Rights of light are a complex subject in English Law. Developers ignore this
area of law at their peril. Failure to take rights of light into account can at best
result in the expense of redesigning buildings and at worst, orders of the Court
ordering work to stop or work done to be pulled down. There are steps that
can be taken at the fi rst stages of development that will identify whether rights
of light issues exist and what can be done about them. Planning rules do not
govern rights of light so pre-planning advice on these rights is crucial. This paper
sets out the law in brief and then concentrates on the questions to ask and the
practical steps to take, in conjunction with expert surveyors and lawyers.

• Right of lights ahead!