The London Borough of Merton was the first to push for commercial developments to think about renewable energy and delivering higher standards. In 2003 they established a planning policy that required every commercial building over 1,000 square metres generate at least 10% of energy on-site with sustainable technology such as solar panels. This requirement became very popular and spread to other local authorities. It ultimately became known as the Merton Rule.

In 2008 the Planning and Energy Act extended the rule to domestic dwellings. The aim was to improve standards in this sector, driving up energy efficiency standards so they exceeded Building Regulations.

The issue with the rule is that there was an attempt to abolish it in 2014. This created a lot of confusion with many local authorities believing the abolition had occurred. As a result the pursuit of better efficiency and use of on-site renewables has lost some steam. The requirement is still there though and local authorities can enforce it in full if they want to.

Not surprisingly the London Borough of Merton has seen the biggest success with the rule. This has seen calls for them to release evidence that shows how successful they have been. Doing so could inspire more local authorities to return to pushing the envelope on developments to encourage more energy efficiency and use of renewable, sustainable technology.

At Finefair we look at the various things that could have an impact on investors, including planning requirements such as those detailed above. We are a knowledgeable team and seek to build productive, long lasting relationships with our clients.

One area where we stand above many companies is as a specialist provider of block management Merton investors can trust. We can manage blocks of various sizes and configurations, adjusting our services to suit the specific needs. We always seek to maximise value and achieve the very best standards.

If you have any questions about block management we are just a call away.