Daylight & Sunlight Assessments in Camden

If you are submitting a planning application in Camden, you may need a daylight and sunlight assessment to demonstrate that your proposal protects natural light for neighbouring properties and provides good levels of daylight and sunlight within any new residential units. We produce BRE-compliant reports prepared specifically for London Borough of Camden applications.

When does Camden require a daylight and sunlight assessment?

Camden includes daylight and sunlight assessments within its local validation requirements. An assessment is typically expected:

• On applications for 10 or more new residential units, to demonstrate adequate daylight and sunlight within the proposed homes; and
• On any development that could negatively affect daylight or sunlight reaching neighbouring properties, including homes, gardens and amenity spaces.

From the high-density regeneration areas around King's Cross and Euston to the established residential neighbourhoods of Camden Town, Kentish Town, Hampstead and Swiss Cottage, many parts of the borough contain buildings in close proximity. This means that even relatively modest developments can affect daylight and sunlight levels to neighbouring properties. Proposals that introduce additional height, depth or massing close to existing buildings are more likely to require a daylight and sunlight assessment.

Camden's local policy

Daylight and sunlight considerations in Camden are guided mostly by Policy A1 (Managing the Impact of Development) of the Camden Local Plan. This policy seeks to protect the amenity of neighbouring occupiers and ensure that development does not cause unacceptable reductions in daylight, sunlight or overall living conditions.

Further guidance is provided in Camden Planning Guidance (CPG) on Amenity, which explains how the council assesses daylight and sunlight impacts and when supporting assessments are likely to be required.

Camden expects assessments to follow the methodology set out in the latest BRE guidance, Site Layout Planning for Daylight and Sunlight: A Guide to Good Practice (BR 209). The council recognises that BRE guidance should be applied with context, taking into account site-specific circumstances and the challenges of a dense urban environment such as Camden, but applicants are expected to clearly demonstrate and explain any impacts identified by the assessment.

How the assessment works

A BRE assessment typically includes three principal tests: Vertical Sky Component (VSC) and daylight distribution for daylight, together with Annual Probable Sunlight Hours (APSH) for sunlight. We create a detailed 3D model of the proposed development and surrounding buildings, undertake the necessary calculations, and assess the results against BRE guidance and Camden planning policy.

For larger residential schemes, we also assess the quality of daylight and sunlight within the proposed homes and associated amenity spaces.

What our Camden report includes

• A detailed 3D model of the proposed development and surrounding properties
• Full BRE BR 209 assessment results (VSC, daylight distribution and APSH)
• Assessment of impacts on neighbouring homes and amenity spaces
• Internal daylight and sunlight analysis for proposed residential units where required
• Clear planning commentary explaining the significance of any impacts
• Practical design recommendations where improvements are possible
• A planning-ready report prepared to support validation and determination

Local experience

We have extensive experience preparing daylight and sunlight assessments across London and understand the challenges of designing within a dense urban environment. A recent example of our work in Camden is a neighbours impact assessment we carried out for a proposal at 107 Kentish Town Road - a conversion of the upper floors to residential use with a mansard roof extension on a compact high street, where the additional height had the potential to reduce daylight to neighbouring properties. Our assessment provided the clear evidence base the applicant needed to demonstrate that impacts remained within acceptable limits under BRE BR 209. This planning application received full approval. You can view the planning record here.

We are familiar with Camden's planning requirements and provide clear, practical advice to help identify potential issues early in the design process and support a smoother planning application.