Rights to Light are a prescriptive ‘right’ acquired by a dominant (usually neighbouring) building over a subservient building after a period of 20 years without interruption.

A right to light is a right to see a portion of the sky from a percentage of a room at about table top level to provide adequate light to carry out normal tasks.  It is not a right to see a view such as the sea or a park.

Alterations to a building by increasing its height or bulk may affect the rights of a neighbouring building to see part of the sky.

We can provide advice on whether the proposals may affect a buildings ‘right to light’ and carry out a detailed survey to confirm how much the visible dome of sky has been reduced and whether this is below an acceptable minimum.