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Merton, London

New build drawings in Merton

Merton publishes a Small sites toolkit SPD and a Borough Character Study, and between them they decide how a new house is read in Wimbledon, Mitcham or Raynes Park. We are MCIAT chartered architectural technologists, and our new build drawings in Merton start at £1,450 including VAT.

From £1,450 (VAT included)

  • MCIAT chartered
  • £2m PI insured
  • LABC Partnered
  • Fixed fees, VAT included

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    Architectural model of a four-storey London stucco townhouse in its terrace, with a portico, area railings, sash windows, a cornice and chimney stacks
    The house as it stands: four storeys over a lower ground floor.Existing Proposed worksAn illustrative model, built for this page.

    How we work on new build drawings

    Seven steps from first call to approval.

    The same model cut through the middle: every floor, the stair, the chimney breasts, the new mansard, rear extension and basement in section
    Section through the model: every floor on one datum.

    1. Enquiry and constraints check

      We check the property against conservation areas, listed status, Article 4 directions, tree preservation orders, flood zone and planning history. We choose the right route and send a fixed quote.

    2. Measured survey

      We survey the house on one datum: rooms, levels, boundaries, drains, trees and the neighbours' windows that the 45° and 25° tests depend on.

    3. Design options

      We model the house in Revit and show you options in 3D and plan, with the planning strategy and the precedents in your street.

    4. Design frozen

      You choose an option in writing. Nothing changes after this without your say.

    5. Independent check

      A second chartered technologist checks every sheet against the council's validation checklist and the policy. A senior review signs it off before anything is submitted.

    6. Submission

      We prepare the forms, certificates, fee and documents and submit through the Planning Portal.

    7. Officer liaison

      We answer the planning officer and make any amendments within five working days, at no charge until approval.

    Free redraws until approval. Every drawing set is checked independently, and the checker is never the person who drew it.

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    Red-brick mansion blocks and shopfronts on a street corner

    Merton's toolkit and character study for a new house

    The council's Small sites toolkit SPD explains what it expects from sites too small to be strategic, and its Borough Character Study SPD describes the character of each part of the borough. A single new house is judged against both, under the policies of the Merton Local Plan 2024.

    The two documents pull in slightly different directions, and that is where a good drawing set earns its fee. One is about making use of small plots; the other is about how buildings sit in their setting. We show the plot's density, building line, roof pattern and plot width on a street elevation, then show the proposal against each, so the officer can see how the design balances the two.

    Where the plot is a corner or an infill between older houses, we add a view along the street and a plan showing the garden left for the new home and for its neighbours. Garden land is 27.2 per cent of the borough, so we show how much of it a scheme uses.

    The practical result is a set that reads in a logical order. The first sheet states which policies and which parts of the two documents apply, the second shows the plot in context, and the rest show the building. An officer who has never seen the site can follow the argument from the sheets alone, without a site visit to fill gaps.

    Pencil resting on a dimensioned technical drawing beside a scale rule

    Local figures for Merton

    Figures with their unit, period and source
    MeasureValuePeriodSource
    Supplementary planning documentSmall sites toolkit SPD2021merton.gov.uk
    Supplementary planning documentBorough Character Study SPD2021merton.gov.uk
    Domestic gardens share of land (GLUD 2005)27.2 % of land that is domestic garden (GLUD 2005)2005data.london.gov.uk
    Minor application decisions206 decisions1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Minor applications granted82.5 %1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Minor applications decided in time82 % decided within 8 weeks or an agreed extended period1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Conservation areas28 named conservation areas published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Heritage at Risk entries23 Heritage at Risk Register entries within the LPA boundary (Historic England)—planning.data.gov.uk
    Green Belt share of the council area0 % of council area covered by green-belt polygons—planning.data.gov.uk
    Borough CIL residential rate£368.20/m² (Colliers Wood, Raynes Park and Wimbledon); £192.47/m² (Mitcham, Morden and West Barnes)effective rate for permissions granted in 2026merton.gov.uk
    Mayoral CIL charging band2 MCIL2 charging band (1-3)—london.gov.uk
    Mayoral CIL rate (indexed)72.73 £/m² (indexed, permissions granted in 2026)—london.gov.uk
    Average price, detached2,338,085 GBP2026-07publicdata.landregistry.gov.uk

    A blank value means the figure has not been published, not that there are none. Check your own address with the council.

