45 degree rule when planning

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Hi was just wondering if anyone has any help and advice on the 45 degree rule..our planning officer came yesterday for the first visit since applying and has mention that we could effect our neighbours.
We are quite a way from them (in fact a separate estate)
What he didn't realise from the plans that they now have a conservatory with he says is a 90 degree angle. But says he will have to go round and check.
We are worried that this will just stir up ideas for the neighbours now. We've waited so long to do this. I've added a photo of where we are and them next door. (There's hasn't got the conservatory on though) can anyone give a dive or thoughts . We weren't sure as hes very new to this job if he was just being picky.
 

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This is with extension. 2 storey. (They've not got the conservatory on this planning photo))
 

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You need to find out specifically exactly which parts of the 45degree rule the council use for determining domestic applications and then apply those specifically (ie by drawing it) to your application.
 
You need to find out specifically exactly which parts of the 45degree rule the council use for determining domestic applications and then apply those specifically (ie by drawing it) to your application.

All we were told was the right to sunlight. They go round to the neighbours. And from the centre of the window the make sure that the neighbours have 45. But then he realised it had a conservatory so said it would be 90 degrees.
 
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90° makes no sense.

You need to find out how your council applies the rule, as there are many different interpretations of what angle applies, from what point and even if it's a horizontal and/or vertical line.

Your council will publish guidance.
 
Also they are just guidelines. Right to light is really a different matter altogether and determined by many more factors than just angles.
How far away is your neighbour, wait and see what he comes back with and if you think it is unreasonable it might be worth getting a right of light surveyor on the case.
 
Councils tend to have the 45°rule as policy not guidance. In which case they are not for debate.
 
But they are on occasion overturned on appeal, particularly if the 45 degree rule is implemented into policy to preserve a right to light as in it's own right it isn't a sufficient measure of light deprivation, even more so on distant buildings.
We built an extension a few years ago for a client that contravened the 45 degree line and before we started building I asked if the planners had said anything about it as the 45 degree rules is written into policy here in Oxford. they told me the council had indicated to the architects that they were going to refuse the application on the grounds of the 45 degree rule. The architects commissioned a report which stated that there wasn't sufficient deprivation of light as the window in question was so small compared to the size of the affected room and also wasn't the principal source of natural light for that room.
the council conceded and approved the application.
 
It depends on what basis the rule had been incorporated into policy, and how it may be supplied. It can be used for more that just preventing loss of light.
 

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