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Merton, London

Planning drawings in Merton

Planning drawings for a Merton home start at £745 including VAT. Merton has 28 conservation areas, and a Borough Character Study that officers use to judge fit with the street.

From £745 (VAT included)

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

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

    Merton's Borough Character Study and what it asks of a drawing

    Merton's policy is the Merton Local Plan 2024, adopted in 2,024, and among its supporting documents is the Borough Character Study SPD. It describes the character of the borough area by area, and officers use it to judge whether an addition belongs.

    For a drawing, that means context. We show the street frontage with neighbouring buildings where it helps, the materials of the existing house, and the way a new roof or extension reads against them. An elevation that shows only your own house gives the officer less to agree with.

    Merton also publishes a Small sites toolkit SPD, which applies to the smaller housing schemes where a plot is divided or a new dwelling is added. If that is your plan, the drawing set will be larger and we say so before you commit.

    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
    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
    Mayoral CIL schedule rate60 £/m² (MCIL2 schedule rate, from 1 April 2019)—london.gov.uk
    Local planMerton Local Plan 2024—merton.gov.uk
    Local plan adopted2,024—merton.gov.uk
    Supplementary planning documentBorough Character Study SPD2021merton.gov.uk
    Supplementary planning documentSmall sites toolkit SPD2021merton.gov.uk
    Householder: alterations/extensions to a single dwellinghouse, from 1 Apr 2026548 GBP—ribblevalley.gov.uk
    DMPO 2015 art 34(2)(b): non-major development8 weeks—legislation.gov.uk
    DMPO 2015 art 15: site notice or neighbour notification for not less than 21 days21 days—legislation.gov.uk
    DMPO 2015 art 37(2)(a): householder appeal, from the date of the decision notice12 weeks—legislation.gov.uk
    Householder: two or more dwellinghouses (or flats)1,083 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

    Heritage in Merton

    The borough lists 28 conservation areas, and Historic England records 243 listed entries. In a conservation area, permitted development is reduced, so many householders need an application for work that would be allowed elsewhere.

    Merton also has an Article 4 direction for houses in multiple occupation, so a conversion to a small shared house needs planning permission. We check the address against all of these before the design starts.

    Timing: Merton's decision record

    Merton decided 759 householder applications in its latest published year and granted 92.9 per cent, a high grant rate. The share decided within 8 weeks or an agreed extension was 85.2 per cent.

    That last figure is lower than in neighbouring Sutton and Kingston upon Thames, so build the wait into your plans and agree an extension if the officer asks for one. Clear, complete drawings are the part we control, and incomplete ones are a common reason for a validation delay.

    Planning drawings in Merton: fees and what is included

    Our fixed fee begins at £745 including VAT. The council's householder fee, £548, is paid to the council on submission, and neighbours are consulted for at least 21 days.

    You receive existing and proposed plans, elevations and sections, plus a location plan and block plan to a stated scale. A second chartered technologist checks the set, and any redraws the council asks for are free until approval.

    Before submission our second chartered technologist checks every dimension, label and scale bar, and confirms that the proposed sheets match the existing ones in everything the extension does not change. Householder works affecting two or more dwellings carry a council fee of £1,083, and we confirm it before you pay.

    Larger schemes and levies

    A small extension rarely triggers the Community Infrastructure Levy, but a larger scheme may. Merton's rates vary by area, and the mayoral charge is £60 per square metre. We flag the question early so there is no surprise after the permission is granted.

    If Merton asks for changes or refuses

    Officers sometimes ask for amendments before they decide, for example a shallower extension or a lower roof. We handle those requests, revise the drawings and resubmit, and the redraw is free until the council approves.

    If the decision is a refusal, a householder appeal must be made within 12 weeks of the decision notice. Often a revised application is quicker than an appeal, because it can answer the officer's reasons directly. Our planning appeals service in Merton covers both routes.

    The consultation period runs for at least 21 days, which is when neighbours' comments arrive. We prepare for that by making the drawings show how overlooking and daylight have been considered.

    Neighbours and linked services

    For the borough overall, see architectural drawings in Merton. To compare councils next door, read planning drawings in Wandsworth, planning drawings in Sutton and planning drawings in Kingston upon Thames. If your project might need no application, a Lawful Development Certificate in Merton is the first check.

    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 drawings nearby

    Questions

    What is Merton's Borough Character Study?

    It is a supplementary planning document, the Borough Character Study SPD, that describes the character of areas across the borough. Officers use it to judge whether a proposal fits.

    Does Merton grant most householder applications?

    In its latest published year it granted 92.9 per cent of 759 householder decisions. That is a borough average and not a forecast for your house.

    How much do planning drawings cost in Merton?

    From £745 including VAT, fixed up front. The council's householder fee of £548 is paid separately.

    Can I turn my Merton house into a shared house without planning permission?

    Not usually. Merton has an Article 4 direction for houses in multiple occupation, so a change to a small shared house needs an application.

    Sources and dates

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    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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