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Merton, London

Planning consultant in Merton

Merton grants most householder applications, yet decides a smaller share of them in time, so a planning consultant in Merton works on the timetable as well as on the merits. We give a fixed quote after a free constraints check and prepare the route, the statement and the council liaison, with drawings by MCIAT chartered architectural technologists.

Fixed quote after a free constraints check

  • 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 planning consultant

    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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    Brick cottage with a tiled roof, chimneys and a front dormer window

    High grants, slow clock: what a Merton consultant plans for

    The council decided 759 householder applications in its latest twelve months, granting 92.9 per cent. Only 85.2 per cent were decided within the statutory period or an agreed extension.

    A high grant rate with a slow clock tells us that a well-prepared scheme usually gets through, but later than the eight week period many owners expect. We plan the project around the waiting time, and we set out in writing when an extension of time is likely to be agreed.

    Minor applications ran at 82.5 per cent granted from 206 decisions, with 82 per cent decided in time.

    None of this means a slow decision is a poor one. It means the programme you give your builder should include a realistic wait, and that a written case is worth more where the officer needs to be convinced quickly because they have a long queue.

    Rear view of brick terraced houses in London with slate roofs and chimney stacks along the shared roofline

    Local figures for Merton

    Figures with their unit, period and source
    MeasureValuePeriodSource
    Conservation areas28 named conservation areas published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Listed building entries243 list entries (Historic England, within the LPA boundary)—planning.data.gov.uk
    Heritage at Risk entries23 Heritage at Risk Register entries within the LPA boundary (Historic England)—planning.data.gov.uk
    Householder decisions759 decisions1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Householder applications granted92.9 %1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Householder applications decided in time85.2 % decided within 8 weeks or an agreed extended period1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Minor applications granted82.5 %1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Larger home extension prior approvals granted22 decisions2025 Q2 to 2026 Q1 (1 Apr 2025 to 31 Mar 2026)assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Larger home extension prior approvals refused80 decisions2025 Q2 to 2026 Q1 (1 Apr 2025 to 31 Mar 2026)assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Lawful development certificate applications (PS1)58 certificates2025 Q2 to 2026 Q1 (1 Apr 2025 to 31 Mar 2026)assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Domestic gardens share of land (GLUD 2005)27.2 % of land that is domestic garden (GLUD 2005)2005data.london.gov.uk
    Householder single dwellinghouse, from 1 Apr 2026548 GBP—ribblevalley.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
    Which application your project needsLawful Development Certificate decision: 8 weeks. Prior approval decision: 42 days. Householder decision: 8 weeksYour projectWithin permitted development?Lawful Development CertificatePrior approvalHouseholder applicationYesLarger rear extensionNoABC

    Which application your project needs

    The usual route for a house; flats and listed buildings follow other rules.

    A · Lawful Development Certificate decision
    8 weeks
    B · Prior approval decision
    42 days
    C · Householder decision
    8 weeks

    The guidance Merton officers work from

    The plan is the Merton Local Plan 2024, adopted in 2,024. Three supporting documents matter for homes: the Basement and subterranean SPD, the Borough Character Study SPD and the Small sites toolkit SPD.

    The character study is the one that decides most extension cases, because it describes the grain of each area and what the council wants kept. The basement document applies if you plan to dig, and the small sites toolkit applies if your garden could take another house.

    We map your scheme to the right document at the free check, so the statement answers the guidance the officer will actually open.

    If the council asks for changes, we reply within five working days and show you the revised sheets first. Redrawing is free until approval, and we say plainly at the outset that no decision date can be promised, so your builder books around the real position.

    Heritage and trees across Merton

    The borough records 28 conservation areas and 243 listed building entries, with 23 on the Heritage at Risk Register and 3 scheduled monuments. None of the borough is green belt in the data, which shows 0 per cent.

    Heritage is spread unevenly across a borough like this, and your address decides whether it affects you. The free check tells you before you spend anything.

    Larger extensions: Merton's refusal pattern

    For larger home extensions the council granted 22 prior approvals and refused 80 in the latest statistical year. Refusals outnumbered grants by close to four to one.

    That makes the notification route a poor default here. Where a deep rear extension is the goal, a householder application with a reasoned case is usually the better use of time, and we set the two out side by side.

    Merton issued only 58 lawful development certificates in the same period. Where you need proof of lawful use, a Lawful Development Certificate in Merton is still available.

    Merton homes and values

    Merton has 81,729 households, with 60.4 per cent in a house or bungalow and 55.6 per cent owner-occupied. Domestic gardens covered about 27.2 per cent of the land at the last national survey.

    A semi-detached home averages £954,064, and a detached home £2,338,085. At those values, a delay of a few months on an extension is costly, and that is where a consultant's attention to the timetable repays itself.

    Fees and levy in Merton

    The householder fee is £548 for one dwelling. The borough's levy is split by area under the Merton CIL Charging Schedule, and the Mayor's levy is £72.73 per square metre in the current indexed year.

    Householder extensions are normally exempt from both. We give you a figure early if a new home is involved.

    Before lodging, a second chartered technologist, not the person who drew the sheets, checks the set against the validation list and the character study. We then track the case, answer consultee comments and keep you informed of any change the officer asks for.

    More about Merton

    The sheets are covered under planning drawings in Merton, and refusals under planning appeals in Merton. The borough overview is architectural drawings in Merton.

    Nearby rules are set out for Wandsworth, Sutton and Kingston upon Thames, and the general explanation is on our planning consultant page.

    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.
    Pencil resting on a dimensioned technical drawing beside a scale rule
    The street around you
    Move across the plinth — the blocks rise around the pointer.

    Other services in Merton

    Planning consultant nearby

    Questions

    Does Merton grant most householder applications?

    It granted 92.9 per cent of 759 in its latest year, though only 85.2 per cent were decided in time.

    Should I use prior approval in Merton?

    Refusals outnumbered grants, 80 to 22, in the latest year. We compare it with a householder application.

    Which Merton documents matter for a basement?

    The Basement and subterranean SPD. We check whether your plot and plan fit it at the free stage.

    What is the householder fee?

    £548 for one dwelling, paid to the council.

    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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