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Merton

London · E09000024 · 189 quarters held (1979 Q2 – 2026 Q2)

Decisions
1,073
2025 Q3 – 2026 Q2
Refusal rate
9.4%
higher than 35% of authorities
Majors in time
100.0%
threshold 60%
Minors in time
65.3%
threshold 70%
Householder in time
74.6%
no formal threshold
Delegated
95.6%
decisions not to committee
Appellant win rate
30.7%
82 allowed of 267 decided
Decisions overturned
1.2%
quality threshold 10%

Refusal rate trend — last 40 quarters

2016 Q3 → 2026 Q2 · peak 19.3%

Official statistics — is development moving through the system?

MHCLG quarterly planning returns (PS1/PS2), last 4 quarters 2025 Q3 to 2026 Q2, and the government's latest Housing Delivery Test. These are the authority's own statutory returns, not our scrape.

Applications received
1,165
in the window
Applications decided
1,073
in the window
Approval rate
90.6%
972 granted, 101 refused · national median refusal 11.6%
Refusal rate rank 5 of 33 London boroughs (1 = fewest refusals) · peer median 17.0%
Decided within time
71.1%
rank 286 of 307 reporting authorities · national median 91.4%
Rank 31 of 33 London boroughs · peer median 91.0%

Peer ranks compare only London boroughs with more than 50 decisions in the window, the same floor as the national rank. A rank among peers is the fairer read: types of authority carry very different caseloads.

Performance by development type
TypeDecisionsApprovedIn time
Major16100.0%100.0%
Minor20682.5%65.3%
Other85192.4%—
of which householder75992.9%74.6%
"In time" = within the statutory period or an agreed extension, excluding prior approvals. "Other" covers everything that is neither major nor minor; householder figures are measured against the 8-week period.
Applications through the system
Last 8 quarters held
01683352024 Q3: 316 received2024 Q3: 327 decided2024 Q32024 Q4: 327 received2024 Q4: 328 decided2025 Q1: 291 received2025 Q1: 268 decided2025 Q2: 308 received2025 Q2: 292 decided2025 Q3: 282 received2025 Q3: 291 decided2025 Q4: 335 received2025 Q4: 275 decided2026 Q1: 267 received2026 Q1: 221 decided2026 Q2: 281 received2026 Q2: 286 decided2026 Q2
▬ received   ▬ decided
Housing Delivery Test
HDT 2025 measurement, homes delivered against requirement over 2022/23 to 2024/25
63%
Presumption

Delivery below 75%: the NPPF presumption in favour of sustainable development applies to housing applications here. A material point for any housing proposal.

Where these figures come from. Each dataset below is the publisher's own file, loaded unchanged; rows are matched to this authority by its ONS code (E09000024). Missing values are shown as "—" and are never estimated or filled from another period.
DatasetPublisherCovers this authorityLoadedOfficial source
Planning application decisions (PS2)MHCLG1979 Q2 to 2026 Q2 (189 quarters)18 Oct 2026 · 68,583 rows nationallyLive tables
Planning application flow (PS1)MHCLG1979 Q2 to 2026 Q2 (189 quarters)18 Oct 2026 · 42,861 rows nationallyLive tables
Housing Delivery Test 2025MHCLG2022/23 to 2024/2518 Aug 2026Measurement
Open Government Licence v3.0. The MHCLG tables are reloaded every Sunday; the loaded date is the last successful run.

