Merton Council approves 86.1% of planning applications, based on 17,908 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Merton sits 1.1 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 1,667 decided applications, Merton Council approved 83.6% of planning applications in 2025. The typical time from validation to decision in Merton is 8.0 weeks, the median across 12,376 applications decided since January 2020. Across 17,908 decisions on record (October 1983 to September 2026), the overall approval rate in Merton is 86.1%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Merton council planning portal records · Data to 5 September 2026 · Quote freely with attribution
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Not all applications are treated equally. Extension types, listed building consent, and change of use applications each have very different success rates in Merton.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 9,417 | 1,125 | 10,542 | 89.3% |
| Other | 5,876 | 765 | 6,641 | 88.5% |
| Prior Approval | 545 | 626 | 1,171 | 46.5% |
A loft conversion in one ward can have a 90% approval rate. In the next ward, 55%. The free check tells you which side you're on, your free property report is emailed in minutes.
Check My PostcodeWard-level data reveals where planning applications are most and least likely to succeed. Officers, local policies, and neighbourhood character all play a role.
| Ward | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Village | 1,144 | 68 | 1,212 | 94.4% |
| Wimbledon Park | 665 | 33 | 698 | 95.3% |
| Abbey | 629 | 46 | 675 | 93.2% |
| Raynes Park | 615 | 59 | 674 | 91.2% |
| Hillside | 613 | 49 | 662 | 92.6% |
| Village_historic | 591 | 49 | 640 | 92.3% |
| Dundonald_histroic | 549 | 75 | 624 | 88.0% |
| Colliers Wood | 491 | 82 | 573 | 85.7% |
| West Barnes | 442 | 112 | 554 | 79.8% |
| Wimbledon Park_historic | 499 | 55 | 554 | 90.1% |
| Wimbledon Town and Dundonald | 489 | 54 | 543 | 90.1% |
| Merton Park | 447 | 85 | 532 | 84.0% |
| Abbey_histroic | 438 | 85 | 523 | 83.7% |
| Merton Park_histroic | 422 | 72 | 494 | 85.4% |
| Cannon Hill | 396 | 90 | 486 | 81.5% |
| Graveney | 386 | 91 | 477 | 80.9% |
| Raynes Park_histroic | 385 | 56 | 441 | 87.3% |
| Trinity_historic | 378 | 61 | 439 | 86.1% |
| Cannon Hill_historic | 357 | 75 | 432 | 82.6% |
| West Barnes_historic | 381 | 48 | 429 | 88.8% |
| Graveney_histroic | 346 | 74 | 420 | 82.4% |
| Cricket Green | 346 | 67 | 413 | 83.8% |
| Lower Morden | 311 | 69 | 380 | 81.8% |
| Colliers Wood_histroic | 307 | 67 | 374 | 82.1% |
| Longthornton | 286 | 78 | 364 | 78.6% |
Showing top 25 of 54 wards by volume. Your free property report includes the full ward breakdown.
See full ward breakdown →How Merton’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, up 3.3pp since 2018.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from Merton council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 26/HOUSE/1722 Lavender Fields | APPLICATION FOR THE ERECTION OF A SINGLE STOREY SIDE EXTENSION. | Approved |
| 26/HOUSE/1217 Wimbledon Park | APPLICATION FOR THE PROPOSED ERECTION OF A SINGLE STOREY WRAPAROUND EXTENSION. | Approved |
| 26/HOUSE/1426 Wimbledon Park | Single storey side extension for a new utility room and high-level roof extensio | Approved |
| 26/HOUSE/1307 Abbey | APPLICATION FOR A SINGLE STOREY REAR/SIDE EXTENSION WITH FLAT ROOF AND 3 X ROOF | Approved |
| 26/HOUSE/1274 Wimbledon Town And Dundonald | APPLICATION FOR THE PROPOSED REPLACEMENT OF EXISTING DOOR AND WINDOW TO REAR EX | Approved |
| 26/FULL/1434 | Conversion of three existing flats (22a, 22b, and 22c Pelham Road) into a single | Approved |
| 26/HOUSE/1473 St Helier | GROUND FLOOR REAR EXTENSION | Approved |
| 26/HOUSE/1261 Village | ERECTION OF A REPLACEMENT SINGLE STOREY OUTBUILDING, COMPRISING HOME GYM AND STO | Approved |
| 26/ADV/0052 Wimbledon Town And Dundonald | New signage and entrance doors to shop front, and high level, replacement projec | Approved |
| 25/P3736 Hillside | ERECTION OF A CONSERVATORY ON THE SOUTH ELEVATION | Approved |
Find out what actually gets approved near your address first. Your free property report analyses the 20 nearest decisions to your property, ward-specific refusal patterns, and extension-by-extension approval patterns. Based on Merton's 17,908 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Merton's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into Merton's planning statistics, by ward, extension type, or project category:
Data-driven guides to help you understand planning approval patterns:
Yes. PlanningLens offers a free planning permission check for Merton. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 17,908 real decisions from Merton council. The full property-specific report is also free and emailed within minutes.
Enter your postcode on PlanningLens for a free instant check based on Merton's real planning decisions. The free property report goes further: it analyses the 20 nearest comparable decisions to your property, ward-level refusal patterns, and approval rates by application type. Free and emailed within minutes.
Based on 17,908 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Merton is 86.1%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 17,908 planning decisions from Merton council. 15,411 were approved and 2,497 were refused. These figures cover every decision on record for the council, October 1983 to September 2026.
The average approval rate in Merton is 86.1%, but outcomes depend heavily on your specific ward, the type of extension or development you are proposing, and local planning policy. Use the free PlanningLens postcode check to get a personalised score.
The typical time from validation to decision in Merton is 8.0 weeks, the median across 12,376 applications decided since January 2020. This PlanningLens figure is calculated from decision dates published by Merton council itself, reflecting actual elapsed time rather than statutory targets.
Writing about planning in Merton? These figures are free to republish with attribution. Copy the one-line citation, or paste the stat box into any website, CMS or newsletter, it carries its own styling and links back to this page for verification.