Daylight and Sunlight Assessments in Newham

Much of our Newham work is upward: an extra storey or two on an existing block in Canning Town, North Woolwich or Custom House to create new flats, roof extensions above shops on Green Street and Barking Road, and the loft and rear extensions that run along the terraces of Forest Gate, East Ham, Plaistow and Manor Park. Newham's policy on neighbourly development refers directly to the BRE guidelines, and its officers will also look hard at daylight inside the new homes, particularly top-floor flats whose living rooms sit behind balconies.

That internal question is where our Newham reports earn their keep. A new flat that meets the neighbour tests can still fall short of the BRE daylight target in one room, and once a scheme has been through a first round of comments the architect usually does not want to change the elevations again. We find the fix that keeps the facade and brings the room within the guideline, and we hold the report until the client has approved it so the submitted drawings and the assessment agree. Reports usually take 4–5 working days.

Recent daylight and sunlight assessments in Newham

65 Claremont Close, E16 – third and fourth floor extension to create two flats

A part third and fourth floor extension to a block on Claremont Close, North Woolwich, creating two flats, revised for a resubmission. Most rooms met the BRE daylight target, but two third floor rooms fell short, one by a clear margin and one at 49 per cent against the 50 per cent benchmark. The developer wanted the balcony windows kept as drawn, so we looked to the roof: a walk-on rooflight brought the first room within the guideline, and a small adjustment lifted the second to 50 per cent.

Newham approved the application on 19 November 2025 (24/02650/FUL), and the conditions are now being discharged.

What Newham planning officers look for

Newham determines applications against the Newham Local Plan 2018, which runs to 2033, read with the London Plan; a review of the plan is under way but the 2018 plan remains the adopted basis for decisions. Several policies touch on residential amenity, including H1, SP1, SP2 and SP3, but the one that speaks directly to light is Policy SP8, Ensuring neighbourly development. It lists the impacts a proposal must avoid or minimise for neighbouring occupiers, among them loss of daylight and sunlight, overshadowing, loss of outlook and loss of privacy, and it confirms that the council refers to the BRE guidelines when assessing daylight and sunlight. For new homes, the council also expects the living rooms, kitchens and bedrooms to be adequately daylit, which is the test that catches top-floor flats behind deep balconies.

For householder schemes, the Altering and Extending Your Home SPD translates the plan into practical expectations on scale, siting, overshadowing and the relationship to neighbouring windows. The numerical assessment follows BRE BR 209, Site layout planning for daylight and sunlight (2022 edition). The Local Plan is at newham.gov.uk/planning-development-conservation/planning-policy-local-plan/2 and the supporting guidance, including the SPD, at newham.gov.uk/planning-development-conservation/planning-policy-local-plan/3.

When you need an assessment in Newham

• Adding a storey or two to an existing block in Canning Town, Custom House, North Woolwich or Beckton to create new flats, where Newham will want both the neighbour tests and internal daylight to the new homes.
• Roof extensions and new flats above shops on Green Street, Barking Road, High Street North and Romford Road, where living rooms often sit behind balconies or deep reveals.
• Rear dormers and L-shaped loft extensions on the terraces of Forest Gate, Manor Park and Plaistow, where the neighbour's rear bedroom window faces the new wall.
• Two storey rear and side extensions in East Ham and Upton Park, where Policy SP8 and the Altering and Extending Your Home SPD both apply.
• A resubmission after a first application drew comments on daylight, where the revised scheme needs the assessment re-run on the new windows.
• Small infill and backland schemes around Stratford, Maryland and West Ham that overlook neighbouring gardens.

How we work

We build or update a 3D model of the site and its neighbours from the drawings, survey data and photographs, run the BRE tests and send a report with results, marked-up plans and a plain conclusion. The fee is fixed and agreed up front and the report usually takes 4–5 working days. For internal daylight we assess every habitable room against the BRE target, and where a room falls short we model the options, including rooflights where the elevations must stay as drawn, and confirm the choice with you before the report is finalised. The four neighbour tests are:

• Vertical Sky Component (VSC) – the sky a neighbouring window can see, before and after.
• No-Sky Line / daylight distribution (NSL) – how far daylight reaches into the neighbour's room.
• Annual Probable Sunlight Hours (APSH) – direct sun to windows within 90 degrees of south, annually and in winter.
• Sun on ground – the share of a garden that gets two hours of sun on 21 March.

The tests are explained on our VSC, NSL and APSH page and in our guide to the BRE guidelines; the service is described on our daylight and sunlight assessment page.

Frequently asked questions in Newham

Does Newham assess daylight inside new flats as well as the effect on neighbours?

Yes. For new homes, including flats created by adding storeys to an existing block, the council expects the habitable rooms to be adequately daylit, and a top-floor living room behind a balcony is the room most likely to need attention.

My elevations are fixed. Can a room still be brought within the daylight guideline?

Often, yes. At 65 Claremont Close the balcony windows stayed exactly as drawn and a walk-on rooflight over the kitchen and lounge brought the room within the target. Reflectance assumptions, rooflights and small layout changes are usually tried before any window is enlarged.

If my first application drew comments on daylight, can you update the earlier report rather than start again?

Yes, whether or not we wrote the first one. We rebuild the revised windows in the model, re-test every room and issue an updated report that matches the resubmitted drawings.

West of the Lea, our Tower Hamlets page covers similar roof extension and infill work.

Get a fixed-fee quote

Send the drawings and the site address through our contact page, or use the price calculator for an instant figure. Nick is on 01962 809155 and nick@sunlightassessments.co.uk.