RESOURCES
Fact Sheet 7: Advice for Neighbours
If your light is affected by a development, there are two main avenues you can pursue:
Planning: If planning permission has not yet been granted then you can raise your objection to the proposal through the consultation process. The local authority will generally be guided by the numerical tests set out in the Building Research Establishment (BRE) guide “Site Layout Planning for Daylight and Sunlight” 2022.
Legal Rights of Light: If your windows are over 20 years old, they are likely to benefit from a legal right of light. Whilst not as common, in certain situations windows of less than 20 years can also benefit from a right of light. Legal rights of light are independent of the planning system and can be enforced even if planning permission has been granted.
