Merton Character Study
The story of the borough - its history, people, places, streets, buildings and future character
A. Why Character?
What is a character study?
Merton has a unique and special character that deserves to be celebrated. This distinctive identity will be used to shape the borough's future and help define the exciting next chapter of growth. The purpose is to help provide an understanding of the particular attributes which make the borough of Merton what it is today, drawing out the identity of each neighbourhood and how this might evolve in the future. This has been informed by extensive consultation with local residents and stakeholders - with over 450 people participating in the consultation. This process of understanding character is important as it illustrates the distinctiveness across the borough and how these local qualities should inform future approaches to managing growth and change.
Why do we need the study?
Merton, like every other authority in the country has to play its part in solving the nationwide housing crisis. To create a Merton based solution, the Character Study provides an understanding of the characteristics of individual places to inform a context led strategy for the delivery of new homes and other development. The New London Plan puts significant emphasis on boroughs to deliver growth and this report will help us do this.
What will this document be used for?
This study has been prepared to assist the Council, community groups, stakeholders and others with an interest in the borough to better understand Merton’s distinctive local character. It will support the preparation of the Council’s new Local Plan as a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) and be used to inform a character and 'place-based' approach to managing growth in the borough. Similarly, neighbourhood forums will be able to draw on this study to assist with the preparation of their neighbourhood plans. The report will also inform decisions made by Council officers and should be an important tool used by developers and others investing in Merton to ensure proposals positively respond to the local context.
What is character and why is it important?
In many ways, the character of a place is defined by an individual’s perception of it. In simple terms, urban character can be understood as the combination and interplay of three factors. First, the physical fabric of the city – the landscapes, buildings, townscape and material infrastructure that exist today. Second, the social fabric of the city – the life and activities that take place within the material environment and how communities use and adapt it. Finally, the historical narrative of a place – why and how development started there and the ongoing story of its evolution. Making sense of Merton's complex evolution allows designers and planners to make more informed decisions about how the borough's neighbourhoods ought to grow in the future. This helps to write the next chapter in the story of each place, keeping the thread of history alive.
Jump to the complete published report by clicking the button below.
What did you tell us?
Merton Council was very keen that this Character Study had an extensive programme of engagement to help test the emerging ideas and ensure that local residents were happy with the way their neighbourhoods were represented. Covid 19 hit shortly after this study was commissioned which has meant that the plans for consultation have needed to be adapted and evolved to take an online and digital form.
The plan below illustrates responses from a digital survey that took place during the autumn of 2020. The survey was designed to test the proposed neighbourhoods and review their boundaries. We also wanted to understand what people valued about each neighbourhood and better understand what could be changed and improved.
Merton Online survey answers (Scoring system 1-10), an average score is calculated taking into account eight questions. Click on a point on the plan to see the breakdown of all the questions and answers. The Locations are based on postcodes, not actual home addresses. A red score is likely to relate to more negative observations, whilst blue scores are generally more positive. (Allies and Morrison Urban Practitioners accepts no responsibility for comments made by members of the community which have been reflected in this mapping.)
B. Existing Character
What is Merton's Character?
The character of Merton can be understood by exploring its history - why and how settlements started here and the ongoing story of its evolution.
Merton has a long and interesting past, with evidence of an Iron Age camp at Wimbledon Common, Roman remains, and the establishment of Merton Priory in the 12th century. Early maps show a handful of small settlements spread across the borough, mostly Anglo-Saxon in origin, formed by the natural landscape and ancient routes. Merton was focused along a key trade route - Stane Street, and Merton Abbey and its industry grew up close to the river Wandle at the junction with the ancient road. Upper and Lower Mitcham formed on low-lying plains by the river and were centred on two village greens. Wimbledon, conversely, grew at the top of the hill where Wimbledon Village is today - its focus has since moved to around the station.