Quarterly history

QuarterDecisions GrantedRefused Refusal %Majors in time Minors in timeReceived
2026 Q2 286 267 19 6.6% — 0.0% 281
2026 Q1 221 201 20 9.0% 100.0% 33.3% 267
2025 Q4 275 251 24 8.7% 100.0% 86.8% 335
2025 Q3 291 253 38 13.1% — 82.8% 282
2025 Q2 292 259 33 11.3% 0.0% 77.3% 308
2025 Q1 268 224 44 16.4% 100.0% 72.0% 291
2024 Q4 328 269 59 18.0% — 77.1% 327
2024 Q3 327 277 50 15.3% 100.0% 78.4% 316
2024 Q2 324 288 36 11.1% — 82.8% 335
2024 Q1 317 256 61 19.2% 100.0% 84.6% 286
2023 Q4 295 241 54 18.3% 100.0% 80.6% 344
2023 Q3 331 270 61 18.4% — 68.3% 320
2023 Q2 342 300 42 12.3% — 75.8% 346
2023 Q1 376 316 60 16.0% 0.0% 60.0% 370
2022 Q4 383 326 57 14.9% — 63.3% 302
2022 Q3 356 319 37 10.4% — 50.0% 342
2022 Q2 291 256 35 12.0% 0.0% 52.9% 353
2022 Q1 281 256 25 8.9% — 43.8% 396
2021 Q4 399 343 56 14.0% 0.0% 51.2% 356
2021 Q3 471 420 51 10.8% 0.0% 46.9% 400
2021 Q2 473 426 47 9.9% 20.0% 59.0% 487
2021 Q1 372 334 38 10.2% 100.0% 71.4% 472
2020 Q4 347 308 39 11.2% 100.0% 67.7% 436
2020 Q3 293 263 30 10.2% 0.0% 34.5% 371
2020 Q2 219 203 16 7.3% 100.0% 58.6% 316
2020 Q1 327 290 37 11.3% 71.4% 90.5% 386
2019 Q4 383 331 52 13.6% 40.0% 66.7% 396
2019 Q3 383 346 37 9.7% 50.0% 68.6% 377
2019 Q2 390 333 57 14.6% 100.0% 85.7% 460
2019 Q1 351 311 40 11.4% 100.0% 78.1% 428
2018 Q4 401 340 61 15.2% 60.0% 85.0% 387
2018 Q3 414 362 52 12.6% 80.0% 74.5% 421
2018 Q2 409 330 79 19.3% 100.0% 71.8% 441
2018 Q1 391 339 52 13.3% 60.0% 68.8% 400
2017 Q4 395 342 53 13.4% 42.9% 52.8% 422
2017 Q3 421 368 53 12.6% 88.9% 33.3% 405
2017 Q2 447 398 49 11.0% 66.7% 57.4% 437
2017 Q1 405 342 63 15.6% 0.0% 69.4% 523
2016 Q4 448 373 75 16.7% 75.0% 62.5% 457
2016 Q3 492 428 64 13.0% 100.0% 45.5% 484
2016 Q2 513 451 62 12.1% 88.9% 49.5% 574
2016 Q1 507 445 62 12.2% 60.0% 53.4% 532
2015 Q4 425 357 68 16.0% 77.8% 54.7% 505
2015 Q3 448 380 68 15.2% — 67.1% 505
2015 Q2 493 407 86 17.4% 62.5% 62.2% 542
2015 Q1 401 334 67 16.7% — 60.5% 542
2014 Q4 454 379 75 16.5% 50.0% 53.7% 481
2014 Q3 483 399 84 17.4% 83.3% 56.8% 540
2014 Q2 382 318 64 16.8% — 69.2% 506
2014 Q1 464 332 60 12.9% 41.7% 41.1% 478
2013 Q4 512 317 70 13.7% 28.6% 55.1% 540
2013 Q3 484 299 71 14.7% 20.0% 52.1% 535
2013 Q2 541 333 68 12.6% 42.9% 60.6% 637
2013 Q1 418 261 58 13.9% 33.3% 62.9% 548
2012 Q4 428 263 61 14.3% 60.0% 66.7% 464
2012 Q3 487 307 81 16.6% 100.0% 59.2% 473
2012 Q2 467 281 64 13.7% 50.0% 66.7% 610
2012 Q1 471 304 73 15.5% 33.3% 58.8% 516
2011 Q4 510 325 83 16.3% 63.6% 70.7% 566
2011 Q3 514 311 86 16.7% 60.0% 74.4% 539
2011 Q2 466 278 82 17.6% 50.0% 61.8% 521
2011 Q1 469 282 102 21.7% 80.0% 64.8% 521
2010 Q4 464 280 79 17.0% 20.0% 66.7% 522
