Driveway or hard surface in Merton
Do you need planning permission for a driveway in Merton? Here is what the permitted development rules say, how London Borough of Merton’s designations change them, and what decides an application, grounded in the official guidance and quoted verbatim.
Do you need planning permission for a driveway in Merton?
Replacing a driveway is permitted development under Class F where the surface is porous, or where rainwater drains to a permeable area within the property rather than to the highway. Whether a driveway needs permission in Merton still depends on your exact address and the designations on it.
The starting point
Replacing a driveway is permitted development under Class F where the surface is porous, or where rainwater drains to a permeable area within the property rather than to the highway.
“This provides permitted development rights within the curtilage of a house for - (a) the provision of a hard surface for any purpose incidental to the enjoyment of the dwellinghouse as such”PD technical guidance, Class F · full text in the library → · official source →
How Merton’s designations apply
| Designation in Merton | Published |
|---|---|
| Conservation areas | 28 |
| Article 4 directions (PD removed) | 0 |
| Listed building outlines | 0 |
A non-permeable surface over five square metres draining to the road needs permission; a dropped kerb for vehicle access is a separate highways consent. Counts are read live from planning.data.gov.uk; your report checks them against your exact address.
What Merton weighs
A non-permeable surface over five square metres draining to the road needs permission; a dropped kerb for vehicle access is a separate highways consent.
As a London borough, London Borough of Merton also decides against the London Plan 2021 (the strategic policy layer for all 33 boroughs), alongside national policy and its own Local Plan.
Get a planning report for your Merton address
A Planning Policy report reads the designations on your exact Merton address, quotes the London Borough of Merton and national policies that apply to a driveway, and (on Pro) shows decided applications nearby with outcomes.