Development up to 1836
By the turn of the 19th century, Merton was very much still part of Surrey, divided into four ancient parishes - Merton, Morden, Wimbledon and Mitcham. The area was a rural retreat and desirable to London's gentry seeking solace from the plague-ridden city. Merton was set apart from London, but connected to it with routes into the city centre. Today, Merton's early beginnings can be seen in its churches, like St. Mary's in Merton Park, as well as large manor houses set within historic gardens, like Morden Hall House and Morden Park. Small workers housing and lodges fronting onto village greens like at Mitcham give another glimpse back in time to Merton's early days.
1890 - 1940
By 1890, the railways had reached Merton. The plan opposite shows a clear pattern of development around the stations, especially around Wimbledon. You also see the beginnings of Merton Park, which developed based on early garden suburb principles. In the 19th century, you see the emergence of small pockets of Victorian terraced housing and larger grids of Late Victorian houses built in long terraces, like the Apostle Roads at Raynes Park. Grander detached houses on large plots adorned the streets around Wimbledon. The railways were a catalyst for industrial growth and brought the development of industry around Mitcham and Morden, which saw a boom in craft and textile manufacturing.
1890 - 1940
By 1922, Merton was almost a suburb of London, but not quite. Unlike other areas with a similar radius from London, the countryside filled the gap between Merton's merging villages and the rest of the growing city. The expansion of the railway network through Merton, Morden and Motspur Park furthered growth, and the northern line extension in 1926 led to the creation of London's only bit of metroland around Morden station. Slum clearance from inner London during this period led to the formation of London County Council's distinctive cottage estate, St Helier's. During this period, a mix of typologies emerged, from Edwardian terraces to interwar suburban terraced and semi-detached housing. Garden City style planned council estates, low-density private estates and mansion blocks were also important to Merton's housing story.
1940 - 1960
Housing growth accelerated after the war, including reconstruction of parts of the borough that had suffered severe bomb damage, like at Wimbledon, Mitcham and Colliers Wood, but also new development on undeveloped areas, including parts of Morden. Higher density mansion block typologies emerged, as well as cul-de-sacs and new industrial buildings.
1960 - Today
In the 1960s, low rise and mid-rise Council estates were built like at Phipps Bridge, Pollards Hill and High Path. Big box retail on former industrial uses transformed parts of Merton like at Colliers Wood in the late 1980s and early 1990s. And more recently higher density developments or infill development close to public transport nodes like at Raynes Park have evolved the character once again.
Mapping today's character
The methodology for creating this Character Study is about bringing together a library of data sources to build up a clear picture of the borough. The study brings together maps illustrating the borough's physical features, environmental issues and built form. Maps that draw out the social fabric of the place are also explored - the life, activities and communities within the borough. Some of these can be viewed below.
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For the full accessible report on Merton's character have a look at the full report (pages 9-14) by clicking the button below.
Built character - typologies
Typology is the systematic classification of places according to their common characteristics. By identifying the various townscape characters found in Merton and then identifying where they are present, it is possible to describe the form of the borough in detail. It also provides a structure that helps to identify common issues that are prevalent for each townscape type and to consider the implications for future development.
The diagram or 'tree' below illustrates how the borough has been classified. The first stage is according to prevailing land use, the second stage of classification is according to the street structure and the final classification is a series of specific types reflecting the blocks building form and age.
The categories and colours on the adjacent plan correspond to the categories on the typology tree above. You can click on the plan to explore these typologies, their geographical spread and their characteristics. The categorisation of the borough into typologies has been undertaken through a detailed survey. The predominant character of the block determines the typology assigned for each area. A summary of each type is described to help explain the urban form and how it impacts on the character of the borough.
Non residential led typologies
Mixed-use areas of the borough are seen within Merton's centres, linear typologies including parades and corridors, and within 'campus' environments.
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C. Neighbourhoods
Where will future growth be focused and how will it be distinctive to my neighbourhood?
