Daylight and Sunlight Assessment Sevenoaks
Applications to Sevenoaks District Council that affect a neighbour’s windows are usually supported by a BRE 209 daylight and sunlight assessment. We prepare them for extensions and replacement houses in Riverhead, Otford, Kemsing and Westerham, written for the case officer and quoted within 24 hours.
Daylight and sunlight reports for planning in Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks District Council asks for a daylight and sunlight assessment when a proposal sits close to a neighbour’s windows or replaces a modest house with a much larger one. On big plots the gap to the boundary can look generous. A two-storey side extension can still shade a ground-floor window in the house next door. In the town itself and in places like Otford and Westerham, infill houses and flat conversions bring the same questions at closer quarters.
Each report begins with a 3D model of the site and the neighbouring houses. We test the affected windows and gardens against BRE 209 and write it up so that you can submit it with the application. A window that does not meet the recommendations is reported as such, with the context alongside. If the numbers are marginal we will go through them with your architect before the plans are finalised.
What you get
- A 3D model of the site and every neighbouring house that could be affected
- Vertical sky component and no sky line results for each neighbouring window
- Annual and winter sunlight hours for windows facing within 90 degrees of due south
- A report written for the Sevenoaks District Council case officer, with drawings and tables
We can provide you with a daylight and sunlight report to support your application to Sevenoaks District Council.
Blue Sky Surveyors offer a range of daylight and sunlight services for planning in Sevenoaks. 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 Sevenoaks District Council require a daylight and sunlight assessment?
Not for every application. Sevenoaks District 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 Sevenoaks?
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 Sevenoaks page.
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Email: info@rightsoflightsurveyors.co.uk
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Rights of light surveyors in Sevenoaks
Concerned about a neighbour’s right to light rather than planning? See our rights of light surveyors Sevenoaks page.
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