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Kingston upon Thames, London

Daylight and sunlight report in Kingston upon Thames

Kingston upon Thames turns a rule of thumb into a validation trigger. Its local list asks every extension to submit 45-degree plans, and states the consequence: Fails 45 degree rule on plan and elevation = report required. A second, 25-degree test applies to taller work. The wording is precise enough to design to.

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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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    Pencil resting on a dimensioned technical drawing beside a scale rule

    The 45-degree rule and what follows a fail

    The Validation Local List asks for 45-degree plans and a statement for extensions and outbuildings, drawn at the scales the list specifies, with neighbouring windows annotated, on both the floor plan and the elevation. In plan, a 45-degree line is drawn from the centre of the nearest neighbouring window; in elevation, the same angle is drawn on the section. If the new building crosses the line in both views, the list says a full Daylight and Sunlight Report must be submitted.

    The wording is exact: failure on plan and elevation together. A scheme that crosses the line in only one view does not trigger the report under this item. That gives a designer real room. We often adjust the depth or the eaves height by a small amount so that the proposal clears one view and avoids the full study altogether.

    For this reason the first thing we do is the survey of the neighbours' windows, since the angle depends on their exact position and sill height. Our model then measures the line against every opening.

    Rows of brick terraced houses and gardens on a residential street

    Local figures for Kingston upon Thames

    Figures with their unit, period and source
    MeasureValuePeriodSource
    Extensions and outbuildings need "45 Degree" plans and a statement (1:50 or 1:100, neighbouring windows annotated, floor plan and elevation). If the proposal fails the 45 degree rule on both floor plan and elevation, a Daylight and Sunlight Report must be submitted.Fails 45 degree rule on plan and elevation = report required—kingston.gov.uk, Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames Validation Local List (February 2024), p.25
    "25 Degree" elevation plan and statement required for extensions of 2 or more storeys, roof extensions taking the building above 2 storeys, or outbuildings of 2 or more storeys. If the 25 degree rule of thumb is failed, a Daylight and Sunlight Report is required.Fails 25 degree rule = report required—kingston.gov.uk, Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames Validation Local List (February 2024), p.26
    A Daylight, Sunlight and Overshadowing Assessment is required where a proposal is likely to affect light to adjoining land uses (and for all major residential). For householder development the 45/25 degree plans and statements are likely to be sufficient. Assessment follows the latest BRE guidance.Latest BRE methodology—kingston.gov.uk, Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames Validation Local List (February 2024), p.45
    Conservation areas28 named conservation areas published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Article 4 direction areas114 Article 4 direction area polygons published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Tree preservation zones7,145 tree preservation zone polygons published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Households living in a house61.5 % of households living in a house or bungalow (detached, semi-detached or terraced)Census 2021nomisweb.co.uk
    Householder decisions742 decisions1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Householder applications granted83 %1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Householder applications decided in time92.5 % decided within 8 weeks or an agreed extended period1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Minor applications granted64.9 %1 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 Kingston upon Thames
    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

    The 25-degree test for taller work

    A second item applies to extensions of two or more storeys, roof extensions that take the building above two storeys, and outbuildings of two or more storeys. These need a 25-degree elevation plan and statement. The council's rule is that Fails 25 degree rule = report required.

    The 25-degree check is a second rule of thumb, aimed at height. A two-storey rear addition on a terraced house is the typical case where it is relevant, so we test it early.

    We draw both lines on the same sheet when both apply, so that the officer sees one consistent answer instead of two separate documents.

    When the council wants more than the geometry

    A third item covers proposals likely to affect light to adjoining land uses, and all major residential schemes. The rule here is recorded as Latest BRE methodology, which follows the BRE guide. The list adds that for householder development the 45-degree and 25-degree plans and statements are likely to be sufficient.

    That sentence is the council telling householders what it will accept. For a typical extension the geometric sheets are the whole requirement, and a full computer study is a fallback for a failed test. A fuller study commissioned before the sheets are drawn is spent too early.

    Suburban streets, trees and Green Belt edges

    61.5 per cent of Kingston households live in a house or bungalow and 60.9 per cent own their home. The borough has 28 conservation areas and 3 Article 4 directions covering 114 separate areas, and its tree protection zones number 7,145.

    About 17 per cent of the borough is Green Belt. The council's design reference is the Residential Design SPD, supporting the Core Strategy (with Kingston Town Centre Area Action Plan 2008). A tree in a neighbour's garden can already shade a window, and we record it so that the baseline is honest.

    How the council decides

    Kingston decided 742 householder applications in the latest published year and granted 83 per cent, with 92.5 per cent decided in time. Minor schemes were granted at 64.9 per cent from 251 decisions, with 80.1 per cent in time.

    Terraced houses averaged £591,784 in the latest figures. Those are borough totals and say nothing about your address.

    Drawing the sheets so they are easy to check

    The officer reading a Kingston application wants to see the angle at a glance. We draw the plan and the section on the same sheet, label each neighbouring window with its distance and sill height, and add a short statement saying whether the line is cleared. If it is crossed, the sheet shows by how much, which tells you straight away whether a modest change to the depth or the eaves would clear it.

    Related pages

    The wider guide to daylight and sunlight reports explains the BRE tests, planning drawings in Kingston upon Thames covers the sheets that carry the 45-degree plans, and the borough overview is architectural drawings in Kingston upon Thames. For comparison with neighbours, see Richmond upon Thames and Sutton.

    If a full study proves necessary, we quote it after a free look at the site, and the figure stays fixed.

    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.
    Georgian brick terrace with sash windows, arched fanlight doorways, stone steps and iron railings in London
    The street around you
    Move across the plinth — the blocks rise around the pointer.

    Other services in Kingston upon Thames

    Daylight and sunlight reports nearby

    Questions

    When must a Kingston extension have a full daylight report?

    The local list says: Fails 45 degree rule on plan and elevation = report required. Below that, the 45-degree plans and statement are the requirement.

    What is the 25-degree rule?

    It applies to taller work. The list records it as Fails 25 degree rule = report required.

    Are the geometric sheets enough for a householder?

    For householder development the list says the 45-degree and 25-degree plans and statements are likely to be sufficient.

    Can trees change the result?

    They can shade a neighbour's window already, so we record them in the survey. The borough has 7,145 tree protection zones.

    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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