2010 Q3 520 324 95 18.3% 66.7% 63.3% 531
2010 Q2 504 275 108 21.4% 100.0% 71.9% 670
2010 Q1 380 230 73 19.2% 85.7% 71.3% 502
2009 Q4 437 263 77 17.6% 75.0% 79.7% 491
2009 Q3 431 256 82 19.0% 76.9% 75.3% 483
2009 Q2 476 280 102 21.4% 68.4% 72.0% 483
2009 Q1 393 223 91 23.2% 50.0% 68.8% 470
2008 Q4 552 347 110 19.9% 42.9% 73.0% 522
2008 Q3 649 400 132 20.3% 50.0% 71.0% 597
2008 Q2 562 371 79 14.1% 83.3% 75.7% 697
2008 Q1 510 306 119 23.3% 66.7% 73.7% 576
2007 Q4 622 376 127 20.4% 66.7% 78.9% 637
2007 Q3 721 438 148 20.5% 61.1% 76.0% 643
2007 Q2 672 396 136 20.2% 62.5% 84.5% 709
2007 Q1 560 329 122 21.8% 63.6% 81.5% 582
2006 Q4 619 358 124 20.0% 68.8% 73.2% 508
2006 Q3 536 312 98 18.3% 60.0% 82.4% 626
2006 Q2 529 340 83 15.7% 61.5% 85.1% 567
2006 Q1 468 324 65 13.9% 63.6% 81.5% 516
2005 Q4 480 335 46 9.6% 61.5% 79.0% 546
2005 Q3 574 403 46 8.0% 50.0% 85.1% 576
2005 Q2 536 379 46 8.6% 47.4% 83.1% 670
2005 Q1 426 318 47 11.0% 60.0% 82.9% 546
2004 Q4 445 306 50 11.2% 42.9% 80.6% 540
2004 Q3 518 367 53 10.2% 64.7% 78.4% 528
2004 Q2 493 363 55 11.2% 33.3% 77.5% 536
2004 Q1 421 285 52 12.4% 36.4% 76.1% 500
2003 Q4 452 310 60 13.3% 40.0% 64.6% 542
2003 Q3 561 394 64 11.4% 57.1% 80.2% 530
2003 Q2 556 354 107 19.2% 58.8% 63.6% 584
2003 Q1 485 326 73 15.1% 40.0% 51.5% 501
2002 Q4 440 319 38 8.6% 27.3% 46.9% 493
2002 Q3 480 310 64 13.3% 22.2% 41.8% 559
2002 Q2 425 312 47 11.1% 40.0% 46.2% 478
2002 Q1 456 310 64 14.0% 55.6% 60.7% 470
2001 Q4 425 270 76 17.9% 42.9% 49.4% 394
2001 Q3 453 311 65 14.3% 50.0% 44.1% 429
2001 Q2 479 331 72 15.0% 33.3% 51.6% 501
2001 Q1 448 331 60 13.4% 17.6% 40.2% 479
2000 Q4 374 255 65 17.4% 11.1% 33.9% 386
2000 Q3 435 295 60 13.8% 22.2% 20.3% 374
2000 Q2 364 267 50 13.7% 18.2% 18.3% 388
2000 Q1 355 264 40 11.3% 50.0% 22.1% 419
1999 Q4 339 252 36 10.6% 100.0% 21.2% 413
1999 Q3 351 264 36 10.3% 33.3% 25.8% 387
1999 Q2 352 257 41 11.6% 50.0% 12.1% 383
1999 Q1 263 214 40 15.2% 0.0% 35.4% 336
1998 Q4 342 276 44 12.9% 50.0% 49.4% 354
1998 Q3 359 304 37 10.3% 30.0% 45.2% 420
1998 Q2 301 236 47 15.6% 28.6% 47.9% 365
1998 Q1 308 248 36 11.7% 44.4% 64.6% 338
1997 Q4 322 277 28 8.7% 33.3% 60.2% 369
1997 Q3 348 308 31 8.9% 60.0% 58.3% 397
1997 Q2 299 230 44 14.7% 42.9% 56.8% 393
1997 Q1 254 222 26 10.2% 33.3% 52.2% 369
1996 Q4 253 220 24 9.5% 33.3% 35.6% 266
1996 Q3 297 245 38 12.8% 50.0% 41.1% 280
1996 Q2 290 255 23 7.9% 33.3% 60.5% 373
1996 Q1 72 71 1 1.4% 62.5% 75.0% —
1995 Q4 61 56 5 8.2% 87.5% 86.4% —
1995 Q3 68 67 1 1.5% 66.7% 89.3% —
1995 Q2 91 86 5 5.5% 92.3% 86.1% —
1995 Q1 73 72 1 1.4% 100.0% 96.2% —
1994 Q4 60 56 4 6.7% 100.0% 95.2% —
1994 Q3 57 57 0 0.0% 100.0% 92.9% —
