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Introduction

Our Local Plan sets out a vision and a plan for the future development of Merton. The plan guides decisions on whether planning applications are granted. It's made up of the documents listed below.

New Local Plan

We are creating a New Local Plan. Once adopted the new Local Plan will replace Merton’s adopted borough-wide Local Plan (the Core Planning Strategy 2021 and Sites and Policies Plan 2014 )

Estates Local Plan

Merton's Estates Local Plan contains detailed planning policies, prepared by the council to guide what could be built and assess any planning applications for three estates in Merton, namely Eastfields (Mitcham), High Path (South Wimbledon) and Ravensbury (Mitcham/Morden). 

Estates Local Plan

Core Planning Strategy

The Core Planning Strategy is a plan for the future of the borough – it provides a 15-year vision on regeneration and development in Merton till 2026.

Sites and Policies Plan and Policies Maps

The Sites and Policies Plan contains policies which help us assess planning applications. It also includes sites for redevelopment. The Policies Map shows where developments can or can't take place, for example town centre boundaries and open spaces.

South London Waste Plan

The South London Waste Plan guides planning applications for developments that manage waste in the boroughs of Croydon, Kingston, Merton and Sutton.

Historic information about the South London Waste Plan

In summer 2020 councillors across all four boroughs considered the results of the public consultation held in 2019 and agreed to submit the Draft South London Waste Plan to the Secretary of State for an independent examination.

The ‘submission version’ of the Draft South London Waste Plan and its Sustainability Appraisal was published for comments from 4 September 2020 until 22 October 2020 and was submitted to the Secretary of State, for independent examination by a Planning Inspector, on 19 January 2021.

As part of the independent examination, the appointed inspectors held public hearing sessions in September 2021.

Following the hearing sessions, the Planning Inspectors identified a number of Main Modifications to the draft plan. These are changes that they consider are required to make the plan sound, in the light of issues identified during the examination. This is without prejudice to the Planning Inspectors’ ultimate conclusions and recommendations on the plan.

The councils held a public consultation from 14 July to 2 September 2022 that only concerned the Main Modifications to the plan.

All the representations received were forwarded to the Planning Inspectors.

The Inspectors’ Report, which was received in November 2022, concludes that after considering all the representations made in response to the consultation, the Plan, with the Main Modifications incorporated, will provide an appropriate basis for waste planning across the four boroughs.

Sutton Council were the administrative project lead for the Draft South London Waste Plan on behalf of the above named boroughs. All the relevant documents can be viewed at: Adopted South London Waste Plan (Sutton Council website)

South London Waste Plan 2012

Local Development Scheme

At the Cabinet meeting on 15 July 2019, the Cabinet resolved to update the LDS (the project plan and timetable for development plans) to take effect on 19 September 2019, replacing the Council's LDS 2016-19.

We publish a timetable for the development of a Local Plan in a three-year project plan called a Local Development Scheme (LDS). Our current LDS covers the Local Estates Plan for Eastfield, High Path and Ravensbury.

Authority Monitoring Report and Housing Delivery Test

Every local planning authority is required to publish an Authority Monitoring Report (AMR) each year containing information on the implementation of the Local Development Scheme (LDS), and the extent to which the planning policies set out in the Local Plan documents are being achieved.

It contains statistical information on Merton's socio-economic profile, performance against planning policy monitoring for housing delivery, local economy, climate change, open space, flooding and transport. It also includes Community Infrastructure Levy and planning obligations secured during that financial year.

The Housing Supply Annual Position Statement provides details on the sites for new homes that form Merton’s five-year housing supply.

The Housing Delivery Test Action Plan provides an overview of housing delivery in Merton and the actions the council is taking to increase housing delivery.

The AMR is published each January and monitors the preceding financial year. For example, Merton's AMR 2019-20 monitored development between 1 April 2019 and 31 March 2020 and was published in January 2021.

Please note the file sizes of each full AMR are over 3MB and will therefore take a while to download if you do not have a broadband internet connection.

Update on the Housing Delivery Test Measurement 2022: 14 March 2024

On 19 December 2023 Government published the Housing Delivery Test (HDT) 2022 measurement for the period 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22. However, the reported figure for  homes delivered in Merton in 2021/22 was incorrect by over 400 homes. This error resulted in a measurement of 71%, the consequence of which placed Merton in presumption in favour of sustainable development in accordance with the NPPF.

On 21 December 2023 the London Borough of Merton requested Government correct the data and received a response from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) 5 March 2024, which is shown below. The updated measurement for Merton’s Housing Delivery Test 2022 is 91%. Therefore, in accordance with the NPPF, Merton published an Action Plan in January 2024.

Revisions to the Statement of Community Involvement during COVID-19 pandemic

National Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) has recently been updated in light of the Covid-19 pandemic and recommends that council's review their SCI and update it.  

As a result the council has made some temporary amendments to the requirements set out in the adopted SCI (2020). These are to protect the health of our communities and staff, while still ensuring that the council can continue to successfully conduct its planning functions in a manner which is underpinned by extensive and effective community engagement.

Temporary change to the SCI 2020

Statement of Community Involvement

The Statement of Community Involvement sets out our commitment to involve the local community in planning. On the 15 June 2020, Cabinet adopted a new Statement of Community Involvement (SCI).

Supplementary Planning Documents

Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) provide guidance on planning policies in the Local Plan. They can be Character Appraisals of a particular area, topic-based Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPGs) notes or Planning Briefs for a specific site.

Supplementary Planning Documents

Take part in consultations

Get in touch if you'd like to be added to our Local Plan consultation database.

Subscribe to the consultation database

Email: regeneration@merton.gov.uk  
Telephone: 020 8545 3837