com-mittee, Mr Taylor outlined the key aspirations for the site, which include:

::Enhancing the visitor experience at Dovestone.

::Improving the quality and range of visitor infrastructure.

::Maintaining the wildlife populations and enabling greater opportunities to view them.

::Involving local community groups and volunteers in site conservation management.

::Enhancing the quality of drinking water and protecting the peat land carbon stores through restoration of the moorland landscape.

Mr Taylor added: “United Utilities and the RSPB are committed to undertaking extensive consultation with the communities in the area to help us understand what they want from the site and guide to guide future management.

“We have held positive, preliminary discussions with the Peak District National Park Authority and Oldham Council.

There will be no restrictions on how the public currently enjoy and access the site, rather the emphasis will be on enhancing the experience of visiting Dovestone.”

Mike Rooke, secretary of the Greenfield and Grasscroft Residents’ Association, said: “Our organisation has a green agenda and we welcome and support the initiative.”