Daylight/Sunlight assessment

[WisteriaMews]

The council have said that a daylight/sunlight assessment (both on neighbouring properties and internal quality) will be required with the planning application I am hoping to submit soon.

 

My architect has sourced a few quotes and the cheapest is £2,250 + VAT. Has anyone else had experience of needing a daylight/sunlight assessment for their planning permission and found a cheaper consultant?

[Big Jimbo]

Can't help with a consultant but first thing i would do if have a look at what windows you think you might effect on the neighbouring properties. When it came up on mine, i was able to say that the only things i would effect would be an entrance hall, a downstairs w.c. An upstairs landing, bathroom, and One bedroom, but that also had another window on another elevation. Planning dropped the request then.

[WisteriaMews]

Thanks for the comment. They want the study to include showing there will be sufficient sunlight in all the rooms of my proposed design as well as the impact on neighbours. It is also a report they seem to be requiring on all new builds in the authority area, so I don't think I'll be able to talk them out of it.

[Big Jimbo]

Yikes. Another load of money to spend. Then you will have Part O building regs to comply with. Almost impossible to pass with the simple method, so will require thermal modelling. Another £1000.

[DevilDamo]

Although it wasn’t specifically requested by Planning, one of my clients’ neighbours requested one. They were concerned about the loss of light to a stair window. We ended up having to slightly re-design the extension. 

[Russdl]

On 03/08/2023 at 21:01, WisteriaMews said:

 

My architect has sourced a few quotes and the cheapest is £2,250 + VAT

God bless the planners. 
God bless the architect’s…

 

What do they actually want?

I’ve never heard of that daylight/sunlight requirement before.

 

What is it? It can’t cost £2250+ to see where sun and shadow are throughout the year? Is that what they want??

[SteamyTea]

Google's Sketchup can show shadows and sunlight hours and rainfall data can be got from the Met Office.

PVGIS can show direct beam and diffused daylight, and the associated power.

Half the time it is dark.

Edited August 5, 2023 by SteamyTea

[Adrian Walker]

Not sure why your architect can't do the calculations for you.  I think the 21st March is the date that needs to be used, so about 50 degrees max.

 

[Mr Punter]

I last had one carried out 10 years ago for £720 + VAT.  It was only the impact on nearby properties.  I can PM details if you want.

[SteamyTea]

57 minutes ago, Mr Punter said:

can PM details if you want

Can you say, in general terms, what it covers?

[Mr Punter]

9 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

Can you say, in general terms, what it covers?

 

"2.1 The assessment comprised the application of the method given in the Building
Research Establishment publication “Site Layout planning for daylight and
sunlight. A guide to good practice” Second Edition, P J Littlefair 2011."

 

So it compares existing and proposed daylight and sunlight reaching each window.  Sunlight is broken into annual and winter.

 

 

[SteamyTea]

9 minutes ago, Mr Punter said:

A guide to good practice” Second Edition, P J Littlefair 2011."

Shall see if the local library can get a copy.

[Mr Punter]

2 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

Shall see if the local library can get a copy.

Try

https://images.reading.gov.uk/2022/11/ID95-Site-Layout-Planning-for-Daylight-and-Sunlight-A-Guide-to-Good-Practice-BRE-2022.pdf

[SteamyTea]

1 minute ago, Mr Punter said:

Try

Thanks.

[WisteriaMews]

2 hours ago, Mr Punter said:

I last had one carried out 10 years ago for £720 + VAT.  It was only the impact on nearby properties.  I can PM details if you want.

Thanks. If you paid that 10 years ago I suspect our quote is reasonable. I managed to speak to someone in a neighbouring borough who had one done last year (?) and they paid about the same as our quote. I thought a desktop study should be a lot less but it appears not!