Neighbourhoods and borough areas
An understanding of local character must operate at a variety of scales. Some plans provide a borough-wide picture, with the previous typology analysis offering a more detailed block-level appreciation. Between these two scales, is the geography upon which local people's understanding of character is generally based - one of neighbourhoods and areas.
The plan below illustrates an interpretation of the neighbourhoods in the borough. It has been developed in conjunction with local residents and stakeholders through an online survey and workshops. This is an inherently subjective exercise and it is acknowledged that places in the borough will mean different things to different people.
Neighbourhood areas
The 36 neighbourhoods have then been grouped into six borough areas. The neighbourhoods have been grouped by similarities in character and sense of place informed by: discussions at community workshops; the mapping of physical assets such as topography, landscape and urban morphology; the historic evolution of each area; analysis of land use and housing typologies and their future growth direction.
The dashboard below allows you to explore the relationships between block typologies and neighbourhoods.
Interactive Typology Coverage Dashboard (select one or multiple main areas to further explore the map)
The purpose of this process is to help shape policies in the emerging Local Plan and ensure that character and the existing identity of neighbourhoods is a key consideration. The Draft Local Plan is place-based and this ensures that policies for each of the neighbourhoods are tailored to the distinctive sense of place and character of different parts of the borough.
The dashboard below allows you to explore information about each neighbourhood - its key features, identifying any significant issues and opportunities. These are a summary of ideas generated by the team as a result of public engagement and analysis of each area.
Neighbourhood analysis dashboard
The nature of how intensification and interventions should differ across the borough in response to character has also been considered, providing an indication of where key areas of growth sit on the spectrum of repair - re-examine - reimagine. The diagram below illustrates at a diagrammatic level how the nature of intensification should vary across key areas of the borough.
A greater intensity of growth is appropriate in some locations, while the strategy should be focused on re-use and infill in other parts of the borough. More comprehensive reimagining would be appropriate in some areas - such as alongside significant infrastructure investment, estate regeneration or where large big box retail sites present opportunities for more fundamental intervention - where through redevelopment it will be possible to create better continuity with the surrounding neighbourhood.
In the borough's key centres, the emphasis should be on re-examining character. Although many of these places are attractive historic centres, some more fundamental interventions could help to repair the existing character through the redevelopment of available sites along and behind the high streets or adjacent to railways to help intensify the most sustainable locations.
Growth Spectrum Diagram ( Accessible version of the diagram on page 20 of the report )
Growth Themes
The following diagrams illustrate a set of growth themes for each borough area. These set out key priorities that describe what should be protected, what could be improved and where growth is considered most appropriate in the context of the character of each area.
Growth Themes Dashboard ( Accessible version of the growth themes diagrams on pages 25-51 of the report )
D. Future Growth
The aim of this character study is to ensure that the growth that happens in the borough over the next decades is informed by a good understanding of the existing (and past) context.
Context-led growth in Merton must dig deeper than replicating building materials and forms, it should recognise hidden character potential. This doesn't mean styming transformation, rather looking for the local character hooks for design and structure rather than simply using precedents from elsewhere.
Each of the building typologies within Merton has a different potential for evolution. The assessment set out below identifies opportunities for improving performance, key considerations, development opportunities and reinterpretation of the type for new housing within the borough. The study at the block level illustrates how development can respond to local character and how new homes can be successfully integrated within the existing context.
Lower density perimeter residential-led forms - 'spacious' and 'suburban'
Given their often uniform prevailing character, existing suburban areas of Morden can prove challenging in terms of the potential for change. Their scale and grain tend to be generally consistent and low-rise with only minor undeveloped areas with potential for new development. Opportunities for change will generally focus on the intensification of existing plots or where larger sites come forward for a change of use. The looser form and larger plots of the 'villa/spacious' typology may offer more opportunities for infill development between plots, where this can be done sensitively.
