PLANNING CONSULTANTS · MERTON
Planning consultants in Merton
We prepare and coordinate the planning case and specialist reports for sites in Merton covering Wimbledon, Raynes Park, Morden, Mitcham, Colliers Wood and Merton Park. This page sets out what London Borough of Merton asks for when you apply, with links to the council's own documents.
THE COUNCIL'S DOCUMENTS
What Merton
judges you against.
Validation list. Merton Council's Validation Checklist 2024 (Local Validation Checklist for All Applications) (2024-12). An application missing a required document can be made invalid, which delays the decision.
Development plan. Merton Local Plan 2024 (adopted, 2024); South London Waste Plan 2022 (adopted, 2022).
National policy. The National Planning Policy Framework and, for every London council, the London Plan 2021 sit alongside the local plan.
LOCAL PLANNING POINTS
Things that shape applications in Merton.
Checked against the council's published policy and guidance. Each point links to its source.
- The Merton Local Plan 2038 was adopted on 20 November 2024, replacing the Core Planning Strategy (2011) and the Sites and Policies Plan (2014). Source
- An Article 4 direction has required planning permission for converting a house to a small HMO in Colliers Wood, Cricket Green, Figge's Marsh, Graveney, Lavender Fields, Longthornton and Pollards Hill wards since 17 November 2022; it was confirmed on 19 April 2023. Source
- A further immediate Article 4 direction on small HMOs took effect on 24 March 2026 in 13 more wards, including Abbey, Raynes Park, Merton Park and Wimbledon Park. Source
- Additional HMO licensing covers Colliers Wood, Cricket Green, Figge's Marsh, Graveney, Lavender Fields, Longthornton and Pollards Hill wards from 24 September 2023 to 23 September 2028. Source
- Selective licensing of private rented homes covers Figge's Marsh, Graveney, Longthornton and Pollards Hill wards from 24 September 2023 to 23 September 2028. Source
- Article 4 direction: Small HMOs (seven wards). Converting a family home (C3) into a small house in multiple occupation (C4) needs planning permission in Colliers Wood, Cricket Green, Figge's Marsh, Graveney, Lavender Fields, Longthornton and Pollards Hill wards. Source
- Article 4 direction: Small HMOs (13 wards). Converting a family home (C3) into a small HMO (C4) needs planning permission in Abbey, Cannon Hill, Dundonald and Village, Hillside, Lower Morden, Merton Park, Ravensbury, Raynes Park, St Helier, Wandle, West Barnes, Wimbledon Park and Wimbledon Town wards (immediate direction; the council was still reviewing consultation feedback on making it permanent). Source
- Article 4 direction: Office to residential. Converting offices to homes needs planning permission in Wimbledon town centre, Willow Lane industrial estate, Garth Road industrial estate, South Wimbledon (Morden Road) business area and Prince George's Road, and Durnsford Road and Plough Lane industrial estate. Source
- 5 further Article 4 directions apply to particular areas or conservation areas. Council list
REPORTS MERTON ASKS FOR
Merton's validation list, report by report.
Which of these your application needs depends on the project and the site. In Merton, extra reports are triggered most often by a listed building, near a listed building, a conservation area, large sites, archaeological priority areas, scheduled monuments. Enter the address in our application checker to see the list for your site.
