South East Tree Care Ltd (SETC) has resisted all enforcement action from Sutton Council over its operations on designated metropolitan green belt land at 268 Woodcote Road in Wallington, despite an enforcement notice issued in April 2026 demanding it cease forestry operations within six months. Local activists and residents say the site has been significantly degraded since the company began operating in late 2020, with heavy HGV traffic, thick dust, noise, and lighting affecting the area throughout the day.
Residents report dust, noise, and safety concerns
During a recent visit to the site, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) observed a large-scale operation, with Sany excavator vehicles unloading timber waste from a mound into numerous articulated lorries, emitting large plumes of dust above the site. One Wallington resident, who did not want to be named, told the LDRS, "It's like every rule in the book has been broken." Another resident expressed concern about the dust, saying, "It's the dust that I'm really worried about," while presenting a box of dust they said had accumulated on their property.
The site, previously occupied by fields adjoining two residential properties, now includes a public gym, caravan, fencing, lighting, and scaffolding, alongside SETC's wood-waste processing and tree-surgery operations. Residents also reported regular HGV movements on the narrow Woodcote Road, with one saying, "We lose count of how many HGVs go in," and recalling an incident where an HGV mounted the pavement opposite, narrowly missing them and a family member. The LDRS also observed a white van entering and leaving the site without a front registration plate.
Green belt degradation and environmental concerns
Activists from the Sutton Green Party have spent years documenting what they say is evidence of numerous environmental concerns at the site. They argue that SETC's operations are contributing to the "degradation" of the green belt land. In a statement, they said, "SETC have been processing waste here illegally since 2020, wrecking the green belt – including the destruction of mature hedgerows, wildlife habitats and meadows." The Green activists have also shared footage with the LDRS which appears to show non-timber related waste, including metal and building waste, being cleared on site.
Residents described the former tranquillity of the green fields, with one saying, "It was like looking at a Monet," and recalling, "One day we saw a deer walking in the grass, that was the last bit of beauty we saw." The lack of screening and dust suppression measures on site means dust is able to reach nearby homes, according to green activists.
Five-year planning battle and appeals
Despite years of residents' complaints and pressure from local campaigners, Sutton Council has yet to secure a lasting enforcement outcome against SETC. The Lib Dem council issued its first enforcement notice against the operator in February 2024. However, SETC appealed, leading to a public inquiry in October 2024. A planning inspector later quashed the council's enforcement notice after finding it had failed to properly include the tree-surgery business in its description of the unauthorised mixed use, and ruled that correcting the error during the appeal would cause 'procedural injustice'.
The council then issued another enforcement notice in October 2025, but this was withdrawn in March 2026, with the parties disputing whether this was because it was legally invalid or contained a minor administrative error. The lack of effective enforcement action was raised in Parliament last year by Carshalton and Wallington's Lib Dem MP Bobby Dean, who said, "Residents in the Woodcote area of my constituency have been living with the misery of being opposite an illegal waste dump for years. Despite all the photographic and video evidence that they produce, nobody seems to be able to shut the site down. Can the minister look into what level of proof is required to take action, because it seems obvious to everyone that what is going on is wrong, but nobody seems to be able to put an end to it?"
The minister told Dean to contact the Environment Agency (EA) regarding the level of evidence needed for a prosecution. However, the Green activists believe an apparent lack of communication between Sutton and the EA has contributed to the delays in enforcement.
Upcoming public inquiry and next steps
SETC appealed the current enforcement notice in June, arguing the site comprises separate businesses rather than a single planning unit. It is also seeking 12 months to relocate and is challenging the way the enforcement notice was served on a resident living in a caravan on the site. Separately, SETC has requested a High Court judicial review against the council, alleging procedural failings following a Planning Contravention Notice.
The Planning Inspectorate has declined to pause the appeal while the court considers permission for the judicial review. A three-day public inquiry is now due to open on September 22. Sutton Council said it "would not be appropriate" to comment at this time, given the live enforcement case. SETC was approached for comment.