Opportunities for context-led growth within the suburban block type (the 'villa/spacious' block is an even lower density version of the above diagram, with larger plots and a greater number of detached properties) (click to zoom) (Accessible version of the diagram on page 54 of the report)
Key considerations for interventions will include:
- Block depth - e.g. <40m excludes garden development, >100m allows for mews
- Garden centre line - if this is off centre, it reduces the complexity of introducing new homes
- Block aspect - an east-west block could result in single aspect north facing units
- Geometry - unusual step ins or curves can limit opportunities
- Mix of uses - sites such as former / underused garages can present more significant opportunities
- Existence of hard standing access routes would facilitate internal mews or rear garden dwellings
Lower density perimeter residential-led forms - 'cottage estate'
The 'cottage estate' typology is another low density residential form found in a number of locations across the borough. The plan form varies significantly from the 'suburban' typology which results in alternative context-led growth opportunities.
Future opportunities must take account of the geometric street pattern, often with elements of symmetry and set pieces. Streets tend to have a wider profile with planned verges, front gardens and green spaces. Although some of these green spaces - both within the street scene and within blocks add value to the streetscene - others are under-used and have been converted to hard-standing. Redevelopment of some spaces could be complemented by other spaces being used more actively for leisure or biodiversity.
In terms of style and aesthetics, homes were built with cottage-like proportions and features, modest detailing and a limited palette of materials. This limited material palette, use of matching brick colour, with a reinterpretation of the cottage-like proportions will be imperative in the successful integration of new development within these areas, that have such a strong and consistent character.
A potential range of opportunities for context-led growth within the cottage estate typology (click the image to zoom) (Accessible version of the diagram on page 55 of the report)
Higher density perimeter residential-led forms - urban terrace and quarter house
Terraced forms of development tend to have a more urban character - with a continuous perimeter frontage and a regular and gridded street pattern. Due to their more urban character, they successfully integrate small blocks of flats, both as part of their original developments delivered as 'quarter houses' as well as new buildings that complete the corner of blocks.
A potential range of opportunities for context-led growth within the urban terrace typology. (click on the image to zoom) (Accessible version of the diagram on page 56 of the report)
Key considerations for interventions will include:
- Block depth - e.g <40m excludes garden development, >100m allows for mews
- Garden centre line - if this is off centre, it reduces the complexity of introducing new homes
- Block aspect - an east-west block could result in single aspect north facing units
- Geometry - unusual step ins or curves can limit opportunities
- Mix of uses - sites such as former / underused garages can present more significant opportunities
- Existence of hard standing access routes would facilitate internal mews or rear garden dwellings
- Potentially suitable for intensification through town houses, though should consider existing form and facades - where this is articulated through bay windows or detailing, new development should respond.
Urban Terrace - Examples of context-led growth (Accessible version of the table on page 57 of the report)
Non-perimeter residential-led forms
Whilst perimeter forms of development make up the majority of the existing residential areas of Morden, there is a range of housing areas that break with this pattern and introduce more complex street patterns and layouts. Intensifying these areas often requires a bespoke response to the layout of existing development - identifying where underused spaces could be used for development in a way that supports better integration of the housing into the wider area. For these housing types, the key focus is on enhancing the delineation of public and private space through intensification or partial redevelopment. This must be done sensitively so as not to lose the very benefits that make these areas great places to live.
A potential range of opportunities for context-led growth within the non-perimeter residential typologies. Yellow indicates indicative proposals. (click on image to expand it) (Accessible version of the diagram on page 58 of the report)
Key considerations for interventions will include:
- A strategic vision and framework is required on these sites to successfully deliver long-term objectives and transformation
- Repairing the urban fabric through the creation of routes, streets, spaces and buildings that integrate with surrounding grain
- Soft edges - delivering public realm and movement investment outside of the red line boundary to blur the edges of development
- Gradual transition in scale to mediate between low density surroundings and higher density proposals
- Overcoming severance of road and rail infrastructure is often required - achieving strong pedestrian and cycle connectivity through these sites is essential.