| Report | Level | When it is needed | Policy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biodiversity Net Gain information / Biodiversity Enhancement Statement | Required | Non-exempt applications must provide statutory net gain information; exempt ones, including householders, need a biodiversity enhancement statement giving the exemption reason.Applies to: all applications | Merton Local Plan 2024 O15.1, O15.3 |
| Energy Assessment | Required | Major schemes (10+ homes or 500 sqm+ non-residential) need a full energy assessment; schemes of 1-9 homes use the Merton energy template, with SAP or BRUKL outputs.Applies to: one new home, 2 to 9 homes, major schemes, commercial, changes of use | Merton Local Plan 2024 CC2.1-CC2.6; London Plan SI2, SI3 |
| National Water Standards Statement | Required | All new homes, including conversions, must show water use of 110 litres per person per day or less.Applies to: one new home, 2 to 9 homes, major schemes, changes of use | Merton Local Plan 2024 CC2; London Plan SI5 |
| Fire Statement / Planning Fire Safety Strategy | Required | Major schemes need an independent fire statement; householder and other minor schemes need a planning fire safety strategy or reasonable exception statement.Applies to: all applications | London Plan D5, D12 |
| Statement of Community Involvement | Required | All major development must submit a statement of community involvement; it is encouraged for other schemes.Applies to: major schemes | Merton Statement of Community Involvement |
| Transport Assessment | Required | All major development needs a full transport assessment.Applies to: major schemes | Merton Local Plan 2024 T16.1-T16.3; London Plan T4 |
| Urban Greening Factor | Required | Major applications must calculate the urban greening factor.Applies to: major schemes | Merton Local Plan 2024 O15.5; London Plan G5 |
| Affordable Housing Statement | Where relevant | Needed for schemes capable of 10 or more homes and all former employment sites.Applies to: major schemes, changes of use | Merton Local Plan 2024 H11.1-H11.7 |
| Air Quality Assessment | Where relevant | Major schemes and those with significant air quality impacts need an assessment, as the borough is an AQMA; all development must be air quality neutral.Applies to: major schemes, commercial, changes of use | Merton Local Plan 2024 P15.10; London Plan SI1 |
| Tree Survey / Arboricultural Impact Assessment / Method Statement | Where relevant | Needed where trees on or next to the site, including street trees, protected or significant trees, could be affected, to BS 5837.Applies to: all applications | Merton Local Plan 2024 D12.11, O15.4; London Plan G7 |
| Archaeological Statement / Evaluation Report | Where relevant | Needed in Archaeological Priority Areas where remains could be affected, on or near scheduled monuments, and on sites of 0.4 ha or more outside priority areas.Applies to: all applications | Merton Local Plan 2024 D12.5; London Plan HC1 |
| Structural Impact Assessment (listed buildings and basements) | Where relevant | Basements in or next to listed buildings, lowering listed floor levels or structural works to listed buildings need a structural assessment, with agreement to fund independent review.Applies to: basements, house extensions | Merton Local Plan 2024 D12.5; Basement and Subterranean Development SPD |
| Construction Logistics Plan | Where relevant | Required for any basement, substantial demolition or excavation, confined or sensitive sites, and schemes affecting the wider road network.Applies to: basements, major schemes | London Plan T4 |
| Land Contamination Assessment | Where relevant | Needed for changes of use to residential within 50 m of a potentially contaminated site.Applies to: changes of use, one new home, 2 to 9 homes, major schemes | Merton Local Plan 2024 P15.10 |
| Daylight/Sunlight Assessment | Where relevant | Required for major schemes, new dwellings and anything that may affect existing daylight or sunlight, to BRE guidelines with overshadowing.Applies to: all applications | Merton Local Plan 2024 D12.1; London Plan D6 |
| Design and Access Statement | Where relevant | Required for major schemes, listed building consent, non-residential schemes over 100 sqm, and in conservation areas for one or more dwellings or 100 sqm or more of new floorspace.Applies to: all applications | Merton Local Plan 2024 D12.3, D12.4 |
| Preliminary Ecological Appraisal | Where relevant | Needed where protected species, priority habitats or nature conservation sites may be affected, including by floodlighting or external lighting.Applies to: all applications | Merton Local Plan 2024 O15.1, O15.3 |
| Viability Report | Where relevant | Required where policy-compliant affordable housing or payments are not offered for viability reasons, with agreement to fund independent review.Applies to: 2 to 9 homes, major schemes | Merton Local Plan 2024 H11.1-H11.7 |
| Flood Risk Assessment | Where relevant | Needed in Flood Zones 2 and 3, on Flood Zone 1 sites over 1 ha or with critical drainage problems, and for changes of use raising flood vulnerability.Applies to: all applications | Merton Local Plan 2024 F15.7-F15.9 |
| Health Impact Assessment | Where relevant | Needed for 100+ homes or 10,000 sqm+ non-residential, 50+ homes in deprived areas, or new education, health or open space facilities.Applies to: major schemes | Merton Local Plan 2024 HW10.1, HW10.2; London Plan GG3 |
| Statement of Heritage Significance | Where relevant | Needed for all listed building consent applications and any development within or affecting the setting of a heritage asset.Applies to: all applications | Merton Local Plan 2024 D12.5; London Plan HC1 |
