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Merton, London

Prior approval drawings in Merton

Prior approval drawings in Merton are used more here than the record might suggest: the council's latest return shows 22 larger home extension prior approvals granted alongside 80 refused, a high volume for a borough where 60.4 per cent of households live in houses. We check the land, draw the notification and submit it, from a fixed quote after a free constraints check.

Fixed quote after a free constraints check

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We use it to check conservation areas and constraints.
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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 prior approval 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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    Brick cottage with a tiled roof, chimneys and a front dormer window

    What the council's return shows for larger extensions

    The Merton return shows a substantial volume for this route: 22 larger home extension prior approvals granted and 80 refused. The refusals show that the neighbour test here is not a formality.

    The council's Borough Character Study SPD is the document that explains what the borough considers its established character, and its Small sites toolkit SPD governs smaller infill plots. Neither decides a prior approval, but both tell you what the officer already carries in mind when the notification lands.

    The land matters first. There are 28 conservation areas in the borough, and the route excludes article 2(3) land, so any house inside one needs a different application.

    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
    Households living in a house60.4 % of households living in a house or bungalow (detached, semi-detached or terraced)Census 2021nomisweb.co.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
    Domestic gardens share of land (GLUD 2005)27.2 % of land that is domestic garden (GLUD 2005)2005data.london.gov.uk
    Average price, terraced686,591 GBP2026-07publicdata.landregistry.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
    Class A, para A.1(g)6 m (attached) / 8 m (detached), single storey, height max 4 m; not on article 2(3) land or an SSSI—legislation.gov.uk
    Class A, para A.4(10)(c): development may begin if the LPA has not notified a decision within 42 days of receiving the information42 days—legislation.gov.uk
    Class A, para A.4(5)(d)LPA notifies adjoining owners/occupiers, giving at least 21 days for representations days—legislation.gov.uk
    Prior approval: Larger Home Extensions Part 1 Class A; Additional storeys Part 1 Class AA249 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

    Why the route is busy in a borough of houses

    Houses account for 60.4 per cent of households, and the borough's domestic gardens cover 27.2 per cent of its land in the government's generalised land use database. Deep plots and semi-detached or terraced houses with rear room to spare are exactly what the larger extension rules were written for.

    A terraced house averages £686,591, and the gap between a standard permitted extension and a larger one is worth real money to a family, so owners here press for the extra depth.

    The borough lists 243 entries on the national list, which are excluded from the route unless separate consent is in hand.

    The notification and the neighbour test

    The national depth limits read: 6 m (attached) / 8 m (detached), single storey, height max 4 m; not on article 2(3) land or an SSSI. We measure from the original rear wall and mark every addition on the plan so the officer sees the starting line.

    Neighbours are notified: LPA notifies adjoining owners/occupiers, giving at least 21 days for representations. In a busy borough an officer will have seen many objections, so we draw the neighbours' windows, the eaves height and the boundary condition, and show the result on a section as well as a plan.

    The Order lists what must be sent: Written description (depth beyond rear wall, max height, eaves height), site plan, addresses of adjoining premises, developer contact address. If the council has not decided within 42 days, work may begin, but a written decision is worth waiting for.

    Timing and the other routes

    On householder applications the council decided only 85.2 per cent in time, even while granting 92.9 per cent of 759 decisions. For a family waiting on a builder, the fixed prior approval period can be more predictable than the alternative, although no decision date can be promised.

    If the design goes beyond the Order, a householder application is the route, and our planning drawings in Merton cover it. For work inside the permitted limits, Lawful Development Certificate drawings in Merton are worth comparing.

    The council has also made an Article 4 direction for houses in multiple occupation, which does not affect an extension but matters if the house is let.

    What happens after the council answers

    A positive prior approval is the start of the building stage, not the end of the paperwork. The extension still has to meet the Building Regulations, and a shared boundary may bring in the Party Wall Act. We say at the outset which of these your scheme will trigger, so the budget includes them.

    The structural design, the foundations near a neighbour's wall and the drainage run all come from the same survey, so we record manholes, gullies and the position of the existing rear wall while we are on site. Builders price from drawings of that kind with fewer allowances.

    If the council asks for an amendment, we redraw at no extra charge. Our construction drawings follow once the notification is settled.

    How we prepare a Merton notification

    The free constraints check comes first, followed by a survey of the house and both neighbouring rear elevations. We then draw the notification, test it against the next-door windows and have a second chartered technologist check it against the Order.

    We submit, track the neighbour period and answer the officer, and an amendment redraw is not charged again. The national rules are on our prior approval drawings page, and the borough overview is architectural drawings in Merton.

    Sutton, to the south, has a different split, and Kingston upon Thames lies to the west.

    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

    Prior approval drawings nearby

    Questions

    Does Merton decide many larger home extension prior approvals?

    Yes. The latest return lists 22 granted and 80 refused, a substantial volume for this route.

    How long do householder applications take here?

    The council decided 85.2 per cent of them within the target time. We cannot promise a decision date on any application.

    Can a conservation area house use prior approval?

    No. The route excludes article 2(3) land, and the borough has 28 conservation areas.

    What does the council charge?

    The council fee is £249, paid to the council. Our fee is fixed after the free constraints check.

    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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