NON-PERIMETER RESIDENTIAL Examples of context-led growth (Accessible version of the table on page 59 of the report)
Non-residential led - Centres
Town centres are the commercial, cultural and civic hub of our communities and increasingly need to accommodate high-density development. High-density typologies are especially scrutinised and need to deliver quality at every stage of design and delivery.
Scale and massing that responds to its context is important, using massing to mediate between the existing low rise and higher proposals. Edge condition is also important, such as articulating facades through historic vernacular and planting to soften blunt edges between proposals and the public realm.
A potential range of opportunities for context-led growth within the town centre typology. (click on image to zoom) (Accessible version of the diagram on page 60 of the report)
Key considerations for interventions will include:
- Seek to repair finer grain and permeability of historic centres; often lost to 20th century development
- Mixed uses should be prioritised, with ground floor non-residential units and residential above
- Creating consistent datum along frontages - vertical extensions set back can go higher and preserve street profile
- Public realm enhancements can improve existing or introduce new pedestrian routes and spaces
- Irregular blocks often exist either side of a high road but proposals should seek to complete frontage along block perimeter
- Suitable and sensitive for high density, tall schemes - introducing podium development can achieve taller extruded massing whilst positively meeting the ground
- Where a number of tall buildings may come forward, these should consider one another. The relationship between the buildings will have a significant impact on the townscape.
TOWN CENTRES Examples of context-led growth (Accessible version of the table on page 61 of the report)
Non-residential led - Linear typologies
These typologies come in two scales - parades and corridors.
Parades have the sense of being a 'destination' or place, whilst corridors are often a more gradual and continual linear environment linking places. They tend to occur along the key connecting routes in the borough. Due to their diversity in terms of scale and grain of buildings, alongside their accessibility, they are generally sustainable locations for growth. The quality of these environments can be poor due to vehicular dominance and new development and investment can help to positively address this character.
A potential range of opportunities for context-led growth within the corridor typology. (click on image to zoom) (Accessible version of the diagram on page 62 of the report)
Key considerations:
- Creating strong frontage and articulation onto route will help positively evolve character
- Suitable for high density development - can contribute to reimagining of character
- Development must take account of excessive noise levels and poor air quality - mechanical ventilation and non-opening windows should not result in poor quality habitable environment or poor facade articulation
- Strengthen and tighten building line through new development - better framing route
- New development to align with prevailing block structure - creating permeable and coherent sense of place
- Pedestrian and vehicular access to / from busy arterial routes must be considered early in design process
PARADES Examples of context-led growth (Accessible version of the table on page 63 of the report)
Non-residential led - Campus
Campus typologies are defined by their mono-use, and provide a significant amount of Merton's non-residential floor space, particularly outside of the town centres and local parades. Although many industrial areas perform an important employment function and service the borough, some campus environments offer good opportunities for intensification and growth by being more intensively used, with a greater variety of uses. Improvements may be about improving the quality of the internal public realm environment alongside making these areas better neighbours to their context. Development should not necessarily be about changing the use.
A potential range of opportunities for context-led growth within the campus typology. (click on image to zoom) (Accessible version of the diagram on page 64 of the report)
Key considerations should include:
- Strategic vision and masterplan required from the outset in order to successfully deliver long-term objectives and transformation
- Repairing the urban fabric through the creation of routes, streets, spaces and buildings that integrate with surrounding grain
- Soft edges - delivering public realm and movement investment outside of the red line boundary to blur the edges of development
- No net-loss of employment floorspace in designated Strategic Industrial Locations (SIL) and Locally Significant Industrial Sites (LSIS) required
- Overcoming severance of road and rail infrastructure is essential - strong pedestrian and cycle connectivity
- Resilience needed with masterplans demonstrating flexibility between uses and 'alternative futures'
Examples of context-led growth (Accessible version of the table on page 65 of the report)
The role of tall buildings
Tall and high-density buildings can offer a range of benefits. For example, they can reduce the carbon footprint per dwelling by using district energy systems; they can help people live closer to local centres, reducing sprawl and retaining vital open land. When situated close to transport links, such buildings can reduce the reliance on cars and encourage healthier ways of getting around. Tall buildings can also improve wayfinding and add to the visual intricacy of neighbourhoods.
