Daylight and Sunlight Assessments in Liverpool

Liverpool has one of the most varied urban environments in the UK, ranging from dense Victorian and Edwardian terraces in areas such as Kensington, Wavertree, Anfield and Toxteth, to Georgian townhouses around the city centre, large post-war housing estates, modern waterfront developments and high-density apartment schemes in the Baltic Triangle and Liverpool Waters. With buildings often positioned close together, particularly in established residential neighbourhoods, daylight and sunlight are frequently important planning considerations.

At Sunlight Assessments UK, we prepare BRE-compliant daylight and sunlight assessments for planning applications throughout Liverpool, producing reports that are tailored to the planning policies Liverpool City Council applies rather than relying on a generic template.

When do you need a daylight and sunlight assessment in Liverpool?

A formal daylight and sunlight assessment isn't required for every planning application, but it is commonly requested, or is advisable to have available, for developments such as:

• Extensions to terraced and semi-detached properties where neighbouring habitable room windows are located close to the shared boundary.
• Infill development on vacant or underused plots within established residential areas.
• Apartment developments and residential-led regeneration schemes throughout the city centre and waterfront.
• Developments involving taller buildings that could affect neighbouring homes, offices or public spaces.
• Loft conversions, two-storey side extensions and substantial rear extensions that project towards neighbouring windows.
• Developments affecting neighbouring gardens, communal amenity areas or courtyards.
• Any planning application where Liverpool City Council identifies daylight and sunlight as a material planning consideration.

If you're unsure whether your proposal requires a daylight and sunlight assessment, get in touch. We'll provide straightforward advice with no obligation.

How Liverpool's planning policy applies

Planning applications in Liverpool are principally determined against the Liverpool Local Plan 2013–2033, which was adopted in January 2022. The Local Plan contains policies requiring new development to achieve a high standard of design while protecting the living conditions of existing and future occupiers, including impacts relating to daylight, sunlight, outlook and residential amenity. Liverpool is also preparing a new Local Plan extending to 2043, but until it is adopted, the 2013–2033 Local Plan remains the primary basis for determining planning applications.

Liverpool City Council has also adopted several Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) that provide more detailed design guidance. In particular, the Liverpool Housing Design Guide SPD, adopted in 2026, supplements the Local Plan by providing guidance on the design and layout of new residential development, while other SPDs apply to specific areas or development types across the city. These documents reinforce the importance of protecting residential amenity through good site layout, appropriate spacing between buildings and sensitive design.

For the technical assessment of daylight and sunlight, Liverpool City Council follows the nationally recognised methodology contained within BRE BR 209 – Site Layout Planning for Daylight and Sunlight (2022 edition). This guidance establishes the accepted assessment criteria using Vertical Sky Component (VSC), No Sky Line (NSL) and Annual Probable Sunlight Hours (APSH).

You can find Liverpool's planning policy documents here:

• https://liverpool.gov.uk/planning-and-building-control/plan-making-in-liverpool/
• https://liverpool.gov.uk/planning-and-building-control/plan-making-in-liverpool/local-plan-supplementary-documents-and-guidance/

How the assessment works

We use the methodology set out in BRE BR 209 to assess the impact of proposed development on daylight and sunlight. The key tests we carry out include:

Vertical Sky Component (VSC): This measures the amount of sky visible from the centre of a window. BRE guidance recommends that a VSC of 27% or more is generally considered adequate. Where a development results in a VSC that is less than 0.8 times its former value, the reduction may be noticeable to occupants.

No-Sky Line (NSL): This assesses the distribution of daylight within a room by plotting the line beyond which no sky is visible. Where the area of a room that can receive direct skylight is reduced by more than 20%, occupants are likely to notice a deterioration in the quality of daylight.

Annual Probable Sunlight Hours (APSH): This test is used to assess access to sunlight for windows that face within 90° of due south. It considers both the winter and annual totals to determine whether sunlight losses are likely to be material.

Where appropriate, we also carry out sun-on-ground studies to assess the impact on garden or amenity spaces.

What our Liverpool daylight and sunlight reports include

Our reports are designed to satisfy planning officers, architects and planning consultants and typically include:

• A description of the proposed development and its surrounding context.
• Identification of neighbouring windows and amenity spaces that could be affected.
• Vertical Sky Component (VSC) calculations.
• No Sky Line (NSL) assessments where appropriate.
• Annual Probable Sunlight Hours (APSH) calculations for relevant windows.
• Sun-on-ground analysis for gardens and external amenity spaces where required.
• A comparison against the BRE BR 209 guidance.
• A clear planning judgement explaining whether the development is likely to be considered acceptable.
• Practical recommendations for amendments where minor design changes could improve compliance and reduce planning risk.

Every report is prepared by experienced consultants who understand the planning challenges associated with Liverpool's diverse built environment, from traditional terraced streets to major city centre regeneration projects.

Get in touch

If you're planning a development in Liverpool and would like to know whether a daylight and sunlight assessment is required, we'd be happy to help.

We offer a free initial consultation and can deliver a completed BRE-compliant daylight and sunlight assessment within 5 working days once we've received the necessary drawings and project information.