Every council in England works to its own local plan, and Merton’s reflects a borough of genuine contrasts. Wimbledon Village and the conservation areas around it are heavily protected, including the John Innes Conservation Area, where a long-standing Article 4 Direction protects the estate’s historic holly hedges as much as its buildings, while outer parts of the borough such as Morden and Mitcham are considerably more permissive, with most standard extensions able to proceed under permitted development. Merton is also home to the All England Lawn Tennis Club, and carries its own Article 4 Direction covering temporary structures in the area around the Championships. BetterLivingSpace checks conservation status and any relevant Article 4 restrictions for every Merton property individually, so nothing we produce is generic and every proposal reflects what that specific part of the borough actually allows.