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Hammersmith & Fulham, London

Daylight and sunlight report in Hammersmith and Fulham

If you are extending a house in Hammersmith and Fulham, a daylight and sunlight report is the document that answers the neighbour who says you will block their light. This page explains when the borough is likely to want one, using the local heritage and decision figures we can verify, and says plainly where we cannot quote a rule.

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We use it to check conservation areas and constraints.
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    Architectural model of a four-storey London stucco townhouse in its terrace, with a portico, area railings, sash windows, a cornice and chimney stacks
    The house as it stands: four storeys over a lower ground floor.Existing Proposed worksAn illustrative model, built for this page.

    How we work on daylight and sunlight reports

    Seven steps from first call to approval.

    The same model cut through the middle: every floor, the stair, the chimney breasts, the new mansard, rear extension and basement in section
    Section through the model: every floor on one datum.

    1. Enquiry and constraints check

      We check the property against conservation areas, listed status, Article 4 directions, tree preservation orders, flood zone and planning history. We choose the right route and send a fixed quote.

    2. Measured survey

      We survey the house on one datum: rooms, levels, boundaries, drains, trees and the neighbours' windows that the 45° and 25° tests depend on.

    3. Design options

      We model the house in Revit and show you options in 3D and plan, with the planning strategy and the precedents in your street.

    4. Design frozen

      You choose an option in writing. Nothing changes after this without your say.

    5. Independent check

      A second chartered technologist checks every sheet against the council's validation checklist and the policy. A senior review signs it off before anything is submitted.

    6. Submission

      We prepare the forms, certificates, fee and documents and submit through the Planning Portal.

    7. Officer liaison

      We answer the planning officer and make any amendments within five working days, at no charge until approval.

    Free redraws until approval. Every drawing set is checked independently, and the checker is never the person who drew it.

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    Rows of brick terraced houses and gardens on a residential street

    What we can and cannot say about the borough's trigger

    For some boroughs we can point to a row in the council's own validation list that names the report and says when it is needed. For Hammersmith and Fulham we do not quote a borough-specific trigger on this page, because our research did not find a statement we could cite with its document and page. We would rather leave that gap visible than guess at it.

    What follows from that is a simple working method. Before you apply, check the council's current local list for the wording, and treat the national and London guidance as the minimum test. Planning officers can ask for a light study on any scheme that might affect a neighbour, whether or not the list mentions it, and a short measured test usually settles the question.

    We do that check for you as the first step. If the council's list calls for a report we say so, and if it does not but your design is plainly close to a neighbour's window, we say that too and explain which of the two situations you are in.

    Georgian brick terrace with sash windows, arched fanlight doorways, stone steps and iron railings in London

    Local figures for Hammersmith & Fulham

    Figures with their unit, period and source
    MeasureValuePeriodSource
    Conservation areas47 named conservation areas published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Listed building entries268 list entries (Historic England, within the LPA boundary)—planning.data.gov.uk
    Grade I listed entries1 list entries—planning.data.gov.uk
    Grade II* listed entries27 list entries—planning.data.gov.uk
    Households living in a house24.6 % of households living in a house or bungalow (detached, semi-detached or terraced)Census 2021nomisweb.co.uk
    Owner-occupied households32.1 % of households owner-occupied (owned outright or with mortgage/loan)Census 2021nomisweb.co.uk
    Average price, terraced1,139,759 GBP2026-07publicdata.landregistry.gov.uk
    Householder decisions506 decisions1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Householder applications granted97.8 %1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Householder applications decided in time79.8 % decided within 8 weeks or an agreed extended period1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk

    A blank value means the figure has not been published, not that there are none. Check your own address with the council.

    Councils bordering Hammersmith & Fulham
    Which application your project needsLawful Development Certificate decision: 8 weeks. Prior approval decision: 42 days. Householder decision: 8 weeksYour projectWithin permitted development?Lawful Development CertificatePrior approvalHouseholder applicationYesLarger rear extensionNoABC

    Which application your project needs

    The usual route for a house; flats and listed buildings follow other rules.

    A · Lawful Development Certificate decision
    8 weeks
    B · Prior approval decision
    42 days
    C · Householder decision
    8 weeks

    Heritage that shapes the roofline

    The borough publishes 47 conservation areas, and Historic England lists 268 entries inside its boundary, of which 27 are Grade II* and 1 is Grade I. A house in one of those areas often has a roofline and rear elevation the officer wants kept, which limits how far a scheme can be lowered to protect a neighbour.

    That matters for light because the usual remedy for a failed test is a smaller or lower building. Where heritage rules out the smaller building, the study has to carry more weight. It records what the neighbour keeps, what they lose, and why the design cannot reasonably change. A report written with that in mind reads very differently from one that only lists the numbers.

    Why the housing mix raises the stakes

    Only 24.6 per cent of households here live in a house or bungalow, and 32.1 per cent own their home. Many streets are terraces of conversions, with a flat on each floor and a rear window serving each. A rear extension to the ground-floor flat sits right beside the window of the flat next door.

    Values are high as well. Terraced houses averaged £1,139,759 in the latest figures, against £568,235 for a flat. When so much is at stake for each owner, objections about light are common, and a prepared study gives the officer something firmer than opinion to weigh.

    How the council has been deciding applications

    The council decided 506 householder applications in the latest published year and granted 97.8 per cent. Only 79.8 per cent were decided in time, so a noticeable share ran past the target date. Minor schemes were granted at 95.9 per cent across 565 decisions.

    A high grant rate and a slower clock point in the same direction: a complete application that answers the likely light question up front avoids the clarification requests that stretch the timetable. These are borough-wide totals for all householder work, so treat them as background rather than as a prediction for your house.

    What we need from you

    A sketch, the address and a few photographs of the back of the house are enough for a first opinion. We look at the neighbouring windows, the likely height of the new wall and any heritage designation on the street. Within a short time we can tell you whether a study is likely to be asked for, what it would test, and whether a small change to the design would make it unnecessary.

    Where to go next

    Our general guide to daylight and sunlight reports sets out the BRE tests in plain terms. If you want the whole borough picture, see architectural drawings in Hammersmith and Fulham. Projects close to the boundary may be governed by a different list, so compare Kensington and Chelsea and Wandsworth before you plan.

    Quotes are fixed once agreed and follow a free look at your address. Send the address and a sketch to start.

    What you receive

    Planning drawing sheet for a rear extension with plans, elevations and sections
    Sample drawing. Planning drawings for a rear extension: plans, elevations and sections on one sheet set.
    Brick cottage with a tiled roof, chimneys and a front dormer window
    The street around you
    Move across the plinth — the blocks rise around the pointer.

    Other services in Hammersmith & Fulham

    Daylight and sunlight reports nearby

    Questions

    Does Hammersmith and Fulham require a daylight and sunlight report?

    We do not cite a borough rule on this page. Check the council's current local list, and expect an officer to ask for a study where a scheme sits close to a neighbour's window.

    Will being in a conservation area make the report harder?

    The test is the same. Heritage can fix the building height, so the written justification carries more weight. The borough has 47 conservation areas.

    Why do my neighbours object about light?

    Terraces are often split into flats here, with only 24.6 per cent of households in houses, so one rear window may serve a whole room.

    Is the BRE guide a legal limit?

    No. It is advisory, and London guidance asks officers to apply it with flexibility in context.

    Sources and dates

    City of London skyline glowing at dusk across the Thames under a dramatic orange sky

    Tell us about your property.

    We check the constraints, then send a fixed fee. Messages before 3pm get a reply the same working day.

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