The Square forms the heart of Petersfield, with Georgian and Regency town houses around it, Victorian terraces on the older residential streets, and post-war expansion along Bell Hill towards the South Downs. The town sits within conservation areas, and most older stock has windows that have received natural light for centuries, well past the 20-year easement threshold under the Prescription Act 1832. Conservation area work, period property extensions, and infill new builds all routinely raise rights of light questions, with East Hampshire District Council planning consent leaving the legal position untouched.
We act on Petersfield schemes from the Hampshire office, with reach across Liss, Liphook, and the surrounding South Downs villages, supported by colleagues in London and Essex. CHP is RICS regulated and has been advising on rights of light since 2004. The local Hampshire team handles this work faster than London-led practices, and we can pull in our rights of light assessments overview where it helps the wider design team.
Every Petersfield project starts with a free initial assessment of the proposed scheme. We identify which neighbouring windows are likely to carry the 20-year easement and the points of the proposed massing most likely to cause an issue. A full rights of light analysis follows using specialist software, with existing and proposed light levels modelled and tested against the Equivalent First Zone and the 50/50 rule for each affected room.
Where modelling shows likely infringement, the cutback analysis tests design variations including reduced ridge heights, set-back upper floors, and adjusted fenestration until the scheme works for both the planning case and the rights of light position. Most Petersfield projects also call for daylight and sunlight reports as part of the same East Hampshire District Council planning submission, particularly on conservation area schemes, and we run both pieces of work from the same team.
Adjoining owners in Petersfield have several options when faced with a nearby development that threatens the light through their windows. We assess the impact of the proposed scheme on the affected rooms, advise on the strength of the legal position under the acquired easement, and set out the available remedies including negotiation, formal objection to East Hampshire District Council, and ultimately court action where matters cannot be resolved between the parties.
Light Obstruction Notices can also be used to protect the future development potential of the adjoining owner's own property. For developers, the same early assessment work avoids surprises during construction and gives certainty over the cost of any required release. A short free initial assessment is the quickest way to know where you stand.
