Policy information sourced from the Merton Sites and Policies Plan

DM R4 Protection of shopping facilities within designated shopping frontages

Link to Merton’s Core Planning Strategy policies: CS 7 Centres; CS 1 Colliers Wood and South Wimbledon sub-area; CS 2 Mitcham sub-area; CS 3 Morden sub-area; CS 4 Raynes Park sub-area; CS 5 Wandle Valley sub-area and CS 6 Wimbledon sub-area.

Policy aim

To maintain the vitality and viability of Merton’s town centres and to identify uses suitable to these locations by ensuring that there are a wide range of retail offer, services and social activities, providing consumer choice and competition and opportunities for social interaction.

Policy Making

choices about where retail and other town centre type uses locate contributes towards maintaining and enhancing the attractiveness of town centres by encouraging more people to shop in these locations. To maintain and improve the overall vitality and viability of Merton’s town centres, the council will permit proposals provided that the following criteria have been met:

Town Centres

  • ‘Wimbledon’s central shopping frontage’, the loss of retail units (Use Class A1) will be resisted.
  • The ‘core shopping frontages’, proposals for a wider range of uses such as restaurants and cafes and bars, cultural and community use and leisure and entertainment uses (A3, A4, D1 and D2 Use Class) will be permitted to occupy an A1 retail unit subject to:
    • It can be demonstrated by full and proper marketing, to the council’s satisfaction, of the site for A1 retail use for at least 12 months;
    • The proposed change should not detract from the primary retail function of the area; and,
    • Approximately 50% of units in the core shopping frontage should remain in retail use (A1 Use Class), taking into account unimplemented planning permission for change of use.
  • The ‘secondary shopping frontages’, as well as uses permitted in part DM R4 (b), proposals for financial and professional services (A2 Use Class), hot food takeaways (A5 Use Class) and offices (B1[a] Use Class) will be permitted. Approximately 50% of units should remain in commercial uses (A1, A2, A3, A4 and A5 uses), taking into account unimplemented planning permission for change of use.
  • Other shopping frontages within town centres, a wide range of town centre type uses including shopping, leisure, entertainment, cultural, community and office uses will be supported which contribute towards the vitality and viability of town centres.

Neighbourhood parades

  • ‘Neighbourhood parades’, proposals for a wide range of town centre type uses appropriate to the scale of the parade will be permitted. A minimum of 30% of units should remain in retail use (A1 Use Class), taking into account unimplemented planning permissions.

All frontages in Merton’s town centres and neighbourhood parades

  • ‘Vacant units in shopping frontages’, temporary planning permission for re-occupation of vacant units may be granted for performance and creative uses.
  • ‘All shopping frontages in Merton’s town centres and neighbourhood parades’, subject to the relevant considerations in DM R4 (a)-(f) the council will permit the change of use in shopping frontages where:
    • The proposed use is compatible with a shopping frontage and provides a direct service to the general public;
    • The proposal will result in an ‘active street frontage’;
    • The vitality and viability of the town centre or neighbourhood parade is not likely to be significantly harmed;
    • A window display is provided; and where,
    • No significant adverse effects on the amenities of nearby residents, road safety, car parking or traffic flows would result from the proposal.

For more information see the Merton Sites and Policies Plan