Daylight and Sunlight Assessment Cambridge
For planning applications to Cambridge City Council, Blue Sky Surveyors prepare daylight and sunlight assessments to BRE 209, covering the historic core, Mill Road, Trumpington and Cherry Hinton. Each report is written with the case officer in mind and quoted within 24 hours.
Daylight and sunlight reports for planning in Cambridge
Cambridge City Council asks for a daylight and sunlight assessment wherever a new building or extension affects neighbouring windows. In a compact city that comes up often. In the centre it is laboratory and college schemes next to older buildings. Around Mill Road, Romsey and Chesterton it is rear extensions and small infill on terrace plots. On the fringes, large residential developments need the assessment for the new homes as well as for the existing neighbours.
In Cambridge we test the neighbouring windows against BRE 209 using a 3D model of the proposal and its surroundings, then set the results out in a report for the case officer. In a tight historic setting a result may not meet the recommendations. The report then sets out why. We also check daylight in the proposed rooms where the council asks for it.
What you get
- A 3D model of the proposal and the older buildings and terraces around it
- Vertical sky component, no sky line and sunlight hours for every neighbouring window affected
- Internal daylight for the new rooms in residential and mixed-use schemes
- A report written for the Cambridge City Council planning officer, with drawings and tables
We can provide you with a daylight and sunlight report to support your application to Cambridge City Council.
Blue Sky Surveyors offer a range of daylight and sunlight services for planning in Cambridge. Below, you will find details on the services we offer.
If a planning authority have requested that you provide a daylight & sunlight assessment detailing the likely impact on neighbours, then we can help. We will build a 3-D CAD model of your proposal and run all of the required assessments as outlined in the BRE Guidelines: site layout planning for daylight and sunlight: a guide to good practice (BR209).
We will then outline the results of the study in a formal report which can be submitted in support of your planning application.
If you wish, or need, to minimise the impacts to the neighbouring properties (to improve the chances of the planning authority accepting the application), we can work with your architect to amend the design in order to adhere to the BRE guidelines.
Need a quote? Send us an email at info@rightsoflightsurveyors.co.uk with your proposed drawings and planning authority requirements. We will get back to you with a formal quote within 24 hours.
Daylight & Sunlight within the development
Sometimes local planning authorities will require you to show that the proposed units in your development will meet the minimum daylight & sunlight requirements as outlined in the BRE guidelines. We can model your proposal and run an internal daylight & sunlight assessment which will show what light levels will be enjoyed within the proposed units. We will then outline the results of this assessment in a formal report which can be submitted in support of your planning application.
Sometimes local planning authorities will require you to show that the proposed units in your development will meet the minimum daylight & sunlight requirements as outlined in the BRE guidelines. We can model your proposal and run an internal daylight & sunlight assessment which will show what light levels will be enjoyed within the proposed units. We will then outline the results of this assessment in a formal report which can be submitted in support of your planning application.
A maximum envelope study will help your architect early on in the design process by providing a maximum massing parameter in which the BRE recommended guidelines for daylight & sunlight will be met. We can provide you with a 3-D maximum massing model which can be easily utilised by your architect.
Have more questions? We are happy to help. Call us today on 020 7867 3955 or send us an
email at info@rightsoflightsurveyors.co.uk
If you would like us to provide you with a quote for a daylight and sunlight report, please feel free to send the details of your project through to info@rightsoflightsurveyors.co.uk and we will provide you with a quote within 24 hours (Monday to Friday).
Blue Sky Surveyors are a leading surveying practice that offer expert advice on all matters related to rights to light (common law) or daylight & sunlight for planning. We believe that providing all of our clients with a highly tailored, personal service helps us to deliver the best results possible.
We will work with you to achieve your goals whatever they may be. Through dedication and experience, we strive to provide our clients with the highest standard of service and delivery results in a timely fashion.
If you have any queries, do not hesitate to get in touch.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a daylight and sunlight assessment?
An assessment of the effect a proposed building will have on the daylight and sunlight received by neighbouring properties, or of the daylight and sunlight that new homes will receive, carried out against the BRE guide Site Layout Planning for Daylight and Sunlight (BR 209, 2022 edition). It is a planning matter and is separate from a neighbour’s right to light.
Which tests are carried out?
For neighbouring properties we test daylight using the vertical sky component (VSC) and the no sky line (daylight distribution), and sunlight using annual and winter probable sunlight hours (APSH) for windows facing within 90 degrees of due south. Where gardens and amenity spaces are affected we test overshadowing on 21 March. For new homes we assess the daylight and sunlight within the proposed rooms against the targets in BR 209.
Does Cambridge City Council require a daylight and sunlight assessment?
Not for every application. Cambridge City Council will normally ask for one where a proposal sits close to neighbouring windows, is taller than the buildings around it or creates new homes, and the request often arrives from the case officer during validation or after neighbours have objected. If you have been asked for a report, send us the drawings and the council’s comments and we will quote within 24 hours.
What do you need from me?
The site address, the proposed drawings (plans, elevations and sections) and a copy of the council’s request if you have one. We build the 3D model from the drawings and any survey information needed, run the tests and write the report. Send the drawings over and we will quote within 24 hours, Monday to Friday.
What happens if a result does not meet the BRE recommendations?
The BRE figures are guidance rather than fixed limits and the planning authority will weigh them against the wider merits of the scheme. Where a result does not meet the recommendations we explain why, set it in context and, where it helps, work with your architect on changes that bring the scheme back within the guidance before the application goes in.
Will the report deal with my neighbour’s right to light in Cambridge?
No. A right to light is a separate legal matter and a scheme can satisfy the planning tests and still infringe a neighbour’s right to light. We assess that separately; see our rights of light surveyors Cambridge page.
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Email: info@rightsoflightsurveyors.co.uk
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Rights of light surveyors in Cambridge
Concerned about a neighbour’s right to light rather than planning? See our rights of light surveyors Cambridge page.