| Structural Report and Heritage Record (demolition) | Where relevant | Demolition in a conservation area or of a listed or heritage-value building requires a structural report and heritage record.Applies to: all applications | Merton Local Plan 2024 D12.5 |
| Marketing Report for Change of Use | Where relevant | Needed for loss of local shops, Wimbledon upper-floor offices, scattered employment sites, pubs, leisure, cultural or community uses.Applies to: changes of use, commercial, major schemes | Merton Local Plan 2024 EC13.2, EC13.3, TC13.7-TC13.9, IN14.2 |
| Acoustic Assessment / Acoustic Design Statement | Where relevant | Needed for noise-sensitive schemes near noise sources, noisy uses near existing buildings, and plant, flues, air conditioning or extraction.Applies to: all applications | Merton Local Plan 2024 P15.10; London Plan D14 |
| Overheating Assessment | Where relevant | Minor residential schemes complete the Good Homes Alliance overheating tool; major schemes, and minor ones scoring medium or high risk, need a full assessment.Applies to: one new home, 2 to 9 homes, major schemes, commercial | Merton Local Plan 2024 D12.1-D12.3; London Plan SI2, SI3 |
| Parking Survey | Where relevant | Needed outside controlled parking zones in areas of poor public transport access, or where parking overspill is likely.Applies to: one new home, 2 to 9 homes, major schemes, changes of use, commercial | Merton Local Plan 2024 T16.4; London Plan T6 |
| Supporting Planning Statement | Where relevant | Required for major development, major changes of use, listed building applications and any scheme creating one or more new homes.Applies to: one new home, 2 to 9 homes, major schemes, changes of use | Merton Local Plan 2024; London Plan |
| Drainage Strategy / SuDS | Where relevant | All major schemes, schemes with flood risk evidence, and any increase in impermeable area must provide SuDS or justify why not.Applies to: all applications | Merton Local Plan 2024 F15.7-F15.9 |
| BREEAM Pre-Assessment | Where relevant | Major non-residential schemes of 1,000 sqm+, major conversions and schemes of 10+ homes must target BREEAM Excellent or equivalent.Applies to: major schemes, commercial, changes of use | Merton Local Plan 2024 CC2.1-CC2.6 |
| Transport Statement | Where relevant | Schemes of 1-9 homes or over 100 sqm of commercial floorspace need a transport statement.Applies to: one new home, 2 to 9 homes, commercial, changes of use | Merton Local Plan 2024 T16.1-T16.3 |
| Travel Plan | Where relevant | A travel plan statement is needed for 20+ staff, 50+ homes or car-free housing, with a full travel plan above TfL thresholds.Applies to: major schemes, commercial | Merton Local Plan 2024 T16.1, T16.3; London Plan T4 |
| Ventilation/Extraction Statement | Where relevant | Required for new or altered commercial kitchen extraction.Applies to: changes of use, commercial | Merton Local Plan 2024 P15.10; Air Quality SPD 2021 |
| Whole Life Carbon Assessment | Where relevant | Required for 30+ homes or 1,000 sqm+ non-residential, and for demolition and rebuild of a single dwelling.Applies to: major schemes, one new home | Merton Local Plan 2024 CC2.1-CC2.6; London Plan SI2 |
OUR SERVICES IN MERTON
Every report, one coordinated team.
All 54 services are available for sites in Merton. Prices are starting estimates; we confirm the fee in writing before appointment.
Planning & strategy
Heritage & townscape
Water & ground
Environment & amenity
Ecology & landscape
Energy & sustainability
Transport & viability
Structure, basements & ground
- Structural feasibility notes
- Structural planning statements
- Basement impact assessments
- Basement construction method statements
- Ground movement assessments
- Groundwater & hydrology screening
- Geotechnical desk studies
- Ground investigation reports
- Slope stability assessments
- Retaining wall assessments
- Demolition & construction method statements
- Construction management plans
- Structural reuse & retrofit appraisals
- Structural condition discharge statements
OUR WORK IN MERTON
Applications we have supported here.
Neighbouring councils
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Planning in Merton: FAQs
Still have a question?
Tell us about the site and we will confirm what Merton will need and what it should cost.
Make an enquiryWhich reports does Merton require for a house extension?
Merton's validation list requires Biodiversity Net Gain information / Biodiversity Enhancement Statement, Fire Statement / Planning Fire Safety Strategy for householder applications, before any site constraints are taken into account. Constraints such as a conservation area, flood zone or protected trees add further reports. Our application checker lists them for your address.
How up to date is Merton's validation list?
The list we use is "Merton Council's Validation Checklist 2024 (Local Validation Checklist for All Applications)", dated 2024-12. Councils revise their lists, so we confirm the current version before you commission reports.
Do you cover every part of Merton?
Yes. We work across the whole of Merton, including the postcode districts CR4, KT3, SM4, SW19, SW20 and areas such as Wimbledon, Raynes Park, Morden, Mitcham, Colliers Wood and Merton Park.
Where are you based?
Our office is at Unit D New Wave House, 4 Humber Road, London NW2 6DW, and we work on sites across all 32 London boroughs, the City of London and OPDC.
YOUR NEXT STEP
Planning an application in Merton?
Tell us about the site and what you want to build. We will tell you which reports Merton is likely to need and what they should cost.
Call 020 8004 4464 or email info@greencodeconsultants.com.