Right of Light Consulting advise developers, architects and surveyors
on daylight and sunlight matters to
ensure that new buildings meet planning requirements and do not infringe
legal rights to light. We also
assist neighbours to defend their entitlement to daylight and sunlight
when these become threatened by
development.
A development which infringes a neighbour’s right
to light may lead to a
dispute. This could result in the neighbour seeking a court injunction
to
have the development cut back. In some instances compensation may be
the appropriate remedy.
We are able quickly to assess whether any given design results in a
right
to light infringement. To mitigate the risk of abortive design or construction
works, it is preferable to consider rights to light as early as possible.
We
offer a site pre-acquisition service to ensure that our clients are
fully
informed while bidding for potential sites.
A right to light is a civil matter which can be enforced whether or
not the
development has planning permission. more
Planning bodies are not required to consider legal
rights to light per se. However, they will consider the
impact a development will have in terms of loss of daylight and sunlight
generally as material planning
considerations.
We assist developers to achieve planning permission by ensuring that
designs comply with relevant
daylight and sunlight tests. Our calculations and reports are undertaken
in accordance with BRE Digest
209 entitled ‘Site Layout Planning for Daylight and Sunlight’. more
As well as advising on the effect new buildings
will have on neighbouring properties, we also use our
expertise to ensure that new developments themselves achieve good daylighting.
more