Developers cleared trees without permission — who do I report to?

A developer on our road (Guildford Road, KT10) has just cleared about 10 mature trees from a site they're preparing for build. There was no planning permission visible and no tree preservation order signs.

The trees were on the boundary and provided significant screening for about 6 houses. Now we're looking straight at a construction site.

Is this a planning enforcement issue? Should I report to the council directly or is there another route? Has anyone dealt with this before?

This is absolutely a planning enforcement issue. If the trees were subject to a TPO or within a conservation area, the removal is a criminal offence. Even without a TPO, if the trees were required as part of a previous planning condition, that's a breach.

Contact Elmbridge planning enforcement directly — email usually works better than phone. Include photos with dates, and if you can, aerial imagery from before the clearance (Google Earth historical view is great for this).

Also notify your local ward councillor. They can escalate within the council and often get faster action than residents can. I've had two tree issues resolved this way — one within 3 weeks of contacting the councillor.

Thanks both. I've emailed enforcement with photos and Google Earth screenshots. Also contacted our councillor who said they'll raise it at the next planning committee meeting. Fingers crossed.