Building heights plan
Perhaps more than any other housing typology, tall buildings must balance the needs of individual homes with broader townscape considerations. This type of building can have a profound, lasting impact on the skyline and can significantly compromise the character of historic areas if they are situated inappropriately or poorly designed.
This plan illustrates the existing building heights and town centre locations across Merton.
© Crown copyright [and database rights] (2021) OS (London Borough of Merton 100019259. 2021)
Defining tall (and mid-rise) in Merton
The London Plan definition of tall buildings (i.e. minimum 6 storeys or 18 metres) is appropriate for Merton as it accurately captures the scale of the tallest buildings in the borough which are concentrated within town centres or mixed-use areas, with few exceptions. It is highly unlikely that a tall building would be appropriate in low-scale, residential area (i.e. consisting of 2-3 storey suburban houses) which accounts for most of the borough (see land use map).
Instead, a more contextual definition is needed for these areas to describe new developments which 'appear tall' relative to their surroundings but are still below the London Plan definition. Developments such as these can be described as 'mid-rise' and range between 3-5 storeys. Mid-rise developments are suited to all areas on the repair-reimagine spectrum as they can effectively increase residential and employment densities of neighbourhoods without radically impacting their scale and built character. Applications for mid-rise developments will be judged on a case-by-case basis, however, they will not undergo the same level of design scrutiny as tall buildings.
Framework for character-led tall buildings (Accessible version of the diagram on page 67 of the report)
Sensitivity to tall building development
Part B of the framework for character-led tall buildings (the flow chart above) encourages applicants to consider a number of objective criteria that provide a general understanding of the relative sensitivity of different parts of the Borough for tall building development. These criteria relate to whether a site:
- is within or near a Conservation Area
- includes or is near Heritage at Risk
- is near Listed buildings
- is near Locally listed buildings
The following set of maps indicative of which areas are affected by each criterion in turn. These culminate in a composite sensitivity map that overlays all the factors indicating areas that are most sensitive to tall buildings, with the darkest areas considered most sensitive.
Conservation areas
Conservation areas are a well-established designation employed by local planning authorities to manage areas of special architectural or historic interest. The historic environment is a vital part of creating a sense of place; not only do local people value the historic environment and historic assets, they often add financial value to the property.
Conservation areas can also be potentially suitable areas for tall buildings, they are not mutually exclusive attributes. However, proposals for tall buildings need to ensure that conservation areas and other historic assets continue to be preserved and enhanced.
Listed buildings and locally listed buildings
Special regard needs to be had to the desirability of preserving a listed building or its setting or any features of special architectural or historic interest which it possesses. Preservation in this context means not harming the interest in the building, as opposed to keeping it utterly unchanged. Site-specific analysis will be required to determine the potential impact of new tall building proposals on such heritage assets.
© Crown copyright [and database rights] (2021) OS (London Borough of Merton 100019259. 2021)
Heritage at Risk
Heritage Land is defined as open land of historic value, including sites listed on the on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of special historic interest in England. Their open space character means developments from far away, inside and outside of the borough, could still negatively impact on their historic setting - they are therefore considered sensitive. Heritage at Risk (HAR) identifies those sites that are most at risk of being lost as a result of neglect, decay or inappropriate development.
Level of sensitivity heatmap based on all criteria overlaid
© Crown copyright [and database rights] (2021) OS (London Borough of Merton 100019259. 2021)
Example of a tall building in a sensitive location. Goswin Street, Southwark. Image © Allies and Morrison. New build scheme of six storeys where the lower four storeys reinforce the scale of existing buildings across the street while the upper two floors are stepped back to accommodate a tall element.