    Councils bordering Merton
    Building regulations, layer by layerPart A: structure: Approved Document A: Structure, 2004 edition incorporating 2004, 2010 and 2013 amendments. Part B: fire safety: All dwellings: fire detection and alarm system minimum Grade D2 Category LD3 (BS 5839-6), mains-operated smoke alarms to BS EN 14604. Part L: insulation: New elements in existing dwellings, limiting U-values W/(m²·K): roof 0.15, wall 0.18, floor 0.18, windows 1.4 (or WER Band B), doors 1.4. Part K: stairs: 2.0 m clear headroom over stairs. Full plans application: Building control body must decide a full plans application within 5 weeks, or longer if agreed in writingPart A: structurePart B: fire safetyPart L: insulationPart K: stairsFull plans applicationABCDE

    Building regulations, layer by layer

    The Approved Documents that shape most house projects, from structure to the application itself.

    A · Part A: structure
    Approved Document A: Structure, 2004 edition incorporating 2004, 2010 and 2013 amendments
    B · Part B: fire safety
    All dwellings: fire detection and alarm system minimum Grade D2 Category LD3 (BS 5839-6), mains-operated smoke alarms to BS EN 14604
    C · Part L: insulation
    New elements in existing dwellings, limiting U-values W/(m²·K): roof 0.15, wall 0.18, floor 0.18, windows 1.4 (or WER Band B), doors 1.4
    D · Part K: stairs
    2.0 m clear headroom over stairs
    E · Full plans application
    Building control body must decide a full plans application within 5 weeks, or longer if agreed in writing

    Merton's minor housing record

    A single dwelling or a small terrace is a minor application. Merton decided 206 in the latest return and granted 82.5 per cent. Only 82 per cent were decided inside the timetable.

    Plan for that. An application submitted complete on the first day, with every plan consistent with every other, is the best protection against time lost to queries. We cross-check the area schedule, the elevations and the site plan against the model before anything leaves the office.

    For existing homes, see our planning drawings page. A refusal does not close the door: our planning appeals page explains the next step.

    Statutory timing is a fixed point to plan around: a non-major application has 8 weeks unless an extension is agreed, which is why we never leave a drawing inconsistent. A reviewer who finds two sheets disagreeing will write to ask which is right, and that letter stops the clock on the work.

    Heritage, trees and open land

    Merton has 28 conservation areas, 243 listed building entries and 23 entries on the Heritage at Risk Register. Green Belt polygons cover 0 per cent of the borough, so national Green Belt tests do not arise, though other open-land policies may.

    Where tree cover is heavy, the root protection area of any nearby tree is plotted on the site plan before the footprint is fixed. A tree that looks harmless to a visitor can still move a house sideways.

    A survey underpins all of it. Our measured building survey and topographical survey pages show how we record levels, boundaries and trees.

    Merton's CIL and the Mayoral charge

    The borough has two charging areas: £368.20/m² (Colliers Wood, Raynes Park and Wimbledon); £192.47/m² (Mitcham, Morden and West Barnes). The plot's location decides the rate, and the difference is large enough to move a small scheme from marginal to viable.

    The Mayor adds band 2, indexed to £72.73 per square metre for permissions granted this year. Both are calculated on gross internal area, which we measure on the drawings.

    A detached house in Merton averages £2,338,085, a terraced house £686,591, and a flat £405,123. The gap between those figures is why we run the numbers on levy early in the design.

    A self-builder may claim relief from the levy, and Self-build housing built or commissioned by and occupied by P as main residence can claim exemption. If you intend to live in the house, say so at the first call and we will keep the evidence together through the design.

    What our new build drawings in Merton include

    The fixed fee from £1,450 including VAT covers the surveyed site plan, plans, elevations, sections, roof plan and street scene, with a second chartered technologist checking every sheet. Redraws requested by the council are included.

    Once permission is in hand, our building regulations drawings and construction drawings pages explain the build stage.

    What you receive

    Planning drawing sheet for a rear extension with plans, elevations and sections
    Sample drawing. Planning drawings for a rear extension: plans, elevations and sections on one sheet set.
    Georgian brick terrace with sash windows, arched fanlight doorways, stone steps and iron railings in London
    Points, not guesses
    Paint across the grid with the pointer.

    Other services in Merton

    New build drawings nearby

    Questions

    What guidance does Merton apply to small new housing sites?

    The Small sites toolkit SPD and the Borough Character Study SPD, under the Local Plan. We show how the proposal meets both on the drawings.

    How long does Merton take on minor applications?

    In the latest return 82 per cent of 206 minor decisions were made in time, so we advise allowing extra time.

    Which CIL rate applies in Merton?

    £368.20/m² (Colliers Wood, Raynes Park and Wimbledon); £192.47/m² (Mitcham, Morden and West Barnes), plus the Mayoral charge of £72.73 per square metre in band 2.

    Does Merton have Green Belt?

    Green Belt polygons cover 0 per cent of the borough, so the national Green Belt tests do not apply, but other open-land and character policies do.

    Sources and dates

    City of London skyline glowing at dusk across the Thames under a dramatic orange sky

    Tell us about your property.

    We check the constraints, then send a fixed fee. Messages before 3pm get a reply the same working day.

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