Policy information sourced from the Merton Core Planning Strategy.
CS7 Centres
Merton’s hierarchy of centres is established on the following basis:
| LDF Designation | Town Centres in Merton |
|---|---|
| Major Centre: providing a range of facilities serving a wide catchment area: shopping especially clothes, electronics and other comparison goods, businesses and employment, arts, culture, leisure and tourism. | Wimbledon |
| District Centre: providing shopping and services for the local neighbourhoods, mainly for weekly convenience shopping. Hub for local businesses. | Mitcham; Morden; Colliers Wood (following re-designation) |
| Local Centre: shops and services for day-to-day needs, limited office-based and other small and medium business activities. | Arthur Road; Motspur Park; North Mitcham; Raynes Park; Wimbledon Village |
We will support new development in these centres and neighbourhood parades commensurate with their scale and function and where it respects or improves the character and local environment of the area.
A mix of appropriate uses will be encouraged to locate in the centres, including shopping, restaurants, leisure, recreation, entertainment, cultural, community, offices and other uses which contribute to the vitality and viability of centres, in accordance with the sub-area policies set out in the Core Strategy.
We will protect and support the development of suitable tourist attractions, accommodation and facilities in accessible locations where they are not detrimental to the character and amenity of the area.
We will seek to maintain Wimbledon’s role as one of London’s Major Centres and for Mitcham and Morden the priority will be for the regeneration of the town centres.
We will work with the Mayor of London to designate Colliers Wood as a District Centre, encourage a wider range of town centre uses other than retailing, address flooding issues and improve the public realm.
Outside town or Local Centres, development of new ‘town centre type uses’ is discouraged. Planning permission for the development of new ‘town centre type uses’ will only be granted if it can be demonstrated that:
- the sequential approach as advocated by government guidance has been appropriately applied; and,
- there is not a significant adverse impact on the vitality and viability of any nearby centre.
For more information, please see the Core Planning Strategy.