The relentless march of machinery in our parks

Published: 11:09 AM August 18, 2009 Updated: 1:27 PM October 14, 2020

I write in support of your correspondent (Engines are polluting our parks, H&H letters August 6). Leaf-blowers are a pernicious blight on the tranquillity of our parks. Amongst many other functions of our local parks they are supposed to be places where c

I write in support of your correspondent (Engines are polluting our parks, H&H letters August 6). Leaf-blowers are a pernicious blight on the tranquillity of our parks. Amongst many other functions of our local parks they are supposed to be places where city-dwellers can find quiet and recharge their internal batteries amongst plants and birds and insects.

We have machine noise all around us in our streets and in our gardens (traffic generally, aircraft overhead, ambulance and police sirens, tree-cutting whines, builders' racket, excruciating motorbike roars, etc.) some of which is so loud it is painful.

All of it has a negative impact on people's daily well-being. We should not have the din of the various park-keepers' machines as well.

In addition there is the damage to the micro-creatures which are swept up into the leaf-blowers - which removes them from the wildlife food chain. Surely this must have contributed to the disappearance of our sparrows, as reported previously?

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Why cannot Camden Council (and others) require their contractors to use rakes in the traditional (and non-fossil fuel) manner, and leave leaf-litter to rot down under the bushes?

Susan Lees