An elderly man living in fear of flash floods has said the safety of wildlife is being prioritised over residents.
David Hall, 79, from Green Lanes, said the council has failed to clear out Hogsmill stream, which runs just metres from his home and flows into Hogsmill River in Ewell.
Mr Hall said: "It’s all silted up and overgrown. They don’t realise what could happen to Green Lanes if there was a flash flood.
"When there’s so much water coming down from Epsom way the rainwater off the roofs of houses cannot go in there because the stream is full up.
"They can’t be bothered to clear the stream out so there’s no way for it to increase its speed."
Mr Hall said the council had resisted pressure from residents to clear out the river by raising concerns about water voles and kingfishers.
He said: "Don’t we come before the voles and wildlife? I have never seen any wildlife in Green Lanes. I don’t think anything exists down there."
Work to remove weirs on Hogsmill River
An Epsom Council spokesman said the Environment Agency had carried out a site inspection after a resident raised concerns with the council.
He said the inspection found there was not a 'serious flood hazard' but it was advisable to remove half the silt.
He said: "This should be undertaken in stages to conserve in-channel wildlife. As the cost of silt removal is substantial, the council is currently ascertaining which body is responsible for its removal."
He added: "We have a duty, in all that we do, to have regard to the purpose of conserving biodiversity."
Mr Hall filmed video of Green Lanes being threatened by floods after a heavy downpour in June 1997.
He said: "Since that date water from many more new building developments have since been channelled into the stream.
"They kept the sides of the banks clear then but now it's an absolute disgrace."
Meanwhile he said two concrete weirs have been removed from the river over the past few weeks to allow fish to swim up towards Ewell Village.
A map showing the location of the weirs
Local Councillor Eber Kington had informed residents of plans to remove a weir by Ewell Court Park and a weir 150m upstream from the footbridge leading from Alway Avenue.
In an email to residents Coun Kington said: "They were originally installed in the 1960s as a flood prevention measure, but it now transpires that they are not effective and all they do is to prevent fish moving up and down stream.
"In total 15 obstacles will be removed in the operation and it is hoped that eventually brown trout will return to the river as far as the Lower Mill Pond weir in Ewell Village."
The Wandle Trust is carrying out the work on befalf of the Environment Agency using European grant money allocated for improving the health of river catchments.
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