Suitability to tall building development
Part C of the framework for character-led tall buildings (flow chart above) encourages applicants to simultaneously consider other criteria that offer a general understanding of the relative suitability of different parts of the Borough for tall building development. These relate to:
- Proximity to a town or local centre
- Opportunity or Intensification Areas
- Proximity to a public park
- Accessibility by bicycle
- Accessibility to public transport
- Strategic area for regeneration
Each criterion is shown independently below and as a composite heat map.
Proximity to a town or local centre
In additional to public transport accessibility, the NPPF also recognises the importance of commercial and shopping centres as locations best suited to making the optimum use of land. Merton borough has a network of town centres including Major, District centres (London Plan Town Centre Network) and Neighbourhood Centres. Town centres represent mixed use, urban environments with a range of shops and services provided, making them amongst the most sustainable locations for higher density development and therefore the most suitable for tall buildings.
Opportunity or Intensification Area
Opportunity Areas are identified as significant regional locations with development capacity to accommodate new housing, commercial development and infrastructure (of all types), linked to existing or potential improvements in public transport connectivity and capacity. Taking maximum advantage of these sites being unlocked means delivering significant volumes of high quality, high density development including strategic housing growth. Merton Opportunity Area and the South Wimbledon/Colliers Wood intensification area are considered more suitable for tall buildings.
Proximity to a public park
Good access to open space is a key criterion for the suitability of tall buildings. The GLA stipulates that all homes should be within 400m of an open space of 2 hectares or greater.
Proximity to a station
Merton is home to a number of stations served by National Rail and Transport for London services, reflected in the large areas of high PTAL. In addition to taking advantage of the accessibility this affords, the immediate setting of stations tends to be urban in character and therefore more suitable for accommodating tall buildings. Often train stations can provide areas of focused regeneration, where tall buildings can help contribute positively to defining a new, higher density character.
Accessibility to public transport
One of the most important factors in determining a site’s relative suitability for a tall building. This is underpinned by the requirement set out in the NPPF to make the optimum use of land, especially where there is an existing shortage of land for meeting identified needs, as there is across the capital. High density development is encouraged in areas well served by public transport (NPPF para 123). The assessment here is that areas with a PTAL rating of 3 or more are considered to be areas most suited to potential tall buildings.
© Crown copyright [and database rights] (2021) OS (London Borough of Merton 100019259. 2021)
Regeneration opportunities
Potential estate regeneration opportunities and key site allocations suitable for residential development.
Level of suitability heatmap based on all criteria overlaid
The existence of tall building clusters was discounted as a criterion, given that their presence is not considered an automatic indicator of suitability for further tall buildings nearby.
© Crown copyright [and database rights] (2021) OS (London Borough of Merton 100019259. 2021)
E. Future Merton
What does this mean for the borough?
The nature of growth for Merton
The pressure for growth and the need for homes applies to every London borough and Merton must play its part in supporting good growth. Every borough is different and the way in which it can accommodate targeted growth is also therefore different. As an outer London borough with a largely suburban character, Merton faces particular challenges in accommodating a step change in housing numbers.
This character study identifies how the growth needed can be absorbed in a way that reinforces local character and allows it to evolve in response to need. For Merton this means:
- An emphasis on supporting and reinforcing the role and character of town centres.
- In Morden and Collier's Wood, there is the opportunity to shape growth in a way that supports the evolution of these places with a more transformational impact.
- Restoring historic routes as the backbone of the borough.
- Celebrating the borough's green infrastructure.
- Revitalising waterways as blue corridors and continuous walking and cycling spines.
- Strengthening the role of local parades and smaller centres as local hubs of activity.
- Overcoming the barriers created by rail and road infrastructure.
- Managing transitions between areas through sensitive approaches to density and massing as well as environmental enhancements.
The approach to growth set out in this character study provides a strong basis for the Local Plan. Embedding this strategy in planning policy will set the borough on course to meet its housing and jobs targets in a way celebrates and supports local character.
Borough-wide proposed growth strategy to support the evolution of character. (Accessible version of the diagram on page 72 of the report)
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