1994 Q2 61 57 4 6.6% 100.0% 85.7% —
1994 Q1 58 55 3 5.2% 100.0% 91.3% —
1993 Q4 55 52 3 5.5% 66.7% 100.0% —
1993 Q3 60 58 2 3.3% 100.0% 96.0% —
1993 Q2 72 69 3 4.2% 100.0% 82.1% —
1993 Q1 50 49 1 2.0% 100.0% 47.6% —
1992 Q4 71 66 5 7.0% 75.0% 54.8% —
1992 Q3 49 47 2 4.1% 100.0% 52.6% —
1992 Q2 64 60 4 6.3% — 48.6% —
1992 Q1 68 55 13 19.1% 100.0% 72.0% —
1991 Q4 42 41 1 2.4% 100.0% 66.7% —
1991 Q3 52 47 5 9.6% 66.7% 57.1% —
1991 Q2 55 52 3 5.5% 80.0% 81.0% —
1991 Q1 63 57 6 9.5% 100.0% 54.5% —
1990 Q4 51 45 6 11.8% 80.0% 43.5% —
1990 Q3 71 62 9 12.7% 100.0% 62.9% —
1990 Q2 37 35 2 5.4% 100.0% 75.0% —
1990 Q1 68 62 6 8.8% 90.0% 57.1% —
1989 Q4 56 54 2 3.6% 50.0% 35.0% —
1989 Q3 36 31 5 13.9% 100.0% 73.7% —
1989 Q2 46 38 8 17.4% 100.0% 66.7% —
1989 Q1 47 42 5 10.6% 100.0% 69.2% —
1988 Q4 14 13 1 7.1% 100.0% 50.0% —
1988 Q3 13 0 13 100.0% 100.0% 80.0% —
1988 Q2 11 11 0 0.0% 100.0% 80.0% —
1988 Q1 10 8 2 20.0% 0.0% 83.3% —
1987 Q4 5 5 0 0.0% 100.0% — —
1987 Q3 16 16 0 0.0% 100.0% 75.0% —
1987 Q2 12 11 1 8.3% 100.0% 80.0% —
1987 Q1 12 12 0 0.0% 100.0% 70.0% —
1986 Q4 12 12 0 0.0% — 87.5% —
1986 Q3 15 15 0 0.0% 100.0% 100.0% —
1986 Q2 1 1 0 0.0% — 100.0% —
1986 Q1 4 4 0 0.0% — 100.0% —
1985 Q4 14 14 0 0.0% 100.0% 75.0% —
1985 Q3 10 10 0 0.0% — 62.5% —
1985 Q2 4 4 0 0.0% — 100.0% —
1985 Q1 15 15 0 0.0% 100.0% 91.7% —
1984 Q4 10 10 0 0.0% — 66.7% —
1984 Q3 8 7 1 12.5% — 100.0% —
1984 Q2 10 10 0 0.0% 100.0% 85.7% —
1984 Q1 9 9 0 0.0% — 100.0% —
1983 Q4 8 8 0 0.0% 100.0% 100.0% —
1983 Q3 8 8 0 0.0% 100.0% 75.0% —
1983 Q2 13 13 0 0.0% 100.0% 90.9% —
1983 Q1 13 13 0 0.0% 100.0% 90.0% —
1982 Q4 3 3 0 0.0% 100.0% 100.0% —
1982 Q3 8 8 0 0.0% 0.0% 80.0% —
1982 Q2 4 4 0 0.0% — 75.0% —
1982 Q1 248 211 37 14.9% 60.0% 64.2% —
1981 Q4 377 325 52 13.8% 16.7% 37.6% —
1981 Q3 373 318 55 14.7% 14.3% 28.9% —
1981 Q2 518 452 66 12.7% 57.1% 39.2% —
1981 Q1 342 296 46 13.5% 25.0% 50.3% —
1980 Q4 455 391 64 14.1% 66.7% 62.0% —
1980 Q3 398 348 50 12.6% 58.3% 43.3% —
1980 Q2 521 466 55 10.6% 64.7% 43.3% —
1980 Q1 296 265 31 10.5% 72.7% 44.9% —
1979 Q4 482 395 87 18.0% 80.0% 50.5% —
1979 Q3 427 376 51 11.9% 71.4% 62.2% —
1979 Q2 466 388 78 16.7% 85.7% 61.4% —

Decisions and speed: MHCLG planning application statistics (PS1/PS2), Open Government Licence v3.0, 2025 Q3 – 2026 Q2. Speed figures exclude prior approvals and are measured against the statutory period or agreed extension. Appeal figures: our aggregation of published Planning Inspectorate decisions, 2021–2026 — a different period from the decision figures above. Designation thresholds shown are indicative, not official.

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