THERE has been a massive rise in the number of visitors to Lickey Hills Country Park during the Coronavirus lockdown.
The increase in people going to Birmingham parks has been estimated at 30 per cent but it is thought the number heading to the Lickeys was much higher than that.
The Lickey Hills Society has put the figures down to the restrictions and daily exercise ethos, along with the warm weather – the Met Office declared May the sunniest on record and April the warmest ever.
In all there were 626 hours of bright sunshine in spring 2020 for the UK, exceeding the previous high of 555 hours set in 1948.
Spring 2020 also exceeded the sunshine amount for most summer seasons, with only three summers being sunnier (1976, 1995, and 1989).
The positives however have led to problems, including cars and car parking – during very busy periods at weekends and over the bank holidays, the various car parks were full which led to an increase in inconsiderate on-road parking.
That in turn led to restricted access including emergency service vehicles.
On at least one occasion, the police found it necessary to close Monument Lane, said the society.
And on one day, 20 parking tickets were issued by police to cars parked along Monument Lane.
There has also been an inevitable increase in litter and, as we reported a fortnight ago, there were nine fires in eight days.
People are being advised to come to the Lickey Hills, enjoy the countryside and the far-reaching views but to take their litter home and under no circumstances have barbecues at the site.
