Peak District bears brunt of crowds on holiday

AS we’d feared, the Bank Holiday weekend brought a huge influx of people to the Peak District, with Dovedale, Thorpe, Ilam and other scenic spots bearing much of the brunt.

Last year’s images of congested country lanes, burning barbecues, crowded footpaths and mountains of litter are already starting to reappear, and it leaves the people in charge of the national park scratching their heads over what to do and how to manage it.

A new countryside code, with friendliness, respect and responsibility at its heart, will help to an extent – but as long as the area remains open to visitors, we will always face problems with it becoming too busy.

And, as we’ve seen, when it becomes too busy, that’s when we have problems with litter, anti-social behaviour, and the gridlocks that come with it all.

But what should we do? Should we open up more space for parking?

Should we put out big litter bins?

Should we perhaps even create safe areas for people to hold barbecues?

At the end of the day, they’re going to do it whether we like it or not, so should we give up trying to stop people and just work out ways to manage the problems, rather than fight them and complain?

More than ever this spring and summer, our economy needs tourists.

We need the day-trippers and the over-nighters.

Our campsites and holiday cottages need the customers, and our businesses need the trade.

We can’t turn tourists away. So maybe it’s time to be proactive and, even if it means putting up with the sight of a skip at the edge of an otherwise picturesque car park, we find a way to comfortably absorb the hordes.

Because it’s a problem that definitely won’t be going away any time soon.