A group of environmentalists has warned Kingston Council that the increasing number of developments and the destruction of natural landscapes in the borough are putting residents in danger of “devastating floods”.

Surrey Comet:

Flooding at St George's Field in Tolworth last week

The Kingston Environment Centre and Kingston Environment Forum united to issue the warning after publishing a report into flood risks, which found “mismatches” with the council’s development policy and prevention measures.

The report called on the council to hire a landscape architect to counteract urban development and criticised the felling of flood plain land near the Hogsmill River.

Wednesday, March 30: Be prepared: Flood alerts for Kingston, Hampton, Thames Ditton and Teddington

Tuesday, March 29: IN PICTURES: Storm Katie causes travel chaos and fells trees across south London

Marilyn Mason, chair of the Kingston Environment Forum, said: “We have seen how devastating flooding can be in other parts of the UK, and we want to see Kingston adequately protected.”

“This is a very timely statement, given recent wet weather and local flood warnings and flood events. Excess water has to go somewhere, but preferably not into homes and businesses.”

The Environment Agency said that the organisation would review the report and work with Kingston Council and the report’s authors to discuss the borough’s flood risk.

A Kingston Council spokeswoman said: “Kingston’s flood risk management strategy is up to date and has been made available on the council’s website since approval in December 2015.

"Flood risk management is taken into account on all major planning applications, ensuring that developments meet and where possible improve on national, regional and local standards.”

The warning also comes after the Landscape Institute – a group of about 6,500 architects – launched an exhibition into exploring a “transformative new approach” to developing on green belt land.

This month concept proposals were put forward to build a football stadium and residential spaces Chessington Golf Centre, which incurs onto the green belt.

The report criticised the removal of green spaces in Chessington because of pluvial flooding in the area and warned developers of the “increasing flood risk” new developments pose.

Last week, Corinthian Casuals' ground St George's Field flooded following after Storm Katie swept across south-west London.

Merrick Denton-Thompson, president-elect of the Landscape Institute said: “The green belt has served its post-war purpose well of preventing urban sprawl and the coalescence of towns and cities.”

The Department for Communities and Local Government has also proposed changing planning policy to make it easier to approve starter